Video Conferencing Benefits Expand Beyond Cost and Travel Savings

Posted by KBZ Blogging Team

If you were to ask most business executives to name two benefits to video conferencing, you would almost certainly hear the terms “less travel” and “lower costs” used to describe what this technology can bring to the corporate world. The appeal of cost and travel savings are what initially lured many companies into experimenting with and then adopting TelePresence and video conferencing systems such as those offered by TANDBERG, now part of Cisco. A new slew of positives associated with the use of video conferencing has now been confirmed, however, thanks to a worldwide study overseen by Cisco.

500 professionals working at companies employing 250 people or more participated in the study, which was run by Ipsos.Mori. Truly international in flavor, the effort stretched across three continents and 12 countries to ensure the widest possible sampling of opinions and experiences of those who use video conferencing in the workplace at least once per week.

One of the most interesting conclusions drawn from the responses of study participants is that almost every single video conferencing user said that the technology saved them two hours of work each week. In fact, this was the answer of 90 percent of all workers involved in the study. In addition to the time savings, 70 percent of employees also reported that video conferencing helped them to improve their work-life balance, while 71 percent also stated that they felt using this type of communication helped to bring people closer together in a business setting. 67 percent of respondents confirmed the latter point by stating that video conferencing also improves group collaboration.

Work-life balance and team togetherness are highly valued concepts in the modern workplace, yet it is only now that many professionals are becoming aware of the role that telepresence and video conferencing can play in their growth. Interestingly, the study also revealed what could be the main reason as to why these advantages have been largely under-reported until now: the gap between what video conferencing users report as being primary benefits of the technology and how non-users perceive its utility is fairly large.

The Cisco study could potentially serve as a new tool in the arsenal of managers and decision makers intent on introducing video conferencing technology into the workflow of their organizations. It may also offer those currently evaluating their telepresence use with a fresh lens through which to expand or observe the effects of this important business feature in their own corporate environments. One thing is certain – it is no longer possible to deny the multi-faceted advantages that video conferencing technology can bring to almost any workplace.

Benjamin Hunting
KBZ Blogging Team

Contact Cindy Oliver with any questions.