Tauranga Chamber of Commerce and Vodafone have joined forces to provide a free videoconferencing service for its members.
With strong export links in the area, the chamber and Vodafone saw a need to help businesses operate internationally and with multi-site locations around New Zealand.
"When Vodafone suggested the idea, we definitely saw a business use for it, with the cost of travel and more and more people working from different locations," acting chamber chief executive Anne Pankhurst said.
The video conferencing service was free to members when hiring the Vodafone