THE Ansett collapse and disruption to air travel resulting from the September 11 attacks on the US have boosted business for video conferencing suppliers and resellers.
THE Ansett collapse and disruption to air travel resulting from the September 11 attacks on the US have boosted business for video conferencing suppliers and resellers.
According to industry sources, video conferencing has become a cheaper, safer option for many businesspeople who normally would attend interstate meetings in person. High-flying executives have been grounded after Ansett was placed in administration, while others have chosen not to fly interstate or overseas due to the conflict in Afghanistan.
B & H Australia branch manager Craig Renshaw believed Ansett’s collapse was the main reason for a recent rise in demand for video conferencing. He said the difficulty in securing tickets or rearranging prior bookings made video conferences an attractive option.
“It’s become harder to get on a plane and fly to another city for a meeting since the collapse (of Ansett). It’s easier to bring the meeting to the boardroom with video conferencing,” Mr Renshaw said.
“But video and teleconferencing has always been quite popular in Perth because of its isolation from the rest of Australia.”
Video conferencing allows two parties in different locations to communicate via a television and microphones. Telstra’s high-speed ISDN line is the preferred method of connection, although Internet or satellite connections also can be used.
Companies can hire out an equipped boardroom to hold the conference or install a conference system in their own offices.
West 1 manager of television Tim McLachlan said he noticed a resurgence in interest in the technology immediately after the terrorist attacks. He said interest in video conferencing was waning before that time.
“The increase in demand hasn’t been overwhelming, but there has been a resurgence in video conferencing and there certainly has been a number of enquiries regarding rates and availability of equipment,” he said.
Mr McLachlan also suggested the economy may have had an effect on the conferencing industry in the past eight months.
He said that, although video conferences were significantly cheaper than flying, he believed companies were cutting back on both services.
Mr Renshaw said the recent events might provide an unexpected bonus for the industry in the future. He was confident that companies using the technology for the first time would continue to use it where possible after the conflict in Afghanistan ended.
“I think once they use the equipment you’ll find people are quite willing to go back to it in the future,” he said.
“With the technology these days, you do forget you are participating in a video conference.
“You tend to forget about the TV screen because it does look so real.
“You do away with the technology and you just talk one on one or with the other party like you were in the same room.”
Sales executive at video conference equipment supplier Ipex, Phillip Lutken, estimated there had been a 25 per cent increase in business since September 11. He said companies who chose to invest in their own conferencing systems to partly replace face-to-face meetings were finding attractive economies of scale.
“If an executive is making one or two trips to Sydney a month, it’s quite easy for a company to make its money back on a $10,000 video conferencing system in a year to 18 months,” Mr Lutken said.
According to industry sources, video conferencing has become a cheaper, safer option for many businesspeople who normally would attend interstate meetings in person. High-flying executives have been grounded after Ansett was placed in administration, while others have chosen not to fly interstate or overseas due to the conflict in Afghanistan.
B & H Australia branch manager Craig Renshaw believed Ansett’s collapse was the main reason for a recent rise in demand for video conferencing. He said the difficulty in securing tickets or rearranging prior bookings made video conferences an attractive option.
“It’s become harder to get on a plane and fly to another city for a meeting since the collapse (of Ansett). It’s easier to bring the meeting to the boardroom with video conferencing,” Mr Renshaw said.
“But video and teleconferencing has always been quite popular in Perth because of its isolation from the rest of Australia.”
Video conferencing allows two parties in different locations to communicate via a television and microphones. Telstra’s high-speed ISDN line is the preferred method of connection, although Internet or satellite connections also can be used.
Companies can hire out an equipped boardroom to hold the conference or install a conference system in their own offices.
West 1 manager of television Tim McLachlan said he noticed a resurgence in interest in the technology immediately after the terrorist attacks. He said interest in video conferencing was waning before that time.
“The increase in demand hasn’t been overwhelming, but there has been a resurgence in video conferencing and there certainly has been a number of enquiries regarding rates and availability of equipment,” he said.
Mr McLachlan also suggested the economy may have had an effect on the conferencing industry in the past eight months.
He said that, although video conferences were significantly cheaper than flying, he believed companies were cutting back on both services.
Mr Renshaw said the recent events might provide an unexpected bonus for the industry in the future. He was confident that companies using the technology for the first time would continue to use it where possible after the conflict in Afghanistan ended.
“I think once they use the equipment you’ll find people are quite willing to go back to it in the future,” he said.
“With the technology these days, you do forget you are participating in a video conference.
“You tend to forget about the TV screen because it does look so real.
“You do away with the technology and you just talk one on one or with the other party like you were in the same room.”
Sales executive at video conference equipment supplier Ipex, Phillip Lutken, estimated there had been a 25 per cent increase in business since September 11. He said companies who chose to invest in their own conferencing systems to partly replace face-to-face meetings were finding attractive economies of scale.
“If an executive is making one or two trips to Sydney a month, it’s quite easy for a company to make its money back on a $10,000 video conferencing system in a year to 18 months,” Mr Lutken said.
