Video conferencing wins support of "stressed out" travellers

Twenty five percent of face-to-face meetings could take place online

Over a quarter of business meetings that require attendees to travel could potentially be held online using video conferencing technology, according to a survey of over 1,400 European business travellers released today.

The study from polling organisation Ipsos Mori found significant support for the idea of shifting more meetings online, with respondents suggesting that cutting unnecessary travel would help them improve productivity and work/life balance, as well as limit costs and environmental damage.

Over half of respondents claimed they made unnecessary business journeys, while one in five said corporate travel made them less productive. Meanwhile, 41 percent of UK business travellers said they were "stressed", with one in 10 saying they would consider changing jobs in order to travel less.

Paul Gullet, managing director for the UK and Ireland at video conferencing specialist Tandberg, which commissioned the research, said the study proved that many business travellers are keen to use online meetings when they have access to the technology.

"People increasingly see business travel as a necessary evil," he said. "IT chiefs really need to get the message out that in a lot of cases there is a viable alternative to travel."

The report also suggested that with almost half of respondents claiming to be aware of the environmental impact of business travel, greater use of video conferencing can help firms limit their carbon footprint.

However, Gullet said that while the environmental benefits of video conferencing are welcome it is often the productivity gains that are the primary driver for adoption of the technology. "Just flying to Germany means up to five hours taken out of your day," he said. "Putting those five hours back into a working week delivers a massive productivity gain."