Podcasting: Podcast your earnings call so stakeholders can play it from a personal audio player at a later time.

Manage Your Audience: Being able to view such listener information as the names of participants and their questions with features like InterCall’s Leader-View ultimately gives the host more control over the call.

Audio Streaming: Broadcast the audio portion of your conference so your audience can hear the call using a free streaming media player such as Windows Media Player or Real Player.

Video Streaming: Visually expand your audience reach by sending a signal from a video conference to a media network Web site using video streaming.

Spread the Word: Use a distribution service — like InterCall’s PR Distribution network —to streamline announcing any important IR information.

• “Talk to me.” The source of the problem is communication. Many managers feel cut off when an employee works off-site, says the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. If better communication sounds so simple, but in the telecommuting world better communication requires the right technology, whether it’s the good old telephone or a high-tech Web cam.
• Don’t manage attendance, manage performance. Most employees who work from home may not opt for the regular 9-5; however, they may be up until 2a.m. working on a project or wake up at 5a.m. to complete a presentation before the big meeting.
• Support workers with collaboration technologies like video and Web conferencing, and practice effective meeting management. Good virtual meetings require preparation and planning and technology gives employees the tools they need to collaborate outside of the office.
• When managers rely on voice and e-mail communication to reach workers off-site, research has shown that only 7 percent of communication goes through. Systems such as Telepresence convey the tone, body language, and facial expressions that are so crucial to trust and understanding.
• Know your employees. Know your co-workers style of communication and the best way to reach them. Some prefer email while others prefer instant messaging or text messaging. Getting in touch with your employees is key to successful collaboration.

Cost Savings: Businesses can save more than 30 percent each year by reducing travel and conferencing instead (CyberSpy.com).

Options: Conferencing offers a wide variety of different options such as video conferencing, web conferencing, audio conferencing, and file sharing. This makes it easy to conduct a meeting outside of the office. And with programs such as InterCall’s Mobile Assistant for BlackBerry smartphones, you can attend a meeting on-the-go.

Going Green: America’s 130 million workers generate 1.68 metric tons of CO2 per year through commuting, business travel, computer use and other related activities. Now more than ever, companies are striving to be green. They can help reduce their carbon footprint by cutting back on air and road travel and conference instead.

Busy Bodies: With employee cutbacks and layoffs, it seems as though employees are wearing more than one hat these days. Conferencing makes it easy for one employee to give a presentation in five different cities in one day without ever leaving the home office.

Out of Office: Nearly 32 percent of domestic flights were delayed in 2008 with JFK and O’Hare topping the list as the worst airports in the United States (U.S. Travel Association). On the road, stuck in the airport or home sick, you can still attend the important meeting without actually being in the office. This makes it easy for employees to gain access to important discussions.

As the world’s largest conferencing and collaboration services provider, InterCall can provide facts and figures, case studies, and insight into conferencing trends as more workers go virtual during the summer months.

Just a few years ago, global conference calls were sometimes dropped, fuzzy or unreliable as a means of doing business. Thanks to today’s advancements in technology, global conferencing is more dependable than ever. For example, InterCall recently invested in a new offering which has delivered a near perfect audio experience 97 percent of the time. Global Network Access ties in Advanced Technology Group’s superior audio technology with InterCall’s advanced offerings.

“With current events and issues putting a damper on international travel, we’ve seen an increase in demand for our services,” said Robert Bellmar, InterCall’s vice president of global production infrastructure. “Because of this demand, we’ve invested a lot into the global sector, making it better than ever.”

With more than 120,000 call centers and sales offices around the world, InterCall can facilitate worldwide communications and provide global support to businesses. They offer a complete range of audio, Web, and video conferencing solutions so that you can conduct a face-to-face meeting without actually being in the same room — or country.

As more businesses turn to Webinars as a cost-effective way to reach customers, prospects, stakeholders and employees, knowing how to maximize that virtual “face time” becomes critical. According to InterCall, there are some simple steps to make your Webinar more compelling:

• Describe the Webinar—"This isn’t what I thought it would be…" syndrome is one of the top causes of Webinar defections. Be sure the description sent out prior to the Webinar coincides with the schedule planned so that everyone signing up knows what they are in for.
• Stay on Topic—Webinar presenters can get sidetracked, causing the event to head in a direction that attendees didn’t sign up for (see point one). So practice with your presenters and have a game plan for dealing with off-topic questions.
• Invite a Speaker—Guest speakers help change voices and bring new flavor to the presentation. And speakers with recognized industry expertise will add another level of credibility to your event.
• Use the Tools—Webinars today provide tools such as polling, a chat section, surveys, FAQ sections, and even mood indicators, among others. Use them to keep your listeners engaged, but don’t overdo it.

