Where have all the Webcams Gone?

Where are all the Webcams?

I always thought cameras in cell phones was a stupid idea. Now I buy my cell phone precisely because of how great the camera is. I am an amateur photographer at best, with an emphasis on amateur. If I do say so myself, the iPhone cameras as truly amazing. They really help me look like I know what I’m doing.

Covid-19 has turned so many things upside down. We could go on long tangents about toilet paper shortages, and issues with the supply chain. I for one, have yet to see a single piece of work out equipment restocked. Dumbbells and kettle bells have long been sold out, and the aftermarket demand for equipment remains high. This has driven the price up considerably.

It is hard to image in all this chaos that webcams would be difficult to obtain. I can’t even recall how many times I saw a web cam in the bargain bin.   It seemed every time I went to Target or Wal-Mart they had a web cam on clearance.

Head to one of these stores now and webcams are gone. All gone. Trying to find one online isn’t easy either. Shipping dates have been trending out well over 30 days. Even if you have Amazon Prime, you can expect for your order to take longer than two days to arrive.

So, what can you do if you don’t have a webcam? Not all of us were fortunate enough to have gotten a company laptop with one or two webcams built in.

One option is to use an old one. The older webcams may not quite have the same resolution as newer webcams, but they should get the job done.

Option Two is to use your cell phone or tablet. Most tablets and cell phones can use the front facing cameras and will function just like a webcam.  The problem here is not every tablet or cell phone has a front facing camera, and not all Unified Communications platforms have a robust mobile application.

“Discontent is the catalyst for change.” A few years ago, I attended a weekend leadership training. John the man leading the training is an intense teacher who doesn’t waste time. He made sure by the end of the weekend that you came away with most of what he was trying to transfer. John is not simply a teacher. No, his drive is to transfer knowledge to those attending his classes.

But the one thing that stuck out is change. In fact, John taught a lot about change and it relationship to leadership. But change happens all around us.

Another phrase that seems to have wedged itself deep in my psyche, is “The Definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” Something like that anyway.

The point being that if we are faced with procedures or systems or equipment that isn’t meeting our needs then it may just be time to change the equipment.

We can’t force an older phone system to accommodate web conferencing. Just like we can’t force a square peg in a round hole. Sooner or later we need to identify the source of the discontent.

Change doesn’t have to be difficult. Take 3CX for a test drive and see for yourself how seamless and intuitive your phone system can be. Your phone system shouldn’t be a hurdle to doing business. Your phone system needs to empower your business and enable your employees.

Download your free no obligation demo of 3CX here:

https://www.3cx.com/phone-system/download-phone-system?resellerId=207448