Discussions

Part of the problem with video conferencing is the manufacturers who build the systems have never embraced the service provider industry. in the market we have Internet service providers, cell phone providers, ld providers, etc. Most people have a cultural stigma to using video because of poor expeirences in the past. I.E. Meeting not starting on time, poor audio -video quality, poor environment. My experience shows if you have top down support, measurable return on investment and ease of use video conferencing can be succesful at an organization. This level sets expectations for end user, just like they know what to expect in a conference room meeting. The author is correct, nothing replaces face-to-face meetings, so identifying audio conferences or webex presentations that could be replaced with video is a good place to start. What do you do during these type of calls, I multi task and also feel drained after long conference calls. DOn't have this with video.

I agree with the author that green initiatives are not the way to justify video conferencing. It is more of a marketing ploy to improve the market perception of the company. While reducing emissions is still important for future generations, the far more measurable return is productivity decline on the front and back end of business trips.

Just my two cents.