Consider the following tips to make all your virtual students successful:

Integrate online tools. Incorporating a variety of virtual tools can create that “live meeting” feel. Devices such as streaming video and document sharing can add life and more dimensions to a training presentation. Additionally, research shows that visual aids double one’s ability to communicate messages to an audience — so trainers can be twice as effective in their teaching.

Foster interaction. Eliminate distractions from virtual training by maintaining interaction with students. Chat windows and breakout rooms, for example, encourage interaction between participants and the instructor. Start a discussion in the chat room or breakout session, where small groups are in a separate “room” of an audio or web conference. Trainers can “walk around the room” and pop in and out of different breakout sessions to check progress and stimulate more conversation.

Engage participants. Whether it’s encouraging participants to raise their virtual hand, presenting a survey or poll during the training, or including an activity or discussion every few minutes, engaging participants during an online training is essential. Call on participants with questions, and don’t just stick to a Power Point. Using Q&A features during or after the training can help gauge students’ learning and also their feedback.

Make Q2 the most productive yet for your company with these tips:

Try virtual training. Instead of an on-site class for training new professionals, online training can be cost-effective and virtually eliminates the time spent in transit. InterCall research projects that companies can save more than $11,000 for a typical 4-day training for 10 people by training online. Keeping employees in their day-to-day environment also maximizes their productivity and increases utilization.

Take it on the web. Getting your messages across more efficiently is possible by utilizing web conferencing. Behavioral science research has shown that combining visual messages with verbal communication increases retention to nearly 50 percent. Not to mention, web conferences enable participants to collaborate and edit documents in real-time, saving time and confusion later on.

Explore new features. Conferencing suites are adding new time-saving features faster than ever. InterCall Unified Meeting, for example, has “click-to-start” capability, making it even easier and quicker to join a virtual meeting. Desktop web conferencing, reservationless audio conferences, and even conferencing on mobile devices, are all designed to bolster productivity in innovative and easy to use ways.

The rise and accessibility of videoconferencing is in part to thank for this trend. According to Frost & Sullivan, the North American videoconferencing market has grown nearly 14 percent since 2006, and corporations represent 60 percent of demand.

Of course while videoconferencing is a great way for a potential employer to get to know you, that camera adds a few nuances you wouldn’t encounter during an in-person interview. So, here are some tips for candidates and interviewers alike on how to handle the virtual interview:

Know what to expect. Your first experience with video conferencing shouldn’t be during the first minute of your virtual interview. Understand the technology and how it works, and test it beforehand to make sure you’re familiar with how your camera, microphone, volume control, and main screen work.

Keep eye contact, virtually speaking. Look directly into your webcam during the virtual interview — it’s the equivalent of direct eye contact if you’re in-person. If you’re distracted by the streaming video of yourself on the screen, disable the picture-in-picture.

Consider add-ons. Many videoconferencing services offer additional features to boost the virtual exchange of information. For example, InterCall partners with GoldMail to provide a service that enables audio voice-overs on presentations or slides. Candidates can enhance their digital portfolios and interviewers can give more animated company information to prospects using this service.

Be professional. As with live interviews, being professional is key — even if you’re not in the same room. Stay in the frame of your camera, have all your materials in front of you, and speak up. Don’t fuss in front of your camera and dress professionally. First impressions count, even when they’re made virtually.

But web conferencing isn’t just for workers connecting between offices or cities anymore. A 2005 Frost & Sullivan survey found that more than 60 percent of web conferences are internal. These web meetings most commonly involve sales and marketing, training, and customer support, but in recent years have included general meetings, such as departmental briefings, company announcements, or business updates. During these virtual meetings, 25 percent use collaborative special features, such as web cams, annotation and white-boarding.

With all the special features available, it can be easy to get tangled in web conferencing. So whether you’re new to web conferencing or already a seasoned pro, here are some tips from the experts on how to have a more successful virtual meeting.

