Why Is My Boss Stuck in the Stone Age?

The internet has changed business forever.  It was once impossible to even fathom that a message could be spent to someone on the other side of the world in a matter of seconds. Now, anyone can use email for free and it's completely ubiquitous. More recently, the advent of video chat—particularly such services capable of handling three or more people—has begun to alter the face of international affairs.

Internet-powered video conferencing can save big, big bucks for businesses by shaving major time and money off air travel. Of course, with all new technology, the key is adoption, and as we know some corporations still use Internet Explorer 5 on Windows 2000.

In a recent mockery of the old-school, Dilbert questions why his boss commands him to "fly to Seattle for a quick meeting." He asks if he will be "meeting with a newly discovered Stone Age tribe that has never used Skype?"

"No," the pointy-haired boss replies, to which Dilbert responds, "Then I'm totally confused." Dilbert raises a mighty fine point. Can Skype not accomplish all that is necessary but in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost?

In most instances, yes, but not always. A recent nationwide survey commissioned by Concur revealed that 81% of business people still affirm that "there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction," suggesting that the most important business is still best conducted in the flesh. Even so, companies should carefully consider just how much of a positive impact today's technology can make on their bottom line.