Who hasn't heard of videoconferencing? It is singularly responsible for many technological breakthroughs in business, law, and government. More importantly, it has become a very powerful social glue for keeping family, friends, and lovers together. And, as videoconferencing sees wider use, more and more people are reaping the benefits of videoconferencing.

Real Stories, Real People

Marge hasn't seen her husband or her daughter for four years now. She left her country behind for greener pastures. But now, thanks to benefits of video-conferencing, she can see through a tiny monitor her little daughter's face and beautiful little reminders of home.

Debbie is studying culinary arts in Paris. She will be getting her certificate in a month. This will be a very memorable occasion for her, and although her mom and dad are half a world away in Bangkok, she knows the benefits of videoconferencing. Her family can see her as she walks up that podium to accept her certificate.

Mike has fallen deeply in love with a girl halfway around the world, and though they haven't seen each other face to face, he knows how she looks. This, he knows, is one benefit of video conferencing. It brings him glimpses of his sweetheart through a 21-inch video screen.

The benefits of videoconferencing, particularly in bridging families and connecting lives, have been nothing short of staggering. It's very cost-effective, so people do not have to spend on prohibitively expensive airfare, or take unnecessary vacations. Airfare and time off work might seem little things at first, but like debt, they accumulate. You just might find yourself frittering away your pension or kissing that promotion goodbye after taking one trip too many to, say, Amsterdam.

Real Time, Face to Face

Another benefit of videoconferencing is real-time face to face communication. Experts believe communication of this nature is crucial to the continuity and vitality of any kind of relationship. Too often, distance has resulted in broken families and broken engagements. To nourish a relationship, all integral components have to be present ? constant contact, emotional connection, kinship through shared blood ties and interests. Videoconferencing narrows the location gap. In so doing, it strengthens relationships.

Love, from Across the Seas

Today, expatriates, overseas workers, travelers, and migrants can connect to their loved ones with a click of a button. That they're able to do this at all is priceless, and is yet another testament to how greatly humanity has enjoyed the benefits of videoconferencing. After all, no matter who we are, what we do, or where we are at present, we all have families we wish to come home to.

Understandably, video interaction is a poor substitute for physical contact. Thirty minutes spent talking is nothing compared to a hug. When you're in Africa and your family is in Canada, however, video interaction is as important a lifeline as calls and emails. More than just giving us the means to hear and be heard, videoconferencing helps us celebrate family and the concept of belonging. It helps us reaffirm ties that exist in our minds and hearts.

So, whether you're in a quaint little bistro in Paris, or knee-deep in snow in an alpine village, or driving massive trucks under a sweltering Dubai sun, videoconferencing can bring you home - if only for an hour or a minute.