“Businesses have been seduced by the promise of video conferencing for decades. However, it wasn’t until the 1990’s, when increases in sophistication of compression technology allowed companies to send real time video messages, complete with sound, across an internet protocol (IP) network that the technology was taken seriously within the work place. Even then, latency (the time it takes for the data packet to arrive) made regular conversations almost impossible. Indeed, the quality was so bad that you wouldn't even recognise each other in the street afterwards.
However with the recent introduction of the Spontania real-time unified collaboration platform, which delivers enterprise grade, premise-based collaboration software that seamlessly and securely extends IM, voice, video and data in real-time to any user, over any device or network, regardless of geographic location, companies are starting to embrace the technology once more. In a currently overcrowded market that includes IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Tandberg and Polycom, what’s helping UCC providers even further is a backdrop to sell the product against: namely, the environment.
If there is boardroom in the land that hasn't at least discussed cutting its carbon footprint in the last 12 months, then I would love to know who they are. Many in the City are looking to follow HSBC's lead in going carbon-neutral, and UCCC technology has become the latest must-have item. With the ability to extend to any user regardless of their geographic location, companies with Spontania technology will be able to save substantially on Carbon omissions by holding live simultaneous meetings through collaboration software.
Furthermore, in uncertain economic times, UCC technology can save companies from travel expenses. This means that when you get into the meeting with the device you have in your hand at that time-you’re mobile, your desk phone, or whatever, it doesn't matter whether you're in the back of a taxi in New York, or getting out of bed in Beijing. Businesses can say 'the meeting is happening now’, saving companies from major global travel expenditure.”