ICUGlobal Survey Finds Green Argument Key Driver for Web Conferencing

A survey conducted by unified communications consultancy group, ICUGlobal has found that 70 percent of 300 organizations rated reducing organizational carbon footprints as a key driver in their company’s decision to invest in Web conferencing and collaboration.

 

The survey found that while organizations are constantly reviewing corporate travel and other communication practices for cost management reasons, the green debate is adding considerable momentum to the demand for Web conferencing solutions.

Beyond the functionality, cost savings and green debate, Web conferencing also enables staff to meet visually and online without needing to leave their own place of work.

 

The majority of respondents highlighted the potential reductions in corporate travel due to the increased use of Web conferencing, would not only save cost but also generate significant environmental benefits in line with CSR (News - Alert) (Corporate Social Responsibility) targets.

The majority also felt that directly reducing carbon footprints in this way was a more tangible way than off-setting. These respondents also felt that it would lead to change across the enterprise with Web conferencing and collaboration playing a more important role.

 

The survey also found that environmental motivations for changes in working practices would be more palatable with staff as it reflected current social attitudes. 

 

Other key drivers identified in the survey included increased productivity at 62 percent, and the need for better internal communication at 58 percent such as between branch and distributed offices. 

 

Stephen McKenzie, CEO of ICUGlobal, said in a Wednesday statement "Social and consumer sensitivity to carbon footprints has now firmly entered the workplace and this is impacting markedly on working practices. Now, it is not just the financial costs of corporate travel, for example, that are significant, it is the environmental ones too that are important.”

 

“Interestingly though, it seems that change based on environmental motives is more readily acceptable than that based on purely financial ones as staff feel included in the environmental agenda. Web conferencing and collaboration seem clearly to offer a cost effective solution and in turn this is generating significantly raised levels of interest and demand for this form of technology.”

 

"In addition, these environmental goals seem underpinned by other workplace motivations. For example, the time spent not traveling to meetings, by collaborating or meeting online is also more productive and reduces stress," McKenzie added.

This research supports the argument that company employees are not always willing to be a team player when it comes to saving the organization money if it means they have to change a process. If they feel they are doing something good for the environment, the motivation changes.

The demand for Web conferencing continues to grow, especially as options continue to improve and the quality of the solutions is as good as actually being in the room with other participants. Such conferencing can actually be more productive than face-to-face meetings, helping to speed time-to-market on services and solutions.

Whatever a company’s motivation, the era of Web conferencing is here and is likely to become the standard in communications throughout the corporate world.