Are you “skyping” yet? In a March 2010 article, USA Today cited a survey on the use of video conferencing, where 45% of respondents said that in five to 10 years, they expect to use video conferencing frequently to communicate with family, friends or colleagues. Thirty percent predicted that in 10 years video calling would become as popular as voice calling, and 27% predicted the same would happen in 5 years. So this begs the question, “How does this translate for business?” Well, there’s the obvious – save a substantial amount of time and money by reducing corporate travel. But as more and more people rely on programs like Skype for personal use, the advantages may be farther reaching for the corporate world:

• Productivity gains by more efficient information sharing and brainstorming among colleagues.
• Stronger relationships with your clients by reducing the time between in-person communications.
• Hassle-free, anytime meetings with remote employees.

Skype is becoming the preferred method of business communication because it offers an intimacy that is lacking in phone calls and a substitute for expensive, inconvenient traveling for in-person meetings. Frost & Sullivan estimates the videoconferencing market’s revenues were more than $1.25 billion in 2009 and predict that it will reach $3.13 billion in 2015.

If only George Jetson had patented his ideas in the 60s, he’d be a rich man.

Let us know if you have begun using this technology for business and if you feel it’s having a beneficial impact.

Like what you have read? Follow SPR on Twitter and sign up for our RSS feed!