The Videoconference: Friend to the Travel-Weary
Well, not really, says Caleb Tiller of the National Business Travel Association in response to the hasty prophesying of technology companies since the first camera was clamped to a PC.
Yes, video, Web and phone conferencing wizards have made remarkable strides, but these technologies are only replacing certain kinds of travel. Picture the G8 Summit by Web cam -- frightening, isn't it?
A business that sends its sales force all over the country, for example, could never even dream of closing a multimillion dollar sale via a Web conference. A semiannual meeting, however, done by video, can save a company thousands in travel and lodging expenses.
Tiller sees a parallel upward trend in both Web and video conferencing and business travel because new technologies allow a company's travel budget to be used more strategically for trips that really count.
While only a handful of companies are making the serious investment of a quarter million dollars or more for the most sophisticated technology, less-pricey solutions abound, especially as broadband gets cheaper worldwide and allows for affordable, high-quality video in any location.
In addition, in the last 12 years the International Telecommunication Union put down standards for all major and minor video communication that let 98% of all systems share content, says Bob Knauf, video product and marketing manager of Polycom.
Cost of one roundtrip, cross-country flight: about $600. One-night hotel stay: $200. Food and transportation: $60 per day. Cost of not having to send a representative to the semi-annual business meeting: priceless, if you choose the appropriate service for your business.
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