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Information Technology, Travel and Transport

IT has an immense potential for substituting travel. Applications, ranging from sophisticated videoconference platforms for business use to small systems for everyday use, provide a huge potential for dematerialisation. But the technology can also induce traffic by new communication facilities (which enlarge our networks) and can cause more long-distance transport of goods via e-commerce ...

Cisco Pushes Telepresence Standard

June 9, 2010: Cisco is pushing for broader compatibility across the industry with the Telepresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP) which is designed to make multiscreen high-definition videoconferencing platforms work together to the point that they know on which screen to place each incoming video stream. TIP can also make the multiple streams used in such sessions appear as one stream so they can better traverse security mechanisms such as firewalls and session border controllers, without being broken.

For more information please follow the external link.

Use of Telemedicine on the Rise Due to Advances in Technology

May 28, 2010: According to federal data, about 20% of U.S. residents live in areas with a shortage of health care providers. Due to more sophisticated and less expensive videoconferencing technology, the spread of high-speed communication networks and more reliable Web-based tools, telemedicine allows doctors and patients to avoid the need for travel and to connect more easily.

For more information please follow the external link.

China's Telecom Sector Credits Telecommuting with Huge Emissions Reductions

May 14, 2010: According to a report from WWF and China Mobile, China's telecom sector saved 48.5m tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2008 that were avoided by teleworking, electronic data storage and more efficient logistics. The study anticipated still greater benefits in the future: By 2020, teleworking could save an estimated 340m tonnes of CO2 emissions and by 2030, virtual meetings could avoid 623m tonnes of transport-emitted CO2 in China.

For more information please follow the external link.

Cisco Launched Telepresence Starter Solution

April 30, 2010: Cisco has announced a Telepresence Starter Kit at a discounted rate of almost 70 percent from the original price. The discounted price of the product will allow the company to penetrate the market at multiple levels and promote the technology of videoconferencing among enterprise technology users.

For more information please follow the external link.

Telework and Virtual Meetings Are Among US Goverment's Green IT Plans

April 28, 2010: In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth day, the US Government laid out a plan to cut the energy used by federal employees. Among the tech solutions envisaged are cloud computing, remote work and data center consolidation. The government also encourages agency staff to look to alternatives to traditional commuting and business travel.

For more information please follow the external link.

Videoconferencing Market Saw Growth in 2009

April 14, 2010: According to Frost & Sullivan's latest CSP videoconferencing services study, the North American videoconferencing services market saw a revenue growth of 18% in 2009. Between 2009 and 2016, the market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 18.4 percent.

For more information please follow the external link.

Citrix Receiver and GoToMeeting Apps Available on App Store

April 02, 2010: Citrix Systems announced that two new iPad apps are now available on the App Store: The Citrix Receiver App makes it easy for iPad owners to take a virtual office with them by providing secure access to their corporate applications and documents. The Citrix GoToMeeting App allows iPad users to collaborate from anywhere via online meetings.

For more information please follow the external link.

91% of Americans Use Cell Phones

March 24, 2010: A survey released by the CTIA revealed that despite the economic recession, the wireless industry continues to grow: In the second half of 2009, about 91% of the total population which means more than 285 million people in the United States are mobile subscribers. That's up 15 million compared to the second half of 2008. Over the same time period, talk time increased by 3.4%.

For more information please follow the external link.

Mingleverse Enhances Online Meetings with Groups feature

March 18, 2010: Mingleverse has introduced a new feature to enhance online meetings in its flash-based virtual world. The feature is designed to bridge vast geographic distances for teachers, businesses and social entities. It merges lightweight 3D visual telecommunications with a high-definition 3D audio experience and offers capabilities to stream recorded/live video and display presentations.

For more information please follow the external link.

Forecast Predicts Continued Growth for Ecommerce

March 08, 2010: According to a new report, U.S. online retail sales will continue to grow within the next 5 years. Accounting for 6% of total U.S. retail sales in 2009, the share of ecommerce in total U.S. retail sales is expected to grow to 8% in 2014.

For more information please follow the external link.

