The Cost Benefits Of Making Usability a Priority

Ease of Use in Web Conferencing -
Why it Matters The Cost Benefits Of Making Usability a Priority Andy Nilssen & Alan Greenberg Wainhouse Research
Wainhouse Research, LLC 34 Duck Hill Terrace February 2009 Duxbury, MA 02332 USA +1.781.934.6165 Hwww.wainhouse.com Study sponsored by:

Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 1 Introduction: The Role of Online Meetings in Today's Workplace ................................... 3 Survey Methodology..................................................................................................................4 I. Things You May Know About Ease of Use................................................................... 5 The Impact of Ease of Use........................................................................................................5 Vendor Selection and Ease of Use ...........................................................................................6 II. What Gets Hurt When Ease of Use is Missing ............................................................ 7 The Cost of Training..................................................................................................................7 The Cost of Meetings That Start Late .......................................................................................9 The Cost of Providing Help .....................................................................................................10 III. Things to Know about Ease of Use and Utilization................................................... 10 Closing Thoughts .......................................................................................................... 11 About the Authors....................................................................................................................12 About Wainhouse Research....................................................................................................12 About IBM LotusLive Meetings................................................................................................12 Appendix: Survey Demographics .................................................................................. 13
Figures Figure 1 Impact of Ease of Use ....................................................................................................5 Figure 2 Nuances Surrounding Ease of Use ................................................................................6 Figure 3 Supplier Criteria ..............................................................................................................7 Figure 4 Training Methods and Ease of Use ................................................................................8 Figure 5 How Often and Why Meetings Start Late .......................................................................9 Figure 6 Organization Size .........................................................................................................13 Figure 7 Involvement with Web Conferencing ............................................................................13 Figure 8 Meetings / Events Attended Per Month .......................................................................14 WR Paper: Ease of Use in Web Conferencing - Why it Matters Copyright © 2009 Wainhouse Research. All rights reserved.
Applying Metcalfe's Law to the Conferencing-Enabled Enterprise Page 2
Executive Summary Web conferencing is a revolutionary business tool. The technology's many benefits - which include saving travel costs, increasing individual and team productivity, and removing distance as a barrier for getting the right people (and customers) involved - has motivated many to become proficient at its use. But the recent dramatic changes in the global economic climate have brought into focus a new urgency to find ways to cut costs and work together efficiently. Web conferencing is poised to play a central role in this imperative if it can be quickly adopted by businesses of all sizes - including those who are not technology savvy, and who lack time or inclination to deal with anything that might increase complexity. Thus, while usability may have been considered "nice to have" in the past, is it swiftly becoming a necessity? Through survey data, this study examines t... [download for more]