Interest seems to be percolating again around video conferencing solutions. Maybe it’s the news reports that gas prices have started to rise in anticipation of summer travel. Maybe it’s the fact that video conferencing is focusing more on personal solutions with video softphones embedded in telephone system applications. Or maybe its just our love of gadgets that keeps this “George Jetson” technology circling around the business world. Whatever it is, I like it. Video does have a special place for the gadget lovers, but it has some very practical applications as well.

Talking on the phone with your employees and/or clients is a great way to communicate, but you miss the body language that is so important in conversation. And sharing a powerpoint over a “go to meeting” session can be effective, but is the other end really listening? Or, are they furiously typing away responding to emails while your covering a new process or product?

There’s nothing like good old fashion eye to eye communication. I drove 3 and a half hours the other day for a 2 hour meeting. It was well worth the drive because I had never met the client. Driving a round trip of 7 hours for a 2 hour meeting could become a pretty big waste of time and money. But, rest assured, if some of our future meetings can be done over video, I’m all for it. I even spied a video unit in their conference room.