Bringing Business Communication Into Second Life

February 22, 2010: Second Life is increasingly being used as business communication tool. Companies are using the virtual world for trainings, international meetings and conferences while reducing the cost and the environmental impact of travel.

For more information please follow the external link.

Study Highlights Numerous Benefits of Teleworking

January 21, 2010: A new study conducted by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council shows that teleworking is a viable alternative to expanding the capacity of roads and transit systems. The study reveils that even 10% of the workforce regularly teleworking once a week can have tremendous benefits for employers, employees and the greater community.

For more information please follow the external link.

A Venture Integrating Skype Into the Family Room

January 05, 2010: Panasonic and LG Electronics announced that they are integrating the free online calling service Skype into their Internet-connected high-definition televisions which makes teleconferencing and video calls even more attractive. These new TV's along with an extra Web camera and a microphone accessory designed for the living room, can conduct free, live video chats and phone calls from the couch.

For more information please follow the external link.

Mobile Phones Become Essential Tools for Shopping

December 17, 2009: Smarter phones and heightened bargain-consciousness among consumers are spurring a level in innovation in e-commerce: According to a recent survey, one in five shoppers said they intended to use their cellphones to shop this holiday season. Of those, 45 percent said they would use their phone to research prices, 32 percent said they would use it to find coupons or read reviews and 25 percent said they would make purchases from their phones.

For more information please follow the external link.

European Web Conferencing Market is Growing

December 03, 2009: More and more companies in Europe are turning to web conferencing as they look for ways to cut travel expenses and comply with environmental laws. According to market analysis, the hosted web conference services market in Europe grew 14.9 percent from 2007 to 2008 and is estimated to reach an annual growth rate of 26.2 percent in 2014.

For more information please follow the external link.

Mobile's Green Manifesto

November 25, 2009: In its Green Manifesto created by the GSM Association in collaboration with the Climate Group, the mobile communications industry released a list of industry-wide goals to lower its greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it demonstrates how mobile communications can be a key in reducing emissions in other sectors and industries through dematerialization, improved logistics, fleet management, virtual meetings, teleworking, online media and a range of other efforts.

For more information and to read the full manifesto please follow the external link.

The Case for Smarter Commuting

November 10, 2009: A study conducted by the maker of remote-work and teleconferencing programs Citrix reveiled that the average commuting time of a British worker is 49 minutes each day and that one in ten is obliged to commute at least 2 hours per day. The survey among 1,970 British adults found that 62% of commuters want to spend less time commuting and improve their work-life balance by working from home some or all the time, working off-hour schedules to miss peak traffic, and technology assisted remote working.

For more information please follow the external link.

Social Isolation and New Technology

November 04, 2009: It is often argued that an increased use of information and communication technologies leads to more social isolation and a decline of people's discussion networks. However, recent study results by Pew Internet reveil that people's use of new technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones is associated with larger and more diverse social networks.

For more information please follow the external link.

Telepresence Reduces Carbon at Copenhagen

October 28, 2009: Cisco has offered its Telepresence technology to the United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen in December - so that stakeholders from around the world can have access to the diplomats who will negotiate a pact to lower emissions without actually having to fly to Copenhagen to do so.

For more information please follow the external link.

Cisco's Downmarket Videoconferencing Move

October 01, 2009: When Cisco Systems released its TelePresence Systems in 2006, it helped give videoconferencing a new lease of life by allowing its users to talk to colleagues across the globe in super-realistic resolution, with a click or two. However, the first Cisco TelePresence systems were still out of reach for all but the biggest, wealthiest clients. Cisco's purchase of the norwegian company Tandberg will now give Cisco videophones that sell at an affordable price to complement its high-end TelePresence systems.

For more information please follow the external link.

HP's SkyRoom Brings Videoconferencing to the Business Masses

September 24, 2009: Hewlett-Packard unveiled a new, low-cost videoconferencing tool which aims to bring real-time collaboration to companies of all sizes, including video, voice and document sharing. Skyroom allows up to four people to meet at once using a standard business network.

For more information please follow the external link.

Haitian Diaspora Unites via Video Conference

May 04, 2009: A recent video conference linking Haitians in Port-au-Prince and across the US is the first such attempt to unite the Haitian Diaspora with sound and image.

