Government could reduce travel cost with video meetings, says Avanta

By eGovAsia Editors | Nov 8, 2010

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While face-to-face meetings are important in maintaining business relationships, this can still be achieved in a much more cost-effective manner by using video conferencing, according to Avanta.
 
In a recent spending review of government departments, retail tycoon Sir Philip Green said high-level waste could be drastically reduced by using videoconferencing equipment in meetings.
 
“It’s time that the government adopt the 21st century technology that has proven popular in the private sector,” said David Alberto, Avanta’s managing director. “Sir Philip’s report reveals that government staff spend £38 million a year on overnight accommodation in London hotels to attend meetings and this could be substantially reduced if they use videoconferencing for meetings instead."
 
Surveys have shown that a physical meeting can incur substantial travel, accommodation and catering costs without taking into account the real cost in delegate time out of the office.

Avanta’s 19 business centers all offer in-house video conferencing facilities with prices starting from as little as £25 per hour on top of the cost of room hire. In addition, IP to IP calls are free, allowing conferences between across countries just cost around £25 per hour.

“The government could learn a lot from private enterprises," Alberto added. “We have to run an efficient and cost-effective business model and there are many simple, yet effective habits that government departments could adopt to reduce unnecessary spending.