In the last year, compact desktop videoconferencing units started shipping at relatively inexpensive prices. The availability of high-speed services like DSL, combined with technologies like Virtual Private networks, allows businesses to tap into the Internet backbone as a transfer medium and begin to use these new technologies. Many conferencing systems often can't serve real-time collaboration well because participants don't have ready access to the equipment. However, the video transmission still taxes low-end connections. The one industry that has seen fundamental changes with the introduction of these new technologies is E-learning.
Companies can now deliver training programs globally for a fraction of past costs.
Training no longer requires employees to travel to a corporate office, reducing employee productivity with related travel time. Now specialized training can be delivered in real-time at remote locations, letting employees immediately apply much of what they learn to their job. Deploying VOIP on an internal network is feasible today because network administrators have full control over the network design and can ensure adequate bandwidth is available. Using the public Internet though is problematic. All traffic is treated equally.