AI and SaaS as cornerstones for video communication platforms – Why and How

Over since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, remote working has become the norm as the world’s workforce saw an overnight mass remote working experiment with workplaces being shut down temporarily. Today, our workplaces have become virtual as video communication became the cornerstone for efficient remote working. The pandemic has marked a major milestone for the video communication segment and several companies have offered employees the option to work from home permanently.

However, we simply cannot overlook the fact that for video communication to function seamlessly, AI and SaaS (Software as a Service) are integral aspects. Novel technologies such as AI have not only revolutionized the way we design business functions based on technology but also how we utilize technology. Driven by data analytics, AI, automation, and NLP (Natural Language Processing), the segment has witnessed a paradigm shift over the past year and is no longer limited to boardrooms for formal presentations.

That said, here’s how video communication platforms rely on AI and SaaS for efficient functioning.

Enhanced features

Today, AI and video communication go hand-in-hand. AI has advanced video communication to the extent that users no longer need to spend time entering codes or passwords to join meetings. Rather, they can simply speak to a voice-based AI that reads commands and allows them to join, leave, start or end a meeting. Besides this, AI has also given these platforms an edge by enabling speech-to-text transcription.

Voice-to-text transcription is perhaps one of the most beneficial features as it allows users to take notes in a meeting without doing it manually. Instead, the AI technology automatically transcribes the conversation, thereby allowing users to focus on what is being said during the meeting, boosting efficiency and collaboration. An ML-based technology, voice-to-text transcription is a feature that video communication platforms are consistently working on to ensure it’s smarter and works more efficiently.

Analytics-based technology to make conversations efficient

AI is largely known for working based on its analytics-based, data-driven technology and serves video communication platforms perfectly to enhance their functions. Video communication platforms leverage these exceptional features to unearth boundless possibilities. Having made huge advances in the segment, AI analytics can keep a track of nearly every aspect of a meeting, including meeting duration, audio, and video quality, disruptions due to poor internet connectivity in certain places, etc.

The AI collects real-time information and insights into the meeting flow, making it easier to extract the actual content. This valuable data gathered by the AI will then allow video communication platforms to analyze what works for you and what doesn’t improvise, and design solutions based on this, thereby augmenting customer experience. As per a report by Frost and Sullivan, AI can bring reliability to the virtual meeting room through predictive analytics, allowing video communication platforms to work proactively to solve any pitfalls.

Furthermore, some other incredible features provided by AI not just for video communication but for nearly every sector, are chatbots and virtual assistants. Besides facilitating direct, automated interaction with the customer, AI-powered chatbots enable platforms to optimize time, cost, and manpower that would otherwise be required without them.

Final word

In a nutshell, AI technology is a game-changer for video communication platforms by influencing and dominating the segment for a wide array of sophisticated tasks. Given the rapid and widespread incorporation and reliance on AI by video communication platforms, designing these technologies into video conferencing can add real value to video communication. It’s safe to say that these platforms, powering a sustainable future of work, will remain our virtual workplaces for the foreseeable future.

Note: The author of the article is Gaurav Tripathi, Founder and CEO, Superpro.ai