Survey Finds Video Conferencing isn't all It's Cracked Up to Be

Posted 04/23/2010 at 4:41am | by Paul Lilly

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In a survey titled "Meetings Dos and Don'ts," PGI, a provider of meeting and collaboration solutions, found that IT professionals and small to medium-size business (SMB) owners have a few gripes with video conferencing, most of which center around etiquette.

What's interesting about this is that both IT and SMB survey respondents admitted to the same behavior that they find annoying in others, like checking email, searching sports scores, or leaving the room altogether. More than half of those that took the survey said they multitask during meetings, while relatively few admitted to getting caught.

"While people want total attention when they are leading a meeting, everyone also demands the freedom to multitask as needed," said Boland Jones, CEO and Chairman of PGI. "No matter where people are in th world, technology makes it possible to replicate a face-to-face meeting over the Web, while liberating attendees from the strict decorum expected when people sit in the same room. As meeting experts, we know firsthand that people thrive when together, virtually or physically."

Ranking as the No. 1 irritant among SMB owners and IT professionals is when others engage in side conversations, followed by checking personal emails.