America is buzzing about the effects of global warming and the need to go green. With our nation's renewed green focus, business leaders are feeling the pressure to help save the environment while increasing their bottom line. SpeakSpace is helping businesses do both through audio and web conferencing.

More and more, companies are turning to technology to help them find green solutions. They've all heard the environmental call for action, either from the government, their employees, or their customers. The challenge is finding green solutions that help meet business goals and employees' needs.

One solution that is becoming increasingly popular is more conference calling. Often touted as a means to decrease travel time and fuel costs, audio and web conferencing is now being recognized for its positive impact on the environment.

From reducing travel expenses and carbon footprints, to increasing and maintaining job satisfaction among employees, audio and web conferencing allows businesses to save money while fulfilling their social responsibility obligations.

SpeakSpace offers the following ways companies can use conferencing for a more cost- and energy-efficient business.

Cut the CO2 —The average commuter spends more time in their car each year than on vacation. And, with a five-day workweek commute releasing a minimum of 5,154 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, per employee, they're also wreaking havoc on the environment.

The resulting greenhouse effect remains a main cause of global warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. And, the Sierra Club says people have increased the level of CO2 in the atmosphere by 30 percent in the past 100 years.

For many businesses, small adjustments offer the best way to move toward environmental friendliness. Companies nationwide are finding conferencing to be a cost-effective, simple solution to reducing CO2 emissions.

Conferencing solutions enable businesses to reduce or eliminate business trips, provide telecommuting opportunities to employees and reduce their carbon footprints. With fewer workers on the road and in the air, less CO2 enters the atmosphere each day. Businesses can feel confident they are contributing to a better environment by calculating the tons of CO2 emissions eliminated by telecommuting. This calculation can also be used to measure environmental improvement to support ISO14001 certification.

Create a balanced life—A 2006 survey by The Hudson Index found that nearly 60 percent of employees believe telecommuting at least part time is an ideal work situation.

Research indicates that those employees who telecommute at least one day a week experience increased job satisfaction. And companies are finding that in order to attract and retain the best workforce they must offer some form of telecommuting benefit. But for many companies, telecommuting equals less control and personal interaction.

SpeakSpace conferencing alleviates these concerns by allowing telecommuters to maintain a connection to the office. With business-quality conferencing solutions, employees can:

· take part in collaborative teams,

· view and share documents and multimedia presentations,

· attend and facilitate meetings, and

· avoid the loneliness factor that often comes from working off site.