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Virtually (in)convenient

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Jun 12 2009

Virtual meetings are convenient but don't be too comfortable.....

 

Thanks to geographically dispersed organizations and the increased cost of business travel, Web conferencing solutions are gaining popularity for meetings, training, and presentations. The obvious reasons why video conferences or webinars are so popular are: money (huge cost savings), environmental impact (gas and emissions), and travel hassle (say no more!).  These tools also provide a way to connect as personally as possible without actually "being there."

 

Businesses and consumers alike are using video conferencing as a replacement for in-person visits. At CSG's Quaero, we use the "visual" channel as a way of bringing in additional interactivity to our client and interpersonal communications.  We hold status calls using video conferencing and conduct most of our training with clients via webinar.  There is no question, Web conferencing solutions are here to stay and the technology will most likely continue to improve.

So, besides the obvious discomfort of having to truly focus on the topic at hand, (no muting, side bars or multi-tasking allowed anymore) there is a larger concern that requires our attention -- security.  We, as businesses and consumers need to remember, even though it seems like a normal meeting, we are actually using phone lines and computer lines to transfer what could possibly be considered sensitive or company confidential information to others in the meeting.  We still need to remember to zip and at least password protect or encrypt such documents before sending them via email.  Also, we should be careful to manage access to webinars to prevent confidential information from leaking to unintended recipients.

With all the conveniences brought to us by virtual meetings, there is still the need to remember privacy of sensitive information so that nothing confidential ends up in the wrong hands (or webcams).

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