Bytes not flights

To contain costs, some corporations are placing more emphasis on travel policy compliance, and half of U.S. corporations have a meetings policy in place, according to American Express Business Travel Advisory Services (NYSE: AXP). “Compliance practices became more common in 2007, and tools such as pre- and post-trip auditors gained attention based on their ability to assist in enforcing policy compliance,” Mike Streit, Amex vice president and global leader for advisory services, says.

But other companies are turning to less travel— without skimping on meeting time. Web conferencing tools can help companies cut down on travel costs by enabling employees to conduct meetings and share information without leaving their desks. To help meet a growing demand for online meeting options, a handful of Web conferencing software providers have surfaced in recent years.

Companies such as Citrix, Microsoft and Adobe offer subscriptions tailored to companies’ needs. A typical U.S. company with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C., would save about $20,000, between travel and paper savings, per year by using the Web to conduct meetings, according to an independent study by Germany–based market research group Publicare Marketing Communications.

Following is a breakdown of Web conferencing service providers and packages. For a full summary of Web conferencing options, download Sustainable Industries' Green Office Guide:

Adobe Connect
Pay-per-use option and a variable monthly fee for unlimited meetings with up to 2,500 attendees.

Citrix GoToMeeting
$295/month for up to five licenses, with a onetime set-up fee of $295 for unlimited meetings with up to 25 attendees.

Cisco WebEx MeetMeNow
Pay-per-use option or $468/year for up to five licenses for meetings with up to 10 attendees.

Microsoft Office Live Meeting
Pay-per-use option or $23/month for minimum five licenses for unlimited meetings with up to 1,250 participants and unlimited storage of meeting recordings.

This article appeared as a sidebar to "Ready for takeoff," in the April 2008 issue of Sustainable Industries.