Videoconferencing is a communications system that allows people in separate locations to talk to and see each other using live audio and video. A point-to-point videoconference connects individuals at two separate sites, and a multi-point conference connects individuals at more than two sites simultaneously.

Equipment ranges from sophisticated room-based systems to laptop systems, future developments are occurring for use in 3G cell phones and wireless devices. The most common uses of videoconferencing in corporate environments relate to training activities and meetings, but videoconferencing is also used for sales, job interviews, customer service, product demonstrations, technical and engineering collaboration, and troubleshooting. Increasingly, corporations use videoconferencing in new areas to fit more specific needs, especially as technology make collaborative features easier to use.

There has been an upward trend in utilization of videoconferencing and web-conferencing software in the corporate setting since the terrorist attacks of 2001. Increases in travel costs, travel...