t research is the expectation that prices will continue to plummet while performance, interoperability, and ease-of-use will improve.
             This research report was prepared by interviewing dozens of vendors in the teleconferencing industry itself as well as suppliers to the teleconferencing industry in order to better assess the product and technology directions likely over the next five years. In addition, survey data was collected from over 250 end users, the vast majority of which were existing customers of videoconferencing vendors. Interviews were also held with attendees at numerous industry trade shows and teleconferencing symposia during the year.
             Survey results must be viewed in the light that the audience should be considered part of today's videoconferencing elite. Nearly 60% work for companies that use group videoconferencing systems, and nearly 33% already have experience with desktop videoconferencing. Most of this experience is positive, and only 15% of the respondents indicated that had no plans to buy additional equipment. Over 60% of DVC users and over 70% of data conferencing users indicated that they planned on purchasing additional DVC equipment. In contrast, 5% of the DVC users said they had no plans to buy additional equipment, vs. *35% of the people currently using nothing. The results point to the importance of having prospects try the technology.
             Technical advances have cut the prices of desktop videoconferencing add-on equipment from nearly $10,000 per seat to approximately $1,500, and a $500 price looms on the horizon. Forward Concepts believes, however, that the price conditions are only beginning to enter the arena where the general population will seriously consider adding videoconferencing capabilities to their existing systems.
             Intra-company communications is still the dominant usage mode, although people expect this to change as more endpoints are available, and as standards make interoperability...