In this recent article in the
San Jose Mercury News, companies are making serious decisions about cutting
back on travel costs. They are using “big products” to solve “big problems.”
"In a trend that could transform the way companies do business, Cisco Systems has slashed its annual travel budget by two-thirds — from $750 million to $240 million — by using similar conferencing technology to replace air travel and hotel bills for its vast work force."
While this focus is on saving money – the issue of travel becomes even more pressing on a day like today when residents of the San Francisco Bay Area have been asked to work from home as we face yet another “Spare the Air” day due to excessive heat that traps gas-based emissions.
You don’t have to go “big” to save “big”
There is a low-cost solution to online collaboration that’s worth checking out – especially if you are trying to cut costs or be a good citizen – it’s WebEx. I am a recent convert. I admit, I really didn’t understand the true benefits until I starting using WebEx.
I used to get on the phone and talk with my colleagues while we all looked at the PowerPoint I emailed out. Sure we did okay, “Is everyone on slide 12 now?” I would ask and wait to get confirmation. We did what we had always done.
But then we signed up for the WebEx Free Trial and gave it a shot. What a difference. I had no idea I could see someone else’s desktop (or that they could see mine). I didn’t realize I could edit their document while we talked – or they could see me make the edits to the PowerPoint so they knew how to do it themselves next time.
An alternative to your daily routine
For those of us in the Bay Area, its Spare the Air. Where you live, it might be weather or traffic or simply the desire to work from home so you can spray the kids with the hose this afternoon. Any way you slice it, using WebEx can help you work smarter.
What have you got to gain? Give it a try.
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