Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2018.  Read them in this 10th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by Eric S. Yuan, CEO & founder of Zoom Video Communications

AI, AR, Facial Recognition and Other Trends in Cloud Video Communications for 2018

A growing number of organizations are leveraging the power of the cloud to radically improve the performance of their businesses, and cloud-based video communications figures prominently in their plans. Forward looking organizations are increasingly using video communications solutions in the cloud to combine audio, video, and web conferencing; chat; and content sharing into a single platform to work across desktops, mobile devices, and conference rooms. The benefits realized from those capabilities are driving what some analysts predict will be a whopping 34.1% CAGR for cloud video conferencing by 2020.  Here's a look at a few predictions for 2018 that will further contribute to the rapid adoption of cloud video communications:

●       Video meetings will begin providing "smart" features that dramatically improve meeting productivity and the user's experience.  Augmented reality in video conferencing will allow people to share and manipulate 3D models as holograms, so users can leverage video to build and share architecture models or design new products in 3D and in real-time. Artificial intelligence features such as voice-to-text transcription will take meeting notes, and provide the capability to make video recordings searchable. Users will be able to  search the transcript for keywords and jump to those mentions for playback. Video transcriptions will provide valuable feedback in a wide range of use cases, such as sales or support training. Other "smart" features, such as virtual personal assistants, will record tasks and help set up meetings, voice recognition will identify who is speaking, and sentiment analysis tools will be used to identify positive or negative comments. Combined, all these features will make video meetings better than meeting in person.

●       Just as we've seen facial recognition take apps and devices by storm, we'll also see it become very popular in video conference rooms, with one big difference -- faces will be captured with video rather than still photographs. Video will be used to recognize who is in the room and will be paired with technologies that provide other insights such as the participant's title and company affiliation. Insights into who has used the conference room, when, and for what purpose will also help IT and Facilities staff better plan space allocation and usage. 

●       Studies have found that facial expressions and body language comprise at least 70 percent of communications, and that more than 80 percent of business professionals believe face-to-face meetings are better for building trust and strong client relationships. In 2018, organizations will place a premium on face-to-face interactions, and turning on video during virtual meetings will become the norm. In keeping with recent Forbes research, which found that 92% of executives believe the expanded use of video conferencing has a positive impact on their performance, executives will set the example and expect their teams to turn on the camera for meetings. People will stop worrying so much about what they look like, and will focus more on what they want to accomplish. Tools like virtual backgrounds and touch up my appearance help people get over the hurdle.

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About the Author

Eric S. Yuan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Prior to founding Zoom, Eric was Corporate Vice President of Engineering at Cisco, where he was responsible for Cisco's collaboration software development. As one of the founding engineers and Vice President of Engineering at WebEx, Eric was the heart and soul of the WebEx product from 1997 to 2011. Eric proudly grew the WebEx team from 10 engineers to more than 800 worldwide, and contributed to revenue growth from $0 to more than $800M. Eric is a named inventor on 11 issued and 20 pending patents in real time collaboration. In 2017, Eric was added to the Business Insider list of the 52 Most Powerful People in Enterprise Tech.

Eric is a graduate of the Stanford University Executive Program.