Cisco WebEx online collaborative tools radicalize training over the Web

Most organizations would like to
measure the costs that are invested in training initiatives against
anticipated results. The challenge is that it is far easier to
measure the costs of conducting training than to quantify results.
Staff training is expensive, unpredictable but often necessary in the
interest of productivity. To make sure it's money well-spent,
consider cost-options for training.

How training organizations and other
businesses deliver training?

"While many a training program has
succeeded in accommodating learners, certain challenges and
inefficiencies have been central to the entire business of delivering
training. The cost of delivering training to partners, employees, and
customers has been high but perceived as necessary: travel, limited
geographic reach, and the challenge of bringing additional subject
matter experts into the classroom were obstacles to come across.
Thus, training organizations traditionally have delivered the best
possible results "under the circumstances," often with the
distraction of side issues (logistics and cost) that blocked the
ability to focus on what was best for both trainers and learners, as
well as the entire business."

Organizations are turning to Web
conferencing. What is your say on this?

Web conferencing is in use for many
years in the workplace, but the pace of adoption has quickened in
recent years. Live Web-based events are now seen as a key ingredient
of training programs-an ingredient that is beginning to equal the
importance of other approaches-and we can now say for certain that
it is beginning to displace live training events. Organizations are
increasingly choosing online training in an effort to optimize
efficiency.

Web conferencing allows organizations
to accomplish more with fewer resources. The cost savings for them
are particularly critical when their budgets are tight. Due to Web
conferencing, trainers can now teach their classes from wherever they
are. Geography is no longer a factor, and they can maximize their
faculty's knowledge and productivity.

Through this, trainers can serve five
times as many people as they could with on-site training sessions.
And they can provide all of that, while eliminating travel time,
saving money on gas, and reducing our carbon footprint.

Is there a promising future for
collaboration market?

Cost cutting has become an important
activity across industries. A penny saved is a penny earned,
especially in today's marketplace where competitions are intense and
margins highly stressed. Cost cutting in training can be done
efficiently through the use of Web conferencing. Training no longer
has to be a necessary evil but a joy. Investing in developing and
improving the talent of the workforce can only lead to better long
term returns in the future.