MCI WorldCom Conferencing Opens European Call Center Operation; Announces Results Of "Meetings In The UK" Research
Bridging Global Waters Makes "Meeting" Easier
Research Reveals Typical Busy UK Exec Attends Nearly 60 Meetings a
Month with 10 Percent Involving Travel.
CHICAGO, February 1, 1999 -
For American businesses operating in today's global marketplace,
MCI WorldCom Conferencing today announced the opening of a new call
center in the United Kingdom, providing US-based multinational
customers regional support in Europe and uniform product offerings to
enhance communications across the globe.
The call center strengthens MCI WorldCom Conferencing's global
reach, which now extends from the United States to Europe and Asia,
enabling companies to conduct business on a worldwide basis. Busy
professionals who use the center will benefit from having a single
point-of-contact, providing seamless and uniform service on either a
worldwide or regional level.
"Customers who conduct conference calls overseas need regional
support, especially when calling to different time zones and dealing
with multiple languages," said Tim Reedy, vice president, finance
and marketing, MCI WorldCom Conferencing. "And with MCI WorldCom
Conferencing's global reach there is a continuity of service no
matter where you are-you get the same great products and same great
service."
The U.K. call center offers the same bridge-based capabilities as
U.S. call centers. Services currently available in the U.S. will be
made available in Europe including several audio conference features to
cater to individual customers' meeting needs such as translation
services, dial-out service to international participants or meeting
managers to help customers run their electronic meetings in the most
efficient manner.
More About the UK/European Call Center
- Audioconferencing is currently available in the UK, with
videoconferencing and Internet-based Net Conferencing is planned to
be available in 1999. - UK bridges can span to U.S. bridges to facilitate large
international events with no disruption to European or U.S.
participants. - Meeting enhancement services such as Instant Replay Plus, an
add-on service that records conference calls and provides a number so
those who missed the call can listen at any time, is available as
part of the same superior suite of services as the U.S - U.S.-based companies have the option of regional invoicing.
- Same service and products whether an U.S.-based company with
European locations, an U.S. business traveler abroad, or a local
customer.
Meetings in the UK
In addition to the official opening of the European call center in
the UK, MCI WorldCom Conferencing announced the findings of its
"Meetings in the UK" research as a follow-up to the US-based
"Meetings in America" research announced in June 1998. Both
surveys studied the trends, costs and attitudes toward business travel
and teleconferencing, and their impact on productivity. Both studies
were conducted by independent research firms for MCI WorldCom
Conferencing and are aimed at reducing the cost of meetings and raising
productivity.
Key Highlights from Meetings in the UK
- The typical busy professional in the UK attends nearly 60
meetings a month with 10 percent involving out-of-town travel. - A typical out-of-town six person meeting costs #1,645. This
includes significant 'soft' costs, such as lost productivity
while participants are travelling and arranging meetings, which must
be considered for a true evaluation of meetings. - The research finds heavy meeting-goers have difficulty
maintaining commitments with almost nine out of 10 missing meetings,
eight of 10 daydreaming during a meeting and nearly a quarter dozing
off during meetings. - As the amount of travel involved in attending meetings shows
little sign of decreasing, companies are under pressure to keep costs
down. Over three-quarters of professionals interviewed said they felt
pressure to watch their budgets. - U.K. business professionals travel frequently, with 43 percent
having attended meetings abroad in the past year. France and Germany
are the most common destinations. - Fifty-two percent of busy professionals have worked from home
using technology to stay connected to the office. Nearly half of
those who have 'telecommuted' say they do so because it is
more productive.
The results of the research can be found in full at www.nmc.mci.com
About MCI WorldCom Conferencing
MCI WorldCom Conferencing is the fastest-growing conferencing entity
in the world, according to Telespan Publishing Corporation. It helps
companies meet more effectively, reducing travel costs and increasing
productivity. MCI WorldCom Conferencing provides audio, video and Net
Conferencing, equipment sales and support, as well as Tele-management
services to complement customers' electronic meeting needs. More
information on MCI WorldCom Conferencing can be found at
http://www.nmc.mci.com.
About MCI WorldCom
MCI WorldCom is a global communications company with revenue of more
than $30 billion and established operations in over 65 countries
encompassing the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. MCI
WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated
local, long distance, international and Internet services. MCI
WorldCom's global networks, including its state-of-the-art
pan-European network and transoceanic cable systems, provide end-to-end
high-capacity connectivity to more than 38,000 buildings worldwide. MCI
WorldCom is traded on NASDAQ under WCOM. For more information on MCI
WorldCom, visit the World Wide Web at
www.mciworldcom.com