• Try a web cam. Today’s web conferencing technology typically enables users to broadcast in-meeting video with a standard web camera. Conferencing suites, such as InterCall Unified Meeting, offer “follow the talker” or “picture-in-picture” features which create the feeling of a live meeting. If you use a web cam, look directly into your camera while speaking, not at the streaming video on your screen. Before your meeting begins, experiment with the different features of your camera, such as zoom, focus, and its microphone.
• Take a poll. Some web conferencing products offer the ability to poll virtual meeting attendees during the meeting. The poll occurs in real-time during the web conference, providing the moderator with instant feedback or data. If you’re the meeting leader, make the conference more interactive by asking a question or soliciting feedback of the attendees. If you’re leading a training session via web conference, try a poll as a “quiz” for the participants.
• Share your work. Web conferencing eliminates the need to go back and forth via e-mail with editing, approving, and finalizing documents. Participants can share documents and edit them in real-time, increasing the group’s productivity and the efficiency of their collaboration.

Research from Cisco reveals that on average, workers spend 15 minutes per day playing “phone tag” with customers and colleagues, and another 12 minutes setting up meetings by reaching out to their colleagues’ multiple devices. There is a quicker way to connect. Conferencing, whether audio, video or web, provides a simple and easily-accessible way to increase productivity and efficiency of workers by saving them time in their everyday activities.

Here are some fields than can save time with the use of conferencing tools.

Hiring — Whether it’s a company information session as a web meeting or an interview performed via virtually, there are a variety of conferencing tools that can assist the human resources department in their day-to-day tasks. Well-placed cameras and microphones, not to mention other technological tools that can cancel background noise, zoom in and out, and “follow the talker” in a conversation, can make it feel like the other person is in the room with you rather than connected via video conference.

Sales — An audio or web conference is great way to connect product managers and sales people in discussions about new products and services. Conferencing tools, such as those from InterCall, enable meeting leaders to conduct polls and surveys during the conference to make sure everyone understands how the product should be positioned in the market place, not to mention activating video to provide product demonstration. Sales representatives can also communicate from the field with their managers to provide updates on a weekly conference call.

Legal — Collaboration is essential when working with a legal team, and conferencing makes it possible to connect easily and quickly. Partners and colleagues in different offices can meet to determine the best strategy for a client by using a web conference, where legal documents and other paperwork can be reviewed and edited in real-time. Or depose an out-of-town witness via video conference and eliminate travel.

Training — Whether it’s customer training, new hire orientation, product training, or recertification programs, conferencing is a great way to disperse information, provide updates, collaborate in real-time with Q&As, and survey trainees on what they’re learning. Using streaming video and audio in a video conference makes it possible to role-play customer situations or demonstrate usage of a product, both essential for training.

Marketing — Planning a marketing strategy often involves individuals from across the business — creatives, product management, the promotions team, and the webmaster, among others. Connect this key team in a conference to share ideas documents live without having to cram into a boardroom. Conferencing also provides an outlet to share the marketing team’s enthusiasm and excitement for a new product, promotion, or partnership with the rest of the company through streaming audio or video and web cams.

So how do you get the messages while simultaneously getting the message? How do you gather all this information without juggling multiple devices? The answer is Unified Communications, an increasingly more prominent player in the discussions of corporate IT departments and business circles worldwide. UC saves time, money, and stress as it streamlines the delivery of messages in a way that works best for each individual.

Unified Communications enables workers to choose the technologies their colleagues use to communicate with them. Mobile executives can use UC to ensure that they get the message without getting too many messages. It changes how they’re connected, no unplugging necessary — for example, sending instant messages while on a conference call, using e-mail while traveling or in a meeting, and launching a Web meeting when they’re working at home. Choosing the correct way to plug in with Unified Communications helps workers be more productive and efficient, not to mention it promotes the sharing of information and can significantly speed up the decision-making process.

The answer is Unified Communications. In its most fully realized form, UC offers customers a one-stop shop which makes it possible to access a range of different communication tools — voice calls, e-mail, faxes, instant messages, voice messages and audio, video, and web conferencing. It increases employee productivity and efficiency by simplifying communications systems and enabling more collaboration.

If your company is thinking about or actively planning to take the UC plunge, here’s a list of the top concepts you should know about this innovation:

Begin with conferencing. Because many employees are already familiar with conferencing, it makes sense to use this as a starting point for introducing UC. Unified conferencing incorporates audio, video, and web conferencing into a single application, enabling users to join a virtual meeting room with the click of a mouse. InterCall Unified Meeting features “click to start” conferencing, and its ease-of-use makes the transition to unified conferencing seamless.

