A report from Frost and Sullivan have found the European video conferencing market has grown by twenty percent in the past 12 months. The report states the video conferencing market reached $518 million in 2010, a 20% increase on 2009.
The general awareness of video conferencing is continuing to improve year on year. Online discussions of video conferencing are continually increasing, more so in recent weeks as a result of Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype. The Iceland volcano eruption in 2010 significantly contributed to the increase in awareness with businesses realising air travel can easily be disrupted and video conferencing can easily replace this costly and time consuming form of travel. Businesses were also taught that replacing air travel with video conferencing will have a significant, positive effect on their carbon footprint.
Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Iwona Petruczynik said in a recent statement
“The need for companies to reduce their travel cost while maintaining communication with their workers and clients will drive the European video conferencing endpoints market. Increasingly stringent environment policies imposed by the European Parliament will also promote market development.”
“Educators can use videoconferencing as a convenient method for interactive access to classes, meetings and distance learning while physicians can leverage it to provide consultations and patient diagnostics. Courts can deploy it to increase prison security and conduct video arrangements, while government offices can employ it to track daily strategic missions.”
“The misconception that videoconferencing services are communication tools aimed at large enterprises is hindering its adoption among small and medium businesses (SMBs). Moreover, weak infrastructure and low bandwidth, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, are having an adverse effect on the videoconferencing endpoints market.”
However Frost & Sullivan stated the use of video conferencing in Europe will “remain strong over the next few years, as the new generation of videoconferencing systems offer enhanced value proposition and demand levels continue to remain high.”
