Depending on the tools that you use, video conferencing allows large numbers (and small numbers too) of people to communicate at the same time and share information, ideas and generally collaborate, irrespective of their location. It is possible to share computer desktops and view whiteboards, much as you would in a normal business conference. This without the cost of hosting one in the real world of course!

Here are some more advantages to video conferencing.

* Cost. The overheads when running video conferencing are miniscule compared to the actual cost of physically delivering people from all sorts of locations to a specific destination. Taking into account the cost of travel itself, accommodation for those from out of town, meals etc should be enough to convince you. When you actually include the cost of lost man hours travelling then there is no contest in my mind.

* People tend to keep all their work on their home computer when based away from the office. Working in a video conference from home means that all of your important files are on hand when you want them. There is less likelihood of anything going wrong.

* Another major advantage of a video conference is the ease with which people outside of an organisation can join in. Say for example you are involved in building projects, the chances are that a different architect would be used for each project. If your meeting requires the presence of a non employed expert, it is far easier to organise if you are running a video conference rather than a meeting in the flesh.

* There are side benefits such as ongoing staff training with video conferences. It is possible to record meetings and use them to help staff improve their skills. You can also train new staff more quickly with this kind of material.

* Business decisions can be made more quickly using video conferences. The time saving mentioned previously also helps with this regard. If you need to meet deadlines then having meetings using video conferencing can be a great advantage.

Even a simple comparison to a shared phone call should be enough to convince you that video conferencing makes more sense. Have a visual connection is invaluable, not only from a personal point of view but also to watch body language, which can tell you a lot.

As technology improves, the quality and advantages of video conferencing can only improve. In terms of value for money, video conferencing is in a league of its own. As technology improves, so do prices, which can only make video conferencing more appealing to all types of business.