IP networks can save on emissions as well as costs

A new report has revealed that IP-based conferencing has risen by a dramatic 45 per cent over the past year and this has not only reduced the telephony costs to businesses but also reduced the amount of CO2 emitted in the atmosphere through travel.

A record 30 million visits by foreigners were made to the UK in 2005 and 27 per cent of all international journeys to the UK were for business purposes.

Furthermore, 8 million business trips were made abroad by UK residents.

Video conferencing firm Interwise claims that many of these trips - and their associated carbon emissions - could be avoided if greater use of teleconferencing were used.

"If more firms were to upgrade employees' desktop tools to allow uninhibited access to virtual meetings, UK businesses could begin to contribute better progress toward the country's 2011 carbon reduction goals," said Tony Gasson, vice president of European operations for Interwise.

"The CO2 savings from just one transatlantic trip avoided are around 1.5 tonnes of CO2; even a medium-sized corporation that reduces its international trips by 20 per month is able to save 360 tonnes per year. We see our customers making better progress with travel avoidance because their employees are equipped with a zero-cost meeting alternative. Once the corporate license is in place, the cost of virtual meetings is essentially free."

With the European Union expected to levy greater environmental taxes on flights future costs savings could be even more pronounced.

Posted on: 2007-03-08, in: General VoIP

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