Welcome to Corona 2020 where, if you’re not virtual, you’re nowhere.
It’s a brave new world – a 30 second walk to the ‘home office’ area clutching a mug of coffee has replaced rush hour traffic, the school run or time spent in a public transport queue.
Your day starts – ironed shirt and neat hair – the top half. As for the rest it’s preferable not to look. Tracksuit pants or shorts with weather dependent footwear are de rigueur.
The past couple of months have quite literally redefined all aspects of our lives and if that’s not enough, in our quest for productivity, we are now faced with bandwidth issues, online meeting video quality, internet stability, computer-generated (CG) backgrounds and security.
How do you choose the right online meeting platform from a software sector that has seen a 500% spend increase since the start of the pandemic? Interestingly, the electronic signature space has seen an equal increase in spend. There’s a definite case for combined video and e-signing if only in terms of cost savings and simplicity.
As if this is not enough, one of the favoured online meeting services, Zoom, is beset by its own problems. The service has had meeting rooms compromised and stands accused of sharing account information in breach of privacy laws and regulations. The situation is heightened by a number of countries and corporations banning Zoom’s use, preferring platforms like Teams, Webex and Hangouts. Zoom might be responding to security issues, but the mere thought (from a professional services perspective) of non-secure communications when dealing with a client’s health underwriting requirements or the financial details of a party attached to a particularly acrimonious divorce, leaves very little to the imagination. Liability takes on a whole new meaning.
It’s also no longer enough to rely on scanned copies of ‘wet signed’ documents when transacting. Programmes and scripts such as Falsiscan (basically the creation of a signed document scanned look-a-like) will limit this form of signing in the future. The potential for fraud is just too great.
When identifying a potential platform it is recommended to follow four basic steps:
| 1. | Check what type of internet connectivity you and your clients have. Any basic ADSL, 4G or fibre connection will be enough. |
| 2. | What will you be using the service for? Basic client interaction, just touching base, or signing documents? Do you need a record of the meeting and do you need to comply with any regulations? |
| 3. | Be careful of free services. They might be free now but you could get an unexpected bill, months down the line. |
| 4. | Confirm that the services passes security and privacy muster. |
The service you choose for client interaction now, will define your practice in the future. Videosign ticks all the boxes as an integrated one stop video engagement and signing platform. For information visit www.moonstone.co.za and www.videosign.co.
