ORLANDO, Fla. -- Once a fringe tool for business communication,
videoconferencing now is essential in today's business environment,
according to Don LePard, manager of business travel for Zurich,
Switzerland-based ABB, speaking at the National Business Travel
Association's annual conference here.
LePard, who was part of a panel discussion regarding
"Videoconferencing as a Travel Management Tool," said meeting
planners can save time and money through videoconferencing.
"With the price of videoconferencing systems dropping every day
and the price of business air fares on the rise, I don't see how
anyone can not be using videoconferencing as a meetings management
tool," Lepard said. "[ABB] set a goal to save $100 million in
travel expenses through the use of videoconferencing. When you
throw that kind of figure out there, the CFO will take notice."
Videoconferencing systems for desktops costs about $2,000, and
can even be under $1,000 if the PC technology exists in house,
according to Ann Earon of Telemanagement Resources International in
Skillman, N.J. She said a one-hour videoconference coast to coast
costs about $15 an hour.
Lepard said he "saw an unbelievable opportunity" and started
looking at the city pairs where ABB's employees traveled most.
"You've got to show management the cost savings opportunity of
videoconferencing," he said. "Identify who's traveling and
where."
Other members of the panel, such as Susan Dupart, manager,
worldwide support services with Columbus, Ohio-based Quantum, said
she devised formulas to show cost savings to management.
For instance, Dupart figured the cost of a three-hour
videoconference was about 10% the cost of the travel. "We also
devised a formula that addressed the time saving of the employees
who were able to stay in the office as a result of the
videoconference," Dupart said.
But convincing management may not be enough. "Once you convince
management, you have to convince the people who are going to use
it," Dupart said. "You really have to market this or people will
forget that its there."
Earon said the industry needs to undergo a "business paradigm
shift" for a change to occur and after 2000, "videoconferencing
will be a technology that businesses need to have."