Hand Technologies is a virtual organization. Chat has become a real business tool. Hand's first chat application was designed to speed up the process of evaluating job candidates. Prospective consultants visit an online auditorium, where executives explain Hand's business model and field questions. The company also holds moderated chats for its consultants.
Executives introduce new products and share updates on the business.
They usually present for 20 minutes and field questions for 40 minutes. So many consultants have been attending the sessions that the company has had to fine-tune the agenda. With so many people, chat gets unruly. Talking Points Hand has a leg up on most companies that are evaluating chat tools. From the beginning, its people have communicated almost exclusively over the Net.