By: Donald Brown

Ours is an enterprising society. Every day, new businesses are created and begin the rise to achieve great things. Increasing market globalization requires that companies adopt collaborative measures to counteract everyday challenges, thereby realizing even greater success.

To keep up with or supersede a world of competition, businesses of all sizes are using web conferencing.

Business owners and corporate directors often have questions about the feasibility of web conferencing. What benefits are realized by businesses using web conferencing software? Can this software really counteract the challenges they’re faced with everyday? Is web conferencing a good investment as an effective tool for daily business operations? These are a few of the questions that companies are asking about emerging web conferencing software and collaboration technologies.

An Alternative to Travel
According to James McKeown of Stampede Technologies, a maker of collaborative and web conferencing software solutions, “The average business traveler will spend three years in flight, two years traveling to and from airports, 28 months waiting for flights (that are on time), 11 months waiting for connections, and more than three months just searching for a parking spot, according to the National Business Travel Association.” McKeown adds, “In light of this, many organizations are reconsidering all but mission-critical face-to-face meetings. Nimble companies are demanding better, faster, and cheaper answers to their meeting needs.” The web conferencing revolution was developed to meet these demands.

One of the distinct advantages of web conferencing software is that it can be used as an extremely cost-effective alternative to travel. Instead of jet setting to meet associates, prospects or employees face-to-face, executives now have an opportunity to fully conduct their business while staying at the office. They are able to accomplish more, without paying the high costs of travel.

“As leaders cut back on travel, conference calls are yesterday’s way of meeting,” observes Jaclyn Kostner, Ph.D., author of Bionic eTeamwork. “Conference calls work as a supplement to face-to-face meetings, but when people are not traveling and getting to know one another, conference calls alone are ineffective.”

The supplementation of conference calls with web casting and web conferencing is a huge advantage to businesses. It increases productivity and helps participants get their work done more quickly.

Online Education
Virtual web conferencing has also had a positive impact on real world education. Now that so many people are comfortably using email, online seminars and education programs based on interactive chat and web conferencing software are becoming more popular.

Al Rickard, president of Association of Visions, is another executive who sees the benefits of web conferencing. “While there is less personal experience in an online meeting, there are huge advantages to holding online meetings, certainly including no travel costs and no travel time,” says Rickard.

If you’re considering implementing web conferencing to benefit your business, you probably have more questions. Do your own research and learn why this new way of conducting business has seen such a surge in popularity. You’ll find that web conferencing may be the answer your business has been looking for.

About the author: Donald Brown enjoys writing for several web sites, especially http://sixal.com and http://tyrop.com.

• About Donald Brown