RINGCENTRAL VIDEO

When Apple’s FaceTime debuted in 2010, it signaled a new era of video communication. Very quickly, younger generations began embracing the technology to the point that today, video chat is fast approaching text messaging as the go-to personal communication tool for Millennials.

So when those younger generations entered the workforce in recent years, so too did their lifestyles, dramatically impacting how each of us work. In particular, their preference for video communication has led to a rise in the popularity of video meetings. A 2018 Forrester research report showed that 74% of IT decision makers said they saw an increase in video conference calls in the prior two years.

Video’s rapid growth as a business communication solution also arrives amid the backdrop of a dramatically shifting workforce. Research shows that working remotely has grown significantly in recent years. A survey by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs indicates that remote work has grown 91% over the last 10 years and 159% over the last 12 years. And that trend shows no signs of slowing down.

The rise of video meetings makes sense in the context of a more distributed, global workforce. The biggest reported struggle of remote work is lack of community: 21% of remote workers named “loneliness” as one of their top on-the-job issues. Video meetings help build stronger connections. A recent survey by RingCentral revealed that 48% of respondents think that using video calls builds relationships and trust better than audio-only meetings.