Have you used instant messaging (IM), Skype, or Wimba video conferencing to collaborate with a others far away? Or maybe even nearby? In our office, I'm usually logged on to Skype and AIM (or Pidgin) most of my days in order to answer quick questions from co-workers whether I'm working from home, traveling, or simply down the hall.

At previous organizations where I've worked, we had field offices in different states across the country and with tools like IM, Skype, Google voice and video chat, and Wimba we easily kept our distributed workforce in touch for staff meetings, conferences, and day-to-day operations — without breaking the bank on expensive long-distance phone calls or even costlier travel.

In a post yesterday on our MaintainIT blog, Tena Hanson, the Director of the Milford Public Library in Milford, Iowa discussed how she and her peers used these tools in the face of decreased travel budgets and increased need for collaboration with libraries across the state.

She even shared a demo of how they used Wimba to video conference. Not only are they saving money and time by not traveling, but they are also sparing the environment the burden of the carbon that would otherwise be produced by their travel. Sounds like a win-win scenario for any budget-strapped and eco-friendly nonprofit to me!

For more tips, stories, and resources for reducing your organization's travel through online collaboration, check out the GreenTech Initiative's TeleGreen Your Work section.

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Discuss This in Our Forums

Have you used Wimba, AIM, Pidgin, Skype, or Google voice and video chat? Share your experiences and tips for staying in touch with others on your team in this Emerging Technologies forum discussion.