When the first commercial group video conferencing system launched in the early 1980s, the hardware for the $250,000 system filled an entire room. But in the decades that followed, advances in IP telephony and hardware made video calling more viable and affordable. By the 2010s, many boardrooms had video conferencing solutions, most laptops had built-in webcams, and many people carried a video-enabled mobile phone in their pocket or bag.
But many businesses still weren’t using video conferencing technology regularly – until the pandemic, that is. Suddenly, video conferencing went from nice-to-have to an absolute necessity, and a new world of hybrid work was ushered in.
