Disruption of Air Travel shows the Need for Telepresence as Key Part of a Disaster Recovery Strategy

April 19, 2010 - PRLog -- ASHBURN, VIRGINIA – April 19th, 2010 – The disruption of European air traffic from volcanic ash demonstrates the importance of inter-company telepresence as key part of a disaster recovery strategy say the organizers of an Inter-Company Telepresence and Videoconferencing Conference that will be held on April 22nd in Reston, Virgina.

Disruption from the volcanic ash eruption in Iceland has caused the cancellation of over 17,000 flights over the past week disrupting business globally and threatening the cost and convenience of air travel in the long term.

Thomas Kayser, the Human Productivity Lab’s Managing Director for Europe opines: “The airline industry has seen over 25 bankruptcies and/or business cessations since 2008 which has raised the cost and reduced the convenience of air travel. This disaster, which is reported to be costing the industry $200 million per day, could potentially threaten the solvency of additional airlines who have already been hit by an essential doubling of fuel prices from a low of $44.45 in March of 2009 to a closing price of $82.83 on Friday.”

The Human Productivity Lab, which advises corporations on telepresence and visual collaboration, is advising organizations to adopt inter-company telepresence and visual collaboration programs to connect with their partners, vendors, and customers and view their investments in inter-company visual collaboration as key part of their overall disaster recovery strategy. Telepresence gives organizations the ability to do business, intra and inter-company, without physical travel no matter what the contingency.

The Human Productivity Lab (HPL) recommends updating disaster recovery strategies in light of this event accordingly and begin taking steps to get a program in place. The upcoming Inter-Company Telepresence and Videoconferencing Conference and Working Group, which has been scheduled for over four months, will be held on April 22nd in Reston, Virginia, will cover how to create an inter-company telepresence and visual collaboration program to connect effectively with partners, vendors, and customers. The Lab is also organizing private conferences for organizations and their supply/demand chain partners.

The conference also announced that the pre-conference dinner on April 21st will be open to members of the telepresence industry trade association: Telepresence Industry Professionals. The dinner will be held at Clyde’s in Reston Town Center from 7:00 – 9:00PM. http://www.telepresenceoptions.com/2010/04/telepresence_i...

For more information on the Inter-Company Telepresence and Videoconferencing Conference and Working Group please visit: http://www.TelepresenceOptions.com/conference

To download a free copy of the Human Productivity Lab’s publication: The Inter-Company Telepresence and Videoconferencing Handbook, please visit: http://www.TelepresenceOptions.com/handbook

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The Human Productivity Lab is the world’s leading independent telepresence analysis, research and consultancy firm. It runs with Telepresence Options the leading online-portal for Telepresence, Visual Collaboration and Inter-Networking Telepresence. Additional information can be found at www.HumanProductivityLab.com.