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If you have 5 minutes, will you share your perspective on virtual meeting usage in your organization? If you are not involved with virtual meetings, please consider forwarding this note to the people in your organization that arrange virtual meetings.

Virtual communications technologies enable enhanced options to meet with clients, colleagues, friends and family.

How are virtual communications used in your organization? Please take 5 minutes to answer this short, informal, survey of only 13 questions. YOUR ANSWERS WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL.

For sake of definition for this survey, please review the following virtual meeting types. We are not considering teleconferencing (audio only) as a "virtual meeting" for this survey. Although, we recognize it is a viable option for many meetings and used frequenty in the organization setting.

Videoconferencing - Shows live video feeds of presenter, participants or both. Used to be delivered by ISDN but now, more often, use Internet Protocol. Usually use services like Polycom, Tandberg, Cisco, etc. Participants and presenter do not require their computer. The conference room facilities provide the user with a meeting room equipped with the audio and video technology needed to conduct an interactive conference. As another option, roll-around units contain the needed audio and video equipment but are designed to be moveable. We recognize that Telepresence provides more features and functionality although, we are including it in this category for simplicity purposes.

Web Conferencing - (sometimes called colaborative workspace or shared workspace). Web conferencing is conducted at the individual computer level and used to interact with other participants. Attendees use either a Web application or an application downloaded into their computers. May include webcams for video. Web conferences can be seen as “collaborative,” or a way of sharing information among the participants. Web conferencing offers advantages over traditional room-based videoconferencing because applications such as collaborative web browsing, file transfer and application sharing are easily supported over the Internet. Communication usually conducted by voice over IP through computer or telephone. By nature, web conferences are meant for less than 25 people although some may disagree. They can handle more, but it becomes more complex if all want to actively engage and discuss, e.g. similar to a conference room with many people trying to interject.

Webinar - a form of web conferencing, webinars are more designed to have a moderator present content using a computer and the Internet. Often, attendees log on and communicate with the moderator often by telephone but there are some technologies that offer voice over IP. Often, webinars are more interactive than webcasts.

Webcast - broadcast live or delayed audio and/or video similar to television or radio broadcasts. It is more like one presenter to many attendees and communication is usually one way or two way using chat features. The presenter often uses the application to communicate rather than a separate telephone.

Virtual Business Environments - An almost "3D" environment of a conference or convention shown on your computer. In contrast to the last three methods above, a virtual business environment attempts to replicate either a Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, presentation, board or show room. Users are able to watch videos, download brochures, send e-mails, or visit the company's web site from the hall.

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1. Did we forget any type of virtual meeting? Is there anything that you consider a virtual meeting but we didn't define and you would like to add?

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2. Is your organization using more virtual meetings than one year ago? (select one answer only)

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3. If your organization is using more virtual meetings, how are they being used? (select all applicable answers)

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4. Compared to 2008, what is the percentage of increase for 2009 to date?

  Don't know No increase 0-25% increase 26-50% increase 51-75% increase >75% increase
Videoconferences/Telepresence
Web Conferences
Webinars
Webcasts
Virtual business environments

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5. Is your organization using any of the following to complement or replace your large field sales meetings or other large meetings that are greater than 300 attendees?

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6. Is your organization using any virtual meetings to reduce risks related to new TARP meeting guidelines or pharma codes? For instance, TARP recipients may be held accountable for new meeting and entertainment guidelines and pharma regulations restrict spend on meetings and events.

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7. For the virtual meetings that are not self-service, who reserves and manages your virtual meetings? For instance, self-service means that you can start a web conference without assistance from another group that often manages the virtual meetings.

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8. In your opinion, what is the acceptable length of time for a virtual meeting?

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9. In your opinion, what type of meetings are acceptable through virtual meeting technologies?

  Acceptable Occasionally acceptable Rarely acceptable Never acceptable
Business development of new customers or clients
Customer or client meetings
Management or executive meetings
General business meetings
Recruiting for new staff
Interviewing potential new staff
Conventions, conferences, exhibits
Training and development
Project team meetings

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10. How many different technologies are in use at your organization for virtual meetings? (videoconference, Telepresence, webconference, webcasts, virtual business environments)

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11. Are you interested in participating in a virtual forum that meets regularly (possibly quarterly) on using virtual meetings and best practices?

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12. What is your industry?

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13. We sincerely appreciate the time you took out of your schedule to answer this short survey. If you would like to be included in the drawing for one of the three $25 Amazon gift certificates, please provide your information below.

If you said YES to participating in a virtual meeting forum, please provide your information below.

You will receive a copy of the results by July 31 if we have your contact information. If you have any questions, please contact me. Again, thank you so much for your time. Debi Scholar; email: debi.scholar@us.pwc.com

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