Content can be changed regularly and distributed via satellite in real time. Satellite video conferencing is a good option in larger organisations but most video conferencing at present takes place using high-speed telephone lines. Consumer video conferencing is also emerging. Users talk to family and friends anywhere in the world, using the Internet at the cost of a local call. But, because they use standard telephone lines, pictures tend to be jerky and the sound breaks up.
Business systems using digital lines are much clearer.
Setting up a video conferencing system can be costly but return on investment is usually swift through savings on travel and accommodation. And it's not difficult to see why. A business-class air ticket between Johannesburg and Cape Town costs more than R2 000. A rented car, with insurance and mileage charges, swallows about R300 a day. Add to that R500 a night for basic accommodation, R120 a day for ordinary meals and you end up with a substantial bill.