As Tools Mature, Buyers' Videoconferencing Use Picks Up Steam

Several companies, including Credit Suisse, Cisco Systems and Hewlett-Packard, have embraced advanced Web- and videoconferencing options, adopting communications strategies to increase use of these tools and thereby offset travel costs, avoid unnecessary employee travel and decrease their corporate carbon footprints.

"The biggest opportunity that we have seen is to ensure that we are on the cutting edge as it relates to videoconferencing," said Mick Lee, managing director of Credit Suisse's internal client services group, which encompasses several departments, including meeting planning and media services with videoconferencing capabilities.

Currently, the financial company has three different levels of videoconferencing: standard videoconferencing rooms, desktop videoconferencing systems for select individuals and high-tech conferencing rooms for senior-level executives.

While use of remote conferencing is not mandated, Credit Suisse uses its travel agency and its internal conferencing reservation system to inform employees of the offerings.

"One of the items that we've done is to link the communications between our reservations systems from time to time, depending on the kind of market we were in, with our dedicated travel agency," Lee said.

The agency tells employees booking a trip if conferencing rooms are available at their intended destination and asks them if they would be interested in a videoconference instead. The agency provides photos of the interiors of videoconferencing facilities and links to the company's conferencing reservation system, through which employees can request or schedule rooms.

Credit Suisse invested heavily in remote conferencing after Sept. 11, 2001, to ensure meetings could still take place even though some people were hesitant to travel. The use of conferencing tends to correlate to economic performance, Lee said, with increased use during slow periods when travel is being carefully scrutinized. Regardless, remote conferencing use has increased each year. Credit Suisse conducted more than 2.5 million minutes of videoconferencing in 2007, an increase of 25 percent over the year before. Credit Suisse now has 320 high-definition videoconferencing facilities, up from 170 standard-definition facilities in 2006.

Mandating the use of video- and Webconferencing could be in the future, but more so for meetings that are not client-facing, Lee said.

"The future savings potential absolutely is in the millions," she said.

Cisco is using its Cisco TelePresence and WebEx products to reduce costs and travel.

"We're pushing that as much as possible so that we don't have to travel as much," said Michele Snock, global manager of meeting services for Cisco. "That's how we show cost savings. Anything we can switch over to any kind of virtual meeting, we feel like we've saved cost there."

Use of remote conferencing is not mandated, but meeting planners are "encouraging people to make the right decision," Snock said. The company also is coming out with a new engagement tool that asks employees to consider using remote conferencing when submitting a meeting request form.

"We have a very large initiative to have as many virtual meetings as possible," Snock said.

Technology company Hewlett-Packard also uses an internally developed product for videoconferencing. The company has used its Halo telepresence system for three years for meetings, said Kevin Iwamoto, global corporate card, hotels and meetings commodity manager.

The company shows employees the remote conferencing options on its travel sites. "There is a link or reference to it in all of our travel and booking portals. It's there as a reminder," Iwamoto said. Senior executives have priority access to the system.

Cisco and AT&T last month announced that AT&T would provide a solution for Cisco TelePresence allowing connectivity between different companies. Availability is expected in the second half of 2008. HP and Marriott International in March announced an agreement making Halo systems available for public use in select Marriotts.