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How "Green" Is Video Over IP?
Sunday, April 06, 2008
I've had a couple of PR firms play the environmental card when pimping their services to me. I suppose being "green" is the next big thing--one I am not going to argue with. However, I always tend to be skeptical of any such claims.
Any form of communication that isn't face to face could be construed as environmentally friendly on some level. Unless you can reach the person under people power, you're likely having to burn some fossil fuels to reach them. Not to mention all the time and such that it will take.
What these video services do--things like Skype Video, SightSpeed, Gizmo5, Yugma, and others--is make it possible to communicate more information in real-time than is possible with simply a phone call. In the case of Skype, it's possible to get a higher quality audio call than a normal telephone would give. In the case of Yugma, it's sharing your desktop so you can see what the other person is seeing.
Anything that limits the amount of fossil fuels burned is certainly a good thing in my book. Using these tools in the right circumstances could certainly eliminate a trip in a gas-guzzling car (or airplane).
But one thing I've discovered over the years is that these kinds of tools--along with many others--make it easier to communicate, but it increases the desire to actually meet in person. This means you're likely back to some gas-guzzling alternatives.
On the whole, however, I agree with the assertion these video over IP tools are green, though I would argue their"green" benefits are probably not as substantial as the PR folks are saying.
What do you think about this? Are video over IP services helping in some small way to give us a greener planet? Is this just PR speak? Let me know what you think!
