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Feature: Videoconferencing


On a 30 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 18 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE


ROLL


Finally the demand for virtual meetings technology is rising and the suppliers are there with the right goods, at the right price, says Linda Fox


VIDEOCONFERENCING is currently being sold to the travel community as the new flying. Last year market intelligence specialist Gartner predicted that video telepresence, which replicates a face-to-face meeting as closely as possible, would replace 2.1 million air seats per year by 2012. If that weren’t dramatic enough, many of


the technology providers are claiming sales growth of anything from 15 per cent to 40 per cent, fuelled by the economic downturn and more recently the ash crisis. Polycom, one such provider, reported a 28


per cent increase in revenue associated with videoconferencing technology for the second quarter of 2010. Meanwhile, meeting room specialist Regus is experiencing a 39 per cent growth in demand annually – a figure which soared to over 400 per cent during the peak of the ash crisis. According to Polycom’s solutions marketing


manager Ray McGroarty, the overall attitude to virtual meetings is now more positive. He attributes a significant proportion of the revenue growth to the economic downturn but also says the technology has secured wider appeal because of how much it has improved in terms of both audio and image quality. “Better quality improvements have opened


up new applications such as fault finding in manufacturing or fashion designers being able to look at first cut designs in India.” Video games specialist Atari uses Polycom high-definition videoconferencing technology for its twice monthly ‘green light’ meetings to decide whether a game should go ahead or not. The company has already seen benefits in cost savings, creativity and enhanced quality of life for employees. McGroarty adds that the technology is already better than what many consumers experience in their homes with high definition television.


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