Chicago Tribune Story

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Video calls are virtually taking over 
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By T. Shawn Taylor

October 30, 2002

Behold the fossilization of the face-to-face meeting.

A recent online survey by Wainhouse Research on conferencing technology 
and business travel behavior found that virtual meetings have become 
more common than meetings conducted in person.

The increase in virtual meetings via teleconference, videoconference of 
the Web has been precipitated by travel budget cuts and a reluctance by 
employees to fly since Sept. 11--not a disdain for human contact. The 
telephone, facsimile and e-mail have already taught us we can live 
without that.

Before the attacks, 55 percent of business meetings were conducted in 
person and 45 percent took place virtually. Today, 45 percent of 
meetings are in person and 55 person happen virtually, according to the 
survey, which received 703 valid responses from individuals across 
industries.

Even before the economy tanked, teleconferencing seemed to be hitting 
its stride as a cost-saving measure -- and a convenience.

"It's cheaper to do a conference call than to have a business lunch," 
said Ray Britt, vice president of marketing for InterCall, which 
provides conferencing services to companies around the globe. 
Participants during a single conference call can number in the 
thousands, he said.

After the terror attacks, employers sought alternatives to travel and 
more employees were willing to give up their frequent-flier miles to 
feel--and remain--grounded.

"People still needed to deliver in the third quarter and didn't want to 
travel, so they used these tools and found it worked," said Britt. The 
survey, which was paid for by a company that sells conferencing 
equipment and software, found that 78 percent of respondents said that 
conferencing technology allows them to get more work done; 64 percent 
believe it allows them to be more competitive; and 66 percent believe 
it allows them to make decisions faster.

Kay Salikof, vice president of training for Management Recruiters 
International in Cleveland, said that MRI uses videoconferencing to 
train employees and to interview job candidates. The service is easy to 
use, she said, and "it's so much fun."

Videoconferences are far superior to phone interviews, Salikof said. 
"Just being able to see the person adds a whole new dimension to the 
conversation," she said.

There are some drawbacks to conferencing. It's necessary to establish a 
conferencing protocol so that everyone won't try to talk at once, 
Salikof said. And like cellular phones, there are "dead zones" where 
videoconferencing over the Internet won't work. Just a freak of 
technology.

Videoconferencing can also be a bit unnerving. Because there is often a 
time lag, there may be an uncomfortable silence between communications.

"There's nothing worse than saying something you think is pretty funny 
and having dead silence for a few seconds," Salikof said.

Videoconferencing can feel a little like being on television, except 
you can see the people watching you, and causes people to be a bit more 
stilted, she said.

"I wish we could get them to relax," she said.

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Copyright (c) 2002, Chicago Tribune