As videoconferencing gains in popularity more and more industries are making use of the technology that it brings with it. The top five businesses that benefit from videoconferencing include architecture firms, educational institutions (both primary, secondary, continuing education and distance education), the medical fields (including pharmaceutical companies), any and all businesses dealing with finance including banks, brokerage houses, law firms, insurance companies, etc., and many hotel chains.

In a general way videoconferencing can be used to schedule meetings as well as hold meetings; it can be used to conduct interviews, both individual and group interviews; it can be used to conduct seminars as well as giving lectures and it can be used for many types of collaborations and evaluations.

The particular applications of videoconferencing work very well for those who work on a telecommuting basis. As well the areas of telemedicine and teleducation respond very positively to the advanced technology that videoconferencing allows for. Money is saved and travel is cut down upon, as well as missed hours and days lost from work due to travel.

Videoconferencing brings new meaning and potential to the concept of globalization and it brings the network of business industry into a clearer focus by allowing business in other parts of the world to directly interact with the people it needs to bring together. In a nutshell, videoconferencing makes what was once inaccessible (or only partially accessible), now very accessible.

To use some examples, in educational settings such as university campuses that are stretched across an area and/or are connected with partners who are international, videoconferencing acts as a valuable learning tool for students and makes the frequent need for communication more possible than ever before.

As well, businesses that are multinational can greatly reap the benefits that the decreased need for travel allows. Videoconferencing also makes it possible for more frequent meeting to take place between offices and consultations with business partners and colleagues in other cities, states and countries.

Distance learning gets a tremendous boast from videoconferencing when it is paired up with both hardware and data sharing applications. This amounts to collaboration that can bring about fantastic results for all concerned. The ability to present and receive material via a videoconferencing session and to both see and hear at the same time, the other person on the other end of the computer in real time is a creative and very successful way to enhance learning.

Actively being able to participate in the content that is being brought forth also gives students a feeling of accomplishment and increased self-esteem. The content often occurs via videoconferencing includes the presentation of a variety of research applications and materials, technical drawings, educational resources, such as PowerPoint presentations and so much more.

No matter whether a business is large or small, videoconferencing can encourage rates of productivity in a company and can save a fair share of money and time- both valuable resources for any company. To describe it further, Videoconferencing delivers face-to-face, real-time interaction with customers, remote employees and business partners, but without time-consuming, costly travel. Companies can use videoconferencing for almost anything that once required out-of-office visits.

Many businesses utilize a selection of applications during their videoconferencing sessions. Some of these include but are not limited to, sales meetings, company and/or project team meetings, business announcements, training classes, product demonstrations, new product launches, analyst and/or media briefings, focus group research, meetings with directors, investors, staff and shareholders and the conducting of business related seminars.

The three main advantages that all industries have noted from incorporating videoconferencing into the way they do business is a tremendous boast in productivity, more frequent and stronger communication with customers and/or clients and a decrease in travel expenses.

Besides the advantages of less money spent on travel and less time away from the office, videoconferencing makes it possible for meetings to take place with little preparation and with little notice. The money that used to be spent to send employees to other places for business meetings can now be spent on short meetings that are not scheduled far in advance. Other technologies such as VOIP when combined with videoconferencing allow for face-to-face business meetings in real time and neither individual on either end of the conference need to leave his or her desk.