Videoconferencing can enable
individuals in faraway
places to have meetings on
short notice. Time and money
that used to be spent in
traveling can be used to
have short meetings.
Technology such as Internet
or IP networks can be used
to enable face-to-face
business meetings without
leaving the desktop,
especially for businesses
with wide-spread offices.
The technology is also used
for telecommuting, in which
employees work from home.
Telepresence
videoconferencing, where
participants are able to see
each other in reasonable
life-like sizes and little
delay in video
transmissions, has started
to make an impact on
business meetings. Some good
business cases have been
built on substitution of
international travel with
telepresence conferencing.
Videoconferencing has long
served as a general purpose
or horizontal meeting tool
and is used by a wide range
of industries and government
agencies today for business
meetings. Videoconferencing
has also been an important
component of distance
learning , enabling students
to benefit from remote
instructors and shared
access to experts and
specialized programs.



