Get ahead now! Video communications can help your business cope with the travel chaos in London during the Olympic Games 2012.
As the Olympic games in London draw ever closer, the impact that the influx of Olympic teams, spectators and tourists will have on the UK economy is on many politicians lips at the moment. There is no doubt that the games will bring a much needed boost to the UK’s economy, but with London’s transport system already struggling to cope with the huge amount of commuters in and out and around the city, how will the estimated extra three million tourists impact our daily business routines?
Most recently, Transport Minister, Norman Baker called on commuters and businesses in London to think differently about travel during next summer’s Olympic Games. He encouraged businesses to look at flexible options for their staff and consider allowing employees to work from home or change shift patterns so that not all staff are travelling in and out of work at the same time. He also encouraged businesses to consider using video conferencing to avoid travel.
Businesses need to think ahead NOW to avoid having staff stuck in traffic or being left unable to get into work because of transport chaos. Productivity doesn’t have to suffer because of the games, there are various tools available to businesses that will allow them to work smarter and still be able to stay connected to colleagues and customers. During the Vancouver 2010 Games, 28% of organisations experienced higher levels of absenteeism than normal (BT, Vancouver Research, 2010). By ensuring staff have the ability to work remotely through various communication tools, you can minismise the effect of absenteeism throughout your organisation.
Video communciations have long been considered a ‘nice to have’ communication tool but a growing number of businesses are using video to keep employees connected. By integrating video into your unified communications strategy, you will be able to avoid the gridlocked traffic that London will experience or the increased air travel costs that will undoubtedly be imposed on travellers into London during the games. Whether your company is based in London or you simply have staff who regularly do business in the city – NOW is the time to consider video communications!
Cisco TelePresence provides an immersive high-definition video experience that makes you feel as you are sitting across the table from your colleagues, customers, partners and suppliers. Immersive video quality doesn’t have to come at a huge cost; Cisco are also giving customers the opportunity to take advantage of the Easylease 0% financing option until July 2012.
As a Cisco TelePresence Video Master Authorised Technology Provider (ATP), CityIS are talking to a number of UK based companies who are assessing the impact that the Olympics will have on their daily operations. To check if you’re ready for London 2012 why not assess your preparation for the games, read Cisco’s Games Readiness Checklist and get ahead now!