According to officials of VoIP Supply, a leading VoIP equipment company, video conferencing can actually provide an improved quality of life for employees.

There are productivity gains and stronger relationships with business partners as well, not just cost cutting. Look at it this way – relying on conventional business travel, you might only get face-to-face with business partners, what, once or twice a year? With video conferencing you can see them a whole lot more often.

Along the same lines is the fact that video conferencing is a far more effective medium for communication than e-mailing or phone calls. The numbers vary, but VoIP Supply’s are in the ballpark with their estimate that “non-verbal communication is responsible for 50-90 percent of what we communicate.” You don’t get that in e-mail or phone conversations, and you really cut down on misunderstandings by being able to say “Hold on, can you unpack that a little?” And then you see the smirk, and you realize they’re joking.

Plus, think about it: Would you fly to Anchorage to interview a borderline-major hire, or fly the guy in from Anchorage? Maybe, maybe not, depends on the budget this month. But a video conference is a no-brainer.

VoIP Supply’s VoIP equipment makes it easier to collaborate on a project via e-mail, flying back and forth or face-to-face communication. Video conferencing is even breaking out in fields not traditionally associated with business technology, such as education and even medicine.

Yes, that’s right, “telemedicine” is saving lives -- “Where specialists are in short supply, they can be tapped into remotely, administering diagnosis and recommending emergency, life-saving treatment at significant cost savings,” VoIP Supply officials note.