Conferencing tools that enable employees in dispersed locations to communicate effectively have been in use for years. Many an employee can admit to having participated in a conference call and some will even admit to muting the phone while he or she completed other work.

The next innovation in meetings was video conferencing. While once a large part of sci-fi movies, the technology has even come to the small business seeking to communicate with employees and customers around the world. It is also playing a large part in saving the company travel expenses as meeting, training and seminars can be conducted via video conferencing instead of traveling to a particular destination.

What teleconferencing lacked in participation tools, video conferencing aims to fulfill. Just having a face to add to a name and a voice may not be quite enough however, to get the full value out of the meeting or training session. Companies are now looking into video conferencing tools that can deliver images and audio in high definition.

Aside from the fact that high definition video conferencing means no more bathrobe meetings, there are many benefits that the company can realize from such a tool. For one, consider non-verbal communication. It is an essential element of communication and without it, people can miss certain cues or even clues as to how an individual really feels about a particular topic.

These non-verbal cues are especially important when talking with a client. And, while a face-to-face conversation with the client is always preferred, it is not always feasible. The client in Hong Kong may need a lot of attention and to foster that relationship while also controlling costs, the organization can use HD videoconferencing to conduct meetings. Missed cues can lead to missed sales. With HD, every blink, crinkle and scowl can be captured.

For the organization with dispersed development or management teams, trying to foster an environment of teamwork is nearly impossible when individuals see each other only a few times a year. HD videoconferencing offers the organization a technology platform that ensures everyone feels they are in the same room as all others. Such a platform can help to facilitate effective teamwork that can speed time-to-market on products and services for the organization, improving the bottom line.

Companies of all sizes can benefit from HD videoconferencing as it helps to promote idea sharing in an open environment where everyone can feel as though their ideas are valuable. With such technology, the company can focus more time on working together developing ideas and less time on conference calls.