Videoconferencing Has a Bright Future Behind It

Brian Doherty | September 12, 2006

The Los Angeles Times came up with an interesting take on 9/11 anniversary coverage, with a dog-that-didn't-bark lament about the anticipated but unrealized swift shift to an Asimovian world where no human being has to be in the same room with another: the bright dawn of widespread videoconferencing in place of business travel that airline terror was predicted to bring about post-9/11.

Comments

|9.12.06 @ 10:43AM|#

Some media companies have pretty robust PC conferencing systems in place. The one I work for has reduced business travel by half so far with another 30% planned.
I hear all kinds of stories about internet service companies running up astronomical business travel tabs to fly around the world having meetings about how best to convince users to spend more time on their PC.
I await cognitive editing software, which will allow me to skip the experince of the meeeting, but still have a memory of it.

|9.12.06 @ 10:53AM|#

Well, to be fair to those who thought videoconfrencing would skyrocket, there was a lot of speculation immediately post-9/11 that all carry-on luggage would be banned. If that ever happens, I expect there to be a much larger shift to videoconferencing.

|9.12.06 @ 1:41PM|#

...there was a lot of speculation immediately post-9/11 that all carry-on luggage would be banned. If that ever happens, I expect there to be a much larger shift to videoconferencing.

Nah...the thing that'll kill it will be banning porn in hotel rooms.

|9.12.06 @ 1:43PM|#

...there was a lot of speculation immediately post-9/11 that all carry-on luggage would be banned. If that ever happens, I expect there to be a much larger shift to videoconferencing.

Nah...the thing that'll kill it will be banning porn in hotel rooms.

|9.12.06 @ 2:06PM|#

What with the ban on toiletries in carry on luggage, they pretty much have banned it.

A quick overnight day trip is now just as difficult as a 10 day road show. One could buy all the hair product, deodorant and the like onsite, but it still jiggers the whole works.

|9.12.06 @ 2:09PM|#

What with the ban on toiletries in carry on luggage, they pretty much have banned it.

A quick overnight day trip is now just as difficult as a 10 day road show. One could buy all the hair product, deodorant and the like onsite, but it still jiggers the whole works.

|9.12.06 @ 3:16PM|#

"What with the ban on toiletries in carry on luggage, they pretty much have banned it."

That's an inconvenience, but business travelers can still get work done on the plane. If carry-on is banned, that will mean either businesses will have to figure out a way to accomplish things without physically traveling to a location or forfeit literally millions of hours of productivity each year.

|9.12.06 @ 4:08PM|#

Asimov?! E. M. Forster had him beat by nearly half a century.

|9.12.06 @ 4:39PM|#

That's an inconvenience, but business travelers can still get work done on the plane.

Aren't electronic devices now banned also? Gonna be a little hard to do much productive work without that laptop computer that the baggage handlers stole from your stowaway luggage.

|9.12.06 @ 4:41PM|#

Oops. I just checked the TSA's website, and you can still carry on your laptop and PDA.