Virtual meetings - Being there

[icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu]

Nobody was surprised at the growth in audio, video and web-based
conferencing after the terrorist attacks of 2001. Such technologies allow
"virtual meetings" ranging from a simple three-way conference call to a
fancy multimedia presentation beamed to hundreds over the internet. A
sluggish economy, last year's SARS scare and lengthy security lines at
airports have also fuelled interest. But as the economy rebounds, will
enthusiasts of virtual meetings simply go back to real ones? Apparently not,
according to a new survey. Enthusiasm for virtual meetings has continued to
grow (see chart). Having been prompted to try virtual meetings, many people
seem to like them, says Ira Weinstein of Wainhouse Research, which carried
out the survey.

Source:
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?story_i
d=2676922&subjectID=348909