UC isn’t just about technology. A good UC strategy involves the heads of many different departments — the office manager, the IT and operations team, HR representatives, senior management, and even the finance team. They all can bring something different to the UC table.

Go mobile. The rise and popularity of “smartphones” make the virtual workplace more possible and more important. Nearly 60 percent of North American businesses provide wireless handsets and service, or reimburse their employees for the service, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan study. But what is the need for these mobile devices if they cannot work with existing business tools? Implementing UC makes it easier to streamline a variety of communication devices to increase efficiency and foster adaptation to new technology.

Instant messaging is, as its name indicates, instant — it fosters quick answers to quick questions, decreasing the down time in communication and linking employees faster than ever. And according to a 2008 study by Ohio State University and the University of California, workers who used instant messaging in the office reported less interruption than colleagues who did not. A pop-up window with a short message is less of an interruption to workers than a quick phone call, e-mail, or unexpected office visit. IM enables users to control how and when they communicate with colleagues and managers. Workers have the ability to display their availability or postpone their response to a more opportune time, maintaining focus on their on-going work and reducing off-task distractions.

Instant messaging is a more productive way to collaborate on the job, and an integral part of a Unified Communications strategy. As managers and workers discover the efficiency of instant messaging, incorporating IM into more traditional forms of communication is becoming more common. In fact, Frost & Sullivan found that 40 percent of conferencing users reported that conferencing sessions are most often launched using instant messaging tools.

Additionally, Frost & Sullivan reports that 50 percent of conferencing users enable IM during virtual meetings. Instant messaging during a web or video conference makes it possible for attendees to have conversations to receive clarification, ask questions, or provide updates privately or with the entire group. Conferencing tools such as InterCall Unified Meeting incorporate instant messaging into the available features to make it easier than ever to send and receive instant messages in the virtual meeting room.

So for an efficient way to communicate P2P (Peer to Peer) without TMI (Too Much Information), give IM a try at the office.

With technology services like TraningCenter offered by InterCall, companies can deliver an interactive, media-rich classroom experience using just a telephone and a Web browser. Through such services, e-educators can:

Keep employees engaged. Provide a live, hands-on lab by connecting remote learners with remote computers, applications and simulations to reinforce learning. And keep learners’ attention with multimedia objects like Flash, PowerPoint animations and streaming media.

Promote active learning. “Breakout sessions” enable multiple, simultaneous small group, collaborative activities. Trainers can “walk around the room” to see how each group is doing.

Monitor progress. Track when and how long learners watch recorded sessions or presentations.

Ensure retention. Quiz, poll and test trainees to track their productivity and assess comprehension. Gain quick, valuable feedback by visually depicting individual responses to trainers’ verbal questions.

Record and playback. Enable learners to play back sessions at their convenience by recording sessions. Additionally, trainers can reuse their recorded sessions to be streamed into a live session.

In the current economic climate, conferencing is smart for any size business because in addition to increasing productivity, it reduces expenses associated with traveling for meetings. But with so many features and offerings out there, it could be easy to be intimidated by the sheer scope of options — don’t be.

By consulting with conferencing service providers like InterCall, the world’s largest provider of conferencing services, you can develop tailored conferencing strategies to fit your business’ needs — whether it’s traditional phone conferencing, Web or video conferencing, or the emerging telepresence.

But how do you know what’s right for your size business? Here are some questions to ask to get started:

• How often do you conduct meetings — and how do you conduct them (face-to-face, phone, etc.)?
• How many people are in attendance at meetings?
• What’s the average time it takes for your attendees to travel to meetings?
• Do you use audio/visual aids in meetings? Do you provide hand-outs?
• What kinds of communication technology does your company currently have?
• On a business trip, what is your downtime vs. time in a meeting?
• Do you conduct meetings with partners abroad?

Sending the invite. Service providers like InterCall offer a variety of methods for accessing an invitation to make sure you achieve maximum attendance. With one to two clicks of the mouse, guests can access the event through an e-mail invitation, office programs, desktop icons, browsers or their start menu.

Utilize an event team. Event consultants are key in creating your ideal event. They make it their business to stay on top of ever-evolving virtual meeting options and can help you feel right at home with new technologies and techniques. These professionals will listen to your wants and needs to help you prioritize all your pre-, during, and post-event details.

Never save technology for last. Amidst the topic, audience and invitation planning, the delivery method should not be pushed aside. Give adequate time to the conferencing provider and event staff to research needs and discuss delivery options — like an audio call or integrating a Web conference — or for a well-executed event.

