Conferencing
BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS ENTER NEW ERA OF COMMUNICATIONS
"The slow economy and September 11th grounded many business travelers, leading them to find new ways to meet with clients and business associates," said Phil Knell, vice president of Conferencing for MCI. "This year's Meetings in America study shows that many have changed the way they conduct business, embracing collaborative technologies, especially Web conferencing, as a part of daily routines." MIA V anticipates that business people will return to the skies, but they will continue to use collaboration technology, especially conferencing, in tandem with travel. Nine in 10 respondents (87 percent) expect to use audio, video or Web conferencing in the coming year, with senior management leading the way. Key Findings Some of the key findings in this year's study include:
Travel is no longer the first, or only, meeting option. People have become smarter about communicating and conducting business globally. But due to the wide acceptance of conferencing, many will not return to their former road warrior ways. According to MIA V, one in three (35 percent) see an increase in business travel (versus 13 percent who envision a decline) and 44 percent are interested in travel alternatives. The main reason why respondents preferred conferencing to travelling was because it saves time and is a more efficient way to meet (69 percent). Other reasons for choosing to conference instead of travel were reduced corporate travel budgets (37 percent), company policy (36 percent), better work-life balance (29 percent), and increased productivity (28 percent). Twelve percent expressed concerns about personal travel safety, down significantly from MIA IV, conducted six months after Sept. 11 (30 percent). In some cases, the time saved by meeting virtually occurs before the meeting. Nearly six in 10 respondents (59 percent) said they have wasted time waiting for others to arrive to a face-to-face meeting. Almost half (45 percent) felt conferencing could alleviate this problem. In addition, half of the respondents (50 percent) have felt that the face-to-face meeting itself was time wasted. One in three (35 percent) said that conferencing could make these meetings more productive. "My customers include 130 active Sharp dealers in 90 cities, " said Mitch Cooper, Sharp Electronics Corporation document communications specialist. "I've found that a combination of Net Conferencing and flying is the most effective way to demonstrate the benefits and features of Sharp's products. I am able to meet with many more dealers each week since I've begun using Verizon Business Net Conferencing service, and my sales have increased dramatically as a result." Web Conferencing: Changing the Way Business is Done Tools that weren't used extensively five years ago -- like E-mail, cell phones, audioconferencing and instant messaging -- today have widespread acceptance. MIA V results indicate that Web conferencing is the next technology to join this list. "Business leaders are beginning to understand the power of Web conferencing and why interacting via a Web conference is better than face-to-face for aligning teams, keeping meetings focused and producing exceptional results," said Jaclyn Kostner, Ph.D., eMeetings expert and author of numerous books on virtual teamwork. The number of Web conferencing users has surged the past year. It is now among the fastest-growing business communications tools, with a 31 percent increase in usage from last year. Three-quarters of respondents (74 percent) have attended a Web conference. More than half of these (39 percent overall) attended their first Web conference within the past 12 months, demonstrating the technology's growing popularity as an important collaboration tool. Senior Management: The New E-Leaders MIA V results reveal that compared to other departments (i.e., sales and marketing, HR and IT), senior management is the most advanced group in their use of communication technologies, including audio, video and particularly Web conferencing. Though rarely thought of as cutting-edge, senior management, in the past year, ranked the highest as far as having used audioconferencing (89 percent), Web conferencing (64 percent) and videoconferencing (57 percent) - even higher than the IT department. Not only do executives use the technology, but they also think highly of others who use it. A significant number believed that a vendor who invited them to a Web conference was technologically savvy (72 percent), respectful of their time and budget (67 percent), and smart and efficient (52 percent). "For the first time since virtual teams appeared, people who are not on site to present to the leader have an advantage when they link through Web conference technology," said Knell. "Face-to-face time is still important, but today's senior management is more accustomed to leveraging technology and meeting virtually." About Meetings in America Meetings in America V: Meeting of the Minds was commissioned by MCI, a global leader in business communications. This year's study was conducted by Impulse Research Corporation, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Data collection was conducted in Aug. 2003 among 1003 qualified respondents representing a cross section of business travellers in the U.S. who have taken at least one trip by air for business purposes and have attended at least one meeting via audio, web or videoconferencing in the past 12 months. Complete results of the study can be viewed online at http://www.verizonbusiness.com/conferencing. About Verizon Business , Inc. Verizon Business , Inc. (WCOEQ, MCWEQ), which currently conducts business under the Verizon Business brand name, is a leading global communications provider, delivering innovative, cost-effective, advanced communications connectivity to businesses, governments and consumers. With the industry's most expansive global IP backbone, based on the number of company-owned POPs, and wholly owned data networks, Verizon Business develops the converged communications products and services that are the foundation for commerce and communications in today's market. For more information, go to www.verizonbusiness.com. |