Video in the Collaborative Workplace: The Bigger Picture

Tim Banting

Summary Bullets:

• The cost, complexity and social barriers to video conferencing are dropping.
• Video conference utilization is improving dramatically and rapidly in support of real-time, software-based productivity applications.

Nearly a century after the launch of the early commercial telephone service, AT&T launched its ‘Picturephone’ video service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The service was unfortunately shelved, its failure put down to the fact it was big, expensive and uncomfortably intrusive.  Some companies may believe not much has changed and that those issues linger.  Video has remained a marginal way to communicate in the business world: big, $200,000-plus video conferencing systems installed in dedicated rooms, used by internal staff conducting scheduled internal meetings, avoiding the costs of business travel.  However, attitudes are changing.