Don’t forget the follow up. What you do after an event is just as important as what you do before it and during it. So discuss event wrap-up during your initial planning process. Whether it’s following up with employees or archiving the event, these items are easier to execute when they are included in the strategy.

Today’s virtual office can be any place you make it — whether it’s in a cozy café or your home. It may be equipped with audio, video and Web conferencing tools for rich, real-time meetings; a laptop and high speed Internet; and communication innovations from instant messenger programs to Web-enabled cell phones.

New technology has made it easier for companies to institute virtual office policies because it makes it easier for employees to stay connected and productive. But as with all technology, people adopt at different rates:

Virtual Beginners — Those just starting out have the basic computer set up and a high speed connection. They enjoy conference calls, e-mails and occasional instant messaging to keep in touch, but are still reluctant to use that handy built-in Web cam for virtual meetings.

Intermediates — With the basic skills mastered, these virtual employees don’t mind getting on the Web cam for online meetings and might even have photos of their last vacation strategically placed so their co-workers can see them in the background. Although they understand how to “share” documents in a Web meeting, they still aren’t as fluid moving as the pros.

Advanced — They are the epitome of unified communications. They know the ins and outs and miniscule details of integrating communications tools including e-mail, voicemail, fax; audio, web and video conferencing; scheduling and calendaring tools; shared online workspaces; secure instant messaging; and presence awareness management. No tool is too much for these tech whizzes.

Regardless of experience level, these game players share the same vision: convenience in connecting to anyone, anywhere, at anytime, thus creating paramount flexibility. It’s not a trend, but a transformation in the work environment.

Services, like InterCall Web Meeting, create more efficiencies for sales teams with perks like interactive product demos, streamlined collaboration and informative training sessions — and these pluses are just the beginning. Web conferencing can also improve the sales process by:

Qualifying prospects more easily. By conducting sales demos through Web conferencing and connecting with prospects quicker, it’s easier to separate the qualified from unqualified leads more efficiently.

Increasing customer contact by reducing time on the road. Pavement pounding to pitch a product can squander precious time. Doesn’t turning on your browser sound simpler than driving from place to place to attend back-to-back meetings?

Enabling training sessions. According to a 2005, Frost & Sullivan survey, you are eight times more likely to retain info if you see it versus if you just hear it. With services like application sharing, presentation sharing and integrated audio, to name a few, you can demonstrate your new product interactively.

Improving connections with the internal team. Connections within a sales team are just as important as connections with customers. So Web conferencing becomes a valuable tool to help the team collaborate and meet more frequently to review pipelines and better forecast your numbers.

Podcasting services, offered by conferencing providers like InterCall, make it easy for anyone to hear a playback of a meeting from just about anywhere. It’s an option meeting moderators love because all they have to do is record their conference then subscribe or give access to the conference via internet or other resources like iTunes. From there, all an attendee needs to do is download the conference to be viewed through a personal audio player, such as an iPod.

Fans of conference Podcasting include:

• Sales: record team meetings for reps out in the field.
• Marketing: share product launch announcements with media and analysts.
• HR: archive important benefits information or company announcements.
• IR: make quarterly earnings calls available after they are over.

To hear first hand how a Podcast conference works, follow these steps using iTunes:

1. From the Advanced pull down menu, select Subscribe to Podcast.
2. Enter the following URL into the Subscribe to Podcast dialog box: http://www.theconferencingcenter.net/theconferencingcenter/83/25311/rss.xml.
3. Click OK.
4. Highlight the Podcast name, InterCall Podcasting Demo, and click Play or load it on your iPod.

These five guidelines will help you execute a more successful virtual meeting and hone your conferencing skills and etiquette:

• Prepare. Managers should prep their employees for what to expect and make sure they know how to use the tools well before a conference begins.
• Sign into meetings early. It’s good habit to start at least 15 minutes early to resolve any problems that might exist and to get comfortable before jumping into a meeting.
• Don’t lecture. It’s vital to have extra energy in a conferencing environment and to engage other members with interaction. This could include anything from application sharing to quizzes or a Q & A session.
• Refrain from using speakerphone. Unless you’re in a big conference, it’s best to use a headset or hands free device. This eliminates background noise and static that might occur.

Let’s start with what UC is. UC is the concept of taking all the different technologies people can use to communicate with each other, and streamlining it into one interface. UC simply makes it easier for people to use technology to collaborate.

