The Old Ways are Back? FUDing for Enterprise Video Conferencing with Ebola

FUD is here to stay with video conferencing.

It is sad that the video conferencing industry must FUD its way to customers. I've bitched about it recently, but here I am at it again. I used to joke about it before on my old blog at RADVISION (now dead, so no links). It was a shame how us companies sold our enterprise video conferencing products:

• Thinking green? Use VC instead of flying
• Energy prices go up and flights are expensive? Use VC instead of flying
• A volcano erupts killing flight schedules? Use VC instead of flying

There's a need for natural disasters to sell these products - and to me that's a huge red warning light and not a benefit. I remember thinking about it just last week - when will someone mention Ebola with a video conferencing context attached to it? Didn't have to wait long now did I? In comes a vendor and issues a press release just for us, notifying us all how his system was used by an Ebola patient to communicate with his family and doctors (I am not making this up). I am sure the competitors are green with envy (or a disease of sorts). It isn't that this isn't important, but it feels too much like advertising funeral caskets on TV next to the news on that same Ebola outbreak. Great timing, no tact and bad taste - that's all. Should be good that we need a biblical epidemic to buy enterprise video conferencing products. Way to go! I'd rather JibJab my way to a Santa Claus of you don't mind. Have a great and FUDless weekend!