Like most, I attend a lot of virtual meetings, many of them via Webex. I estimate that using Webex adds 5 to 10 minutes to a meeting. Here’s why:

  1. Everyone must have the Webex client installed. Rarely, does everyone have this done before the meeting.
  2. It is a Webex “best practice” to use unlisted meetings. This requires everyone to know the meeting number, which of course not everyone has. This leads to the host having to repeat several times what the meeting number is to the attendees on the conference call.
  3. Webex works only sporadically with Firefox. Generally, you have a 50-50 chance of it working. Those who attempted to sign in using Firefox and failed must start the whole process over with IE, which leads to more #2.

The major instant messaging platforms continue to miss out on the corporate opportunity. Most if not everyone has IM already installed. If any of the major IM networks added the ability to share presentations, it would quickly displace Webex. It’s about focus, whichever IM service chooses to focus on the enterprise will win a big market.