Some of the different technologies include:

• Unified (Audio, Video and web) Conferencing and Collaboration
• Unified Messaging (e-mail, voice mail, fax)
• Shared online workspaces
• Scheduling and calendaring tools
• Secure IM (Instant Messaging)
• Presence awareness and management

Who should use it? Businesses that highly value productivity and efficiency will want to get on board with Unified Communications. But most of the early adopters are those who are spending a significant time away from the office. This includes:

• Teleworkers work away from the office most of the time (traders, analysts, etc.)
• Off-site rovers, which includes consultants and quality compliance personnel
• On-site rovers mostly work at their desks but roam the company (administrative assistants, mail clerks)
• Road warriors work mainly outside the company (account executives, field technicians)
• Global cruisers travel between different companies or customer locations. For example, high-level corporate executives and demonstration technicians.

The one thing all these different workers have in common is that UC lets them make better use of their downtime. In other words, it helps them get more done by enabling them to work with others in faster, easier, smarter ways.

How do I get started? UC providers offer various levels of service and support, so it’s important to assess your company’s understanding of the concept before you chose a partner. For example, while a software company only generally provides IT services and support, conferencing providers like InterCall can guide you through the entire process — from strategic planning to implementation and beyond.

But no matter which route you choose, it’s about working with a partner who will help pinpoint the right time to begin a UC strategy, and one that will ultimately help your employees be more productive.

While workers are familiar with a phone conference, they also now have Web meetings, chat sessions, instant messaging, and telepresence. Many companies are getting caught up in deciding which virtual tools to use for what types of meetings.

“Understanding when and how to use these tools have become the next challenge in reducing business travel costs,” said Scott Etzler, president and CEO of InterCall, the world’s largest provider of conferencing and collaboration services. “Both Gen-X and Gen-Y have some catching up to do in terms of knowing what to use the technology for.”

Here’s an easy reference guide:

• Instant Messaging. When you need a quick response to a brief question, an instant message gets fast answers.
• Chat Sessions are best for informal group meetings that don’t require face-to-face interaction.
• Web Meetings. If you need to share a document or give a presentation, this is the preferred groupwork tool.
• Video Conferences allow you to be face-to-face, but don’t have the collaboration tools of Web Meetings. A popular choice for virtual boardroom meetings.
• Telepresence. Called the next generation of video conferencing, telepresence uses a variety of technologies to simulate being in the same room.

Most companies address this by choosing a premium conferencing service provider that offers advanced call management features and live operator assistance to monitor quality. Newer functionality allows the host to view the names of participants and determine whether they are analysts, investors, or reporters.

The advantage of using this system is that it helps the host organize and negotiate the question queue. The host also has the option of prioritizing questions from qualified sources.

Although earnings calls are one example of how this feature is used, it’s also commonly used for corporate announcements, product launches, and situations where a large number of participants are expected.

If you’re interested in this subject, we can line up local examples for you..

"Talk to me." The source of the problem is communication. Many managers feel cut off when an employee works off-site, says the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. It makes the solution sound so simple. Better communication. However, better communication requires the right technology, executive support.

Managers also must change the way they manage. InterCall, a leading company providing Video and Web conferencing services used by teleworkers, and Michzel Dziak, author of "Telecommuting Success," have several tips. Here's how managers can get the most out of teleworkers:

• Don't manage attendance, manage performance. "Good managers rarely need major adjustments to their performance evaluation process to accommodate teleworkers," Dziak said. "If the manager manages by evaluating work output, it actually becomes easier to keep track of teleworkers' work output and perform evaluations."
• Support workers with collaboration technologies like video and Web conferencing, and practice effective meeting management. "Good virtual meetings require preparation and planning, and the technology to allow workers to collaborate," according to Bob Wise, executive vice president, InterCall.
• Identify tasks suitable for remote work. Not all assignments can be performed remotely. Consult with telework and technology experts to determine positions, tasks, and jobs that are and aren't suitable for remote work.

What steps are workers and companies taking to become more Green? Survey says:

• Fifty-three percent of people said their companies enable employees to telecommute on a case-by-case basis when it makes sense.
• When individuals were asked what their companies do to reduce the size of its carbon footprint, the top response was providing conferencing tools to cutback on travel (66 percent). Other popular responses included: recycling (61 percent) and working with environmentally-friendly vendors (29 percent).
• To collaborate with remote teams while cutting down on travel, the main technologies used are phone conference calls, Web conferences, and video conferences. These technologies significantly cut down on business trips.
• With conferencing tools being utilized more, 72 percent of people said that they only take zero to three business trips per year that require flying.

