Large companies with project teams spread over several countries and multiple time zones are increasingly turning to videoconferencing to connect geographically dispersed groups. Companies are realizing that flying employees from one location to the next not only chalks up travel costs, but also decreases productivity and leads to team exhaustion.
Of course, videoconferencing isn’t a complete replacement for face-to-face meetings. Companies that are leading the way in videoconferencing report those periodic in-person visits are still necessary and they caution that videoconferencing is most effective if team members already have an existing relationship. There’s no doubt personal videoconferencing tools can enhance remote employees’ communication and productivity. Video ties together disparate and often isolated workers by letting physical, visual nuances shine through.