Kenneth C. Laudon,Jane P. Laudon Management Information System 12th Edition pdf

Virtual Meeting Systems 

For many businesses, including investment bank-

ing, accounting, law, technology services, and management consulting, exten-

sive travel is a fact of life. The expenses incurred by business travel have been

steadily rising in recent years, primarily due to increasing energy costs. In an

effort to reduce travel expenses, many companies, both large and small, are

adopting videoconferencing and Web conferencing technologies.

Companies such as Heinz, General Electric, Pepsico, and Wachovia are using

virtual meeting systems for product briefings, training courses, strategy ses-

sions, and even inspirational chats.

An important feature of leading-edge high-end videoconferencing systems is

telepresence 

technology, an integrated audio and visual environment that

allows a person to give the appearance of being present at a location other than

his or her true physical location. The Interactive Session on Management

describes telepresence and other technologies for hosting these “virtual” meet-

ings. You can also find video cases on this topic.