For more information please follow the external link.

Online Travel Booking Is on a Roll: Abacus

February 09, 2009: Online travel booking is on a roll with an estimated 11 percent CAGR in online bookings in Asia Pacific over the next four years, according to Abacus.

For more information please follow the external link.

Skype 4.0 Updates VoIP and Video Call Features

February 03, 2009: Skype is kicking off what is calls the most distinctive new release of its VoIP software in the company's five-year history. Among other features, Skype 4.0 for Windows offers full-screen video calling.

For more information please follow the external link.

Video Communication Helps Global Teams Improve Individual and Cultural Collaboration

January 28, 2009: Video communication tools can boost openness and discussions in online meetings, leading to more creativity and faster decision making. According to a new study published by Cisco today, online meetings that use video to allow participants to see each other can help build stronger relational bonds and improve rapport between people. They can also help to reduce the effects of culture and personality clashes. However, video communication can heighten anxiety and self-consciousness, and businesses need to help employees develop the right skills to make the most of these tools.

For more information please follow the external link.

Teleconferencing Robot

January 10, 2009: Ever wanted to be in two places at once? If so, then you may be interested in the new Anybots QA teleconferencing robot. The new sleek robot is designed to virtually let users roam around and converse with others in a different location by videoconferencing. The robot can be controlled over a wireless Internet connection to allow one person to virtually roam around a location anywhere else in the world.

For more information please follow the external link.

Virtual Worlds More Effective than Web Conferencing, soon more so than Real Life?

December 17, 2008: Forterra Systems will soon issue a new report claiming that enterprise virtual worlds are much more effective than web conferencing for conducting business. Forterra’s goals run parallel to the report as their desire is to deliver that kind of virtual world technology and software to the real business world.

For more information please follow the external link.

European Online Bookings to Jump 19% this Year

December 2, 2008: Despite global economic challenges and declining market conditions, PhoCusWright's European Online Travel Overview sees online penetration reaching nearly 30 percent in 2008.

For more information please follow the external link.

Web Conferencing Vendor Comparison Report

December 2008: Adobe has posted a “research note” paper prepared by Info-Tech on the biggest market share web conferencing technology vendors. They compare Adobe Acrobat Connect, Cisco WebEx, Citrix GoToMeeting, IBM Lotus Sametime Unyte Meeting, and Microsoft Live Meeting.

For more information please follow the external link.

Single-digit Growth Forecast for Online Travel Booking Industry

November 20, 2008: 2009 will be the first year that online travel bookings in the U.S. will experience single-digit growth, forecasts PhoCusWright, while a Travel Weekly article reports the first monthly double-digit decline in U.S. travel sales volume.

For more information please follow the external link.

Fudoso Set to 'Revolutionise' Online Shopping by Bringing it to Life

November 10, 2008: A new approach to online shopping is about to be launched, where shoppers will be able to browse products in an online store designed to work like a real-life shopping centre.

For more information please follow the external link.

Project 'Reducing Travel through ICT'

November 2008: The project will be conducted by Global Action Plan under the guidance of the EILT, which is a panel of senior IT professionals from a range of significant IT user organizations.

For more information please follow the external link.

Half of All Shopping will be Online by 2014

October 03, 2008: New figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index show that UK shoppers spent over £26.5 billion online in the first six months of 2008.

For more information please follow the external link.

SKYPE and WENGO Conference Calls

Substituting travel: Both SKYPE and WENGO offer free of charge conference calls between registered users if they use their PC terminals and the Internet for communication (including partners with mobile or landline phone connectionss causes costs). With Skype it is possible to include five, with Wengo three partners. Wengo is based on Open Source Software.

For more information please visit
the external Homepage of SKYPE ,
the external Homepage of WENGO ,
or a Wikipedia List of VoIP providers.

University of California - The Impacts of ICT on Leisure Activities and Travel: A Conceptual Exploration

For more information please follow the external link.

European Commission and the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies - Impacts of ICTs on Transport and Mobility

For more information please follow the external link.

University of California -
Telecommunications and Travel

For more information please follow the external link.
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