It's clear that technology forms a key part of the Green policy for many companies. And the key technologies are those supporting communication. Many businesses are turning to InterCall to provide guidance on how best to use conferencing, and the carbon and financial savings that can be achieved with such a simple strategy.

Founded in 1991, InterCall's mission is to help people make better business connections across the world. Employing more than 2,000 Meeting Consultants, administrative and support staff, InterCall operates four call centers and 26 U.S. sales offices, and has a global reach that extends to six continents. InterCall is a subsidiary of West Corporation.

However, when it came to business travel, the company needed a way to lessen its impact on the planet while being able to have critical face-to-face contact. This is when Esurance turned to the world’s largest conferencing service provider, InterCall, to set up audio, video and Web conferencing for its employees.

This one initiative alone has already prevented more than 18 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. And the solution was simple - holding video or audio conferences instead of driving.

Esurance isn’t the only company turning to conferencing to reduce their carbon footprint and business travel. In just the last year, the conferencing industry grew nearly 16 percent. Certainly, as the green movement expands, so is the conferencing industry. Power users of conferencing have also found an additional benefit. Traveling less allows employees to spend more time at home..

New technology lets workers choose which technologies their colleagues use to communicate with them. For example, mobile executives can use this to ensure that others e-mail them when they’re at the airport, launch a Web meeting when they’re working from the home office, or to send an instant message during a conference call.

This technology is called Unified Communications, and it’s the big discussion in corporate IT departments. Not only do workers find that it helps them become more productive and efficient, businesses are learning that it promotes information sharing, and can significantly speed up the decision-making process.

• Nearly 60 percent of North American businesses provide cellular handsets and service, or reimburse their employees for wireless service, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan study.
• Information workers receive 100 messages per day in up to 7 different places according to a survey by Harris Interactive.

AAMOF (As a Matter of Fact), instant messaging has evolved from a social application for teenagers and college students to a method of coordinating group work online.

Because most workers are AATK (Always at the Keyboard), IM-ing has also become a first-choice method for having a private conversation.

It’s a polite way to get your .02 MY (Two Cents Worth) to another colleague during a conference call.

Individual P2P (Peer to Peer) dialogue also helps workers get clarification on an issue, answers to a question, and information such as who’s speaking next.

Also, using instant messaging on conference calls means never having to say EMFBI (Excuse Me for Butting In).

And let’s face it. To CSG (Chuckle, Snicker, Grin) in a face-to-face meeting would be rude.

However, when you’re on a conference call, you can tell other people you are RME (Rolling My Eyes) without hinting at the opposite.

If we haven’t loaded you down with TMI (Too Much Information), we’d be glad to connect you to experts in collaboration technologies

THNQ (Thank You) for your attention.

But now with new simple Web conferencing platforms, users are able to reap the productivity benefits of collaborating virtually without fighting with technology. Products like InterCall Web Meeting enable users to join Web conferences with the single click of a button. There’s no need to remember lengthy dial-in codes because the virtual meeting calls you, right on time. To make remote meetings more personal, a simple plug-and-play Web cam enables users see each other in real time.

So while learning a new technology can seem scary at first, the ease-of-use of new Web conferencing platforms makes virtual collaboration easy and accessible for everyone. In fact, according to a recent InterCall study, 93 percent of people who have tried Web conferencing for the first time see their company having a future need for it.

If you’d like to learn more, we can provide a demo of these capabilities or case study in your area.

Flexible work arrangements, such as job sharing, custom work schedules, compressed work weeks, and telecommuting allow hotshot workers to be the CEO of their own lives. It’s simple enough. Let employees leave early on Fridays, have them work with managers to set their own hours, or work from home. But the key to making this work is figuring out to keep productivity up.

The answer, of course, is technology. According to Bob Wise, vice president of marketing and strategic development for InterCall, “The genius of new collaboration technologies is that they allow workers to customize their work-life balance.” The way employees are creating their own work-life balance is as clear as Gen X and Y.

