| Video conferencing is often thought of as a tool | | | | that universities and education bodies have for this |
| exclusively used for business meetings but the | | | | technology; a few examples include: |
| technology is used in many other ways. | | | | Lectures delivered by academics at remote |
| In fact, business meetings may actually be in the | | | | institutions or by staff who are away from their |
| minority if you expand your definition of the term to | | | | home campus |
| refer simply to telecommunication via audio and video | | | | Researchers at different institutions can touch |
| - hundreds of thousands of people use webcams on | | | | base regularly without losing time travelling |
| a regular basis for example. A liberal interpretation | | | | Smaller institutions can pool resources and teach |
| could even include the long-standing use of UHF/VHF | | | | courses remotely that would otherwise be absent |
| links by TV channels to report from distant locations, | | | | Home learning can be a 2-way experience rather |
| though generally only one individual could see the | | | | than simply absorbing secondary material |
| other. | | | | Telemedicine |
| As you can see from just these two examples, | | | | At the most basic level, video conferencing |
| there are more applications for video conferencing | | | | technology can be used by medical professionals to |
| technology than business meetings. However, even if | | | | discuss case experiences with colleagues across large |
| we scale back the definition further, there are other | | | | distances. Beyond this it is also used to offer medical |
| areas that video conferencing has proven an | | | | advice and expertise in real-time for both routine and |
| extremely useful tool: | | | | emergency medical situations, allowing a surgeon to |
| Telecommunications for the deaf | | | | consult on an operation taking place several miles |
| For obvious reasons, the telephone systems that | | | | away for example. However, the most impressive |
| have connected the majority of the population for | | | | application incorporates peripherals that can record |
| the better part of a century have never been | | | | data about a patient, such as ultrasound imaging |
| available to those of us afflicted with speech | | | | devices or microscopes fitted with digital cameras - |
| impairment or hearing problems. The use of video as | | | | these can allow diagnosis itself to take place across |
| a means of telecommunication for the deaf and | | | | vast distances. |
| other people with communication problems is obvious. | | | | Politics |
| Whilst the relatively recent introduction of text | | | | Finally, there's politics. Given that meetings between |
| services may seem easier to use, deaf people | | | | high level officials tend to resemble those between |
| generally prefer to use sign language. Video | | | | executives in the private sector, this may not be |
| conferencing makes it possible for these individuals to | | | | much of revelation. However, it is one of the most |
| communicate with their full range of emotion and | | | | common and effective uses of the technology, |
| expression and has even been used to offer remote | | | | saving millions in public funds. Heads of state and |
| interpretation services using a third party. | | | | senior politicians can confer on crisis situations in |
| Long distance learning | | | | real-time without waiting for travel and without |
| One of the areas that has seen the fastest growth | | | | running the risk of travelling to unstable regions. Given |
| with the introduction of broadband services and | | | | that few international discussions involve just one or |
| increased bandwidth, video conferencing can help cut | | | | two parties, this application has arguably had the |
| costs in education and extend services to people in | | | | biggest effect on the wider world - even if no one |
| remote locations. There are dozens of possible uses | | | | realises it. |