subject: Videoconferencing Saves Travel, Time And Money [print this page] Videoconferencing is a technology where two parties can connect with each other through television screens. Each visits a location with specialized equipment and can see and hear the other with little disruption in conversation and vision. This way of meeting is frequently used in legal depositions, but is also seen with interviews of sports figures, political bigwigs and employment candidates.
Court reporting agencies frequently have videoconferencing capabilities to help their attorney clients with long distance cases. They also cater to local businesses conducting monthly meetings and job interviews.
Travel
Eliminating travel is the most obvious reason for having video depositions or meetings. Consider the amount of time it takes to go to the airport, catch a flight, rent a car, stay overnight in a hotel, make a meeting and go back home the next day. It is not only expensive, but inconvenient.
Instead, the parties can all meet by videoconference. Each travels to a nearby city or town where the equipment is available at a local business. After a few hours on the conference equipment all parties are home that evening in time for dinner.
For participants with disabilities and medical conditions, short distance travelling is possible. People with wheelchairs, oxygen tanks and mobility restrictions can meet more easily through videoconferencing. Airplanes, trains and long car trips are difficult, if not impossible.
Attorneys are well-known for their insistence that their clients should not have to travel far from home for any reason. This is often a sticking point in quick settlement of lawsuits. With videoconferencing, this issue is all but eliminated.
Expert witnesses all over the country, such as medical malpractice experts, can meet with an attorney to discuss the case without ever having to leave town and take time away from their patients. Those that cannot make it to trial can be videotaped as well. The case is not compromised by a missing witness and all parties are accommodated.
Expenses
In the early days of videoconferencing, it was very expensive and hard to see and hear. With huge advancements in technology, it is now more cost-effective. The amount of money it takes to connect this way is less than what it costs to fly out of state or out of the country. When there are several people from one location traveling to the other, the amount of time and money saved is even greater.
While the use of telephone conference calls may be helpful in some situations, being able to see and hear people "in person" has a distinct advantage in many situations. This allows people to watch mannerisms, facial expressions and speech patterns which may impact a court case or job interview.
by: Christine Harrell
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