• Gen Y workers who can’t unplug might launch a group IM session on their smartphones instead of preparing an “Interoffice Memorandum.”
• Family-minded Gen X road warriors may want to get a few hours back by doing a Web meeting, which can now be launched with a single button.
• Senior executives can podcast an announcement in lieu of an all-company meeting. The mp3 can be recorded from their office, or the golf course.
• To learn more about other ways technology makes flexibility possible, please contact us. We’d be glad to connect you to our experts.
  

To avoid traffic, work from home.  That’s the memo which more and more employers are sending to workers.  The technology that makes this possible is Web conferencing, which emulates a face-to-face meeting from anywhere you are.  The newest generation of software now makes it easier than ever for colleagues and customers to connect from remote locations.  With one click, teams, colleagues, and customers can start a Web meeting.

In this climate, businesses that get to work more quickly have the edge over those that are still trying to get to the office.  Even if conferencing doesn’t have the power to shovel your driveway, the point is that maybe you won’t have to shovel it at all.

Arrange an interview with an expert on how companies are beating winter weather with conferencing.  We can also provide case study examples, and send you a Web cam and software so you can experience why workers and businesses are embracing this technology.

• $78 billion in productivity is lost in commuting each year.(U.S. Census Bureau)
• The average American will spend 38 years of his/her life waiting in traffic.  (U.S. Census Bureau)
• In 2008, 41 million global employees will work from home at least once a week.  (Deloitte)

Employees across the nation are also mindful of the time they waste each day commuting to and from work. Americans spend $3.9 billion a year in fuel and time equal to 470,000 jobs, according to the 2005/2006 National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS).  With gas prices climbing past $3/gallon and with work-life balance a powerful incentive, employers are offering today’s workers the option to telecommute.

If you’re interested in this subject, we can line up local examples for you.

New conferencing technology helps eliminates waiting on both ends.  In the past, when you were on the phone with a colleague and wanted to invite one more, you’d have to put one person on hold while you fumbled around for contact information on the other.

What if you could simply look up a name in Microsoft Outlook, and click to conference them in?  Not only can you click to conference another person in, you can click to turn that audio conference into a Chat room, a video conference, or a Web conference for sharing documents.

Instead of loading software applications and looking up phone numbers or screennames, a single click can do it all.  One-click conferencing even makes it possible to throw out the phone book.

If you’re interested in this subject, we can line up local examples for you.

Considering that Americans go on more than 405 million business trips every year, it’s no surprise that greenhouse gas emissions increased 16.3% from 1990 to 2005.

Environmentally conscious businesses are recognizing that they have the power to shrink their carbon footprint by cutting back on traveling.  Instead of booking a flight or renting a car to make a presentation, they’re using Web conferencing instead.

Web conferencing has become a viable option to traveling because of the development of features like real-time application sharing.  This allows employees to share documents, make presentations, and collaborate on projects without being in the same room.  And with the addition of high-definition video conferencing, virtual meetings are becoming more and more like the real thing.

It’s little wonder why employees are asking for some of their money (and mind) back through telecommuting policies.  According to research conducted by WorldatWork, the number of Americans whose employers allow them to work from home at least one day per month increased from 9.9 million to 12.4 million in 2006. 

In the past, one of the major hurdles to telecommuting has been the lack of face-to-face interaction.  The conferencing technology of today encourages teamwork and allows workers to have useful interactions that can replace in-person meetings.  Telecommuters can participate in sales meetings, project updates, and contract reviews without being in the office.

If you're interested in learning more, we can arrange a demo and provide case study examples.

The typical second-home owner spends about 5 weeks on a vacation property, and telecommuting allows a person to enjoy the summer investment more. With gas prices high and continuing to rise, this is a cost-effective alternative to driving to and from a vacation home on weekends. Employees considering a move to their summer home should make sure there are reliable connections for web and audio conferencing. If a wireless connection isn’t available, it may be necessary to have a high-speed landline installed. Once the connection is established, the telecommuter needs just a computer and a phone, and is an easy point and click away from the office.

If you’re interested in this subject we can line up “real-world” examples in your area.

Today a new technology called Relay Conference Captioning (RCC) is giving the deaf and hard-of-hearing a voice on conference calls. Participants see the text of the group’s comments as they scroll up their computer screen and a live “captioner” takes the comments sent from the RCC participants and reads them aloud to the group.

Conference captioning has been available for the past several years and it works like TV captioning services. This was called One Way Text Streaming and used by those with hearing loss but could still provide their own voice. The addition of “Relay” service gives them full participation in the conference call.

If you’re interested in this subject we can line up “real-world” examples in your area.