Teleconferencing is effective when participants have difficulty attending a meeting. This occurs when people are widely dispersed geographically and cannot readily meet. Teleconferencing also serves people with disabilities, the elderly, and others who may have difficulties with mobility.

Teleconferencing is advantageous to meetings that are action specific. Teleconferencing aids in prioritizing issues and discussing immediate action items. Participants also tend to be more prepared and therefore make for more productive communication. Additionally, teleconferencing helps give all participants an equal footing in planning and project development.

Today, teleconferencing is used in a variety of ways, with 3 basic types:

• Video conferencing-television-like communication augmented with sound.
• Computer conferencing-printed communication through keyboard terminals.
• Audio-conferencing -verbal communication via the telephone with optional capacity for tele-writing or tele-copying.

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