Reducing Business Travel

It has often be said that this global economic downturn will bring about significant changes in business, in how we do business. It is also well known that a recession is great time to make changes to your business. So together this means that there is both the opportunity and the need for change.

Where to begin? There are countless ideas, but how about we start with just one. One that has big environmental and cost saving benefits. The idea at hand is “Video and Web Conferencing”.

Yes, these technologies have been around for a long time, but now might very well be the time to adapt them. The technology has advanced, the costs have gone down, and the drive to reduce our carbon footprint has increased. Best of all, there are now free software options to allow you to Video and Web Conference. We’ll cover two of the most popular ones.

DimDim – A bit unfortunately named, but definitely a powerhouse product. From simple web meetings (which includes presenter video, document / presentation sharing, shared note pads, etc.) to full blown webinars, DimDim does it all! The web meeting version is free for up to 20 users.

ooVoo – Still a strange name, but a heck of an interesting product. ooVoo enables you to have a 6 person video call for free. Yes, you’ll feel like you are part of some kind of televised political debate, but for occasions where you want the effect of a face to face meeting, ooVoo can step up and enable everyone to meet from their office chair.

So check these two out and see what else is out there. Please feel free to share your web conferencing experiences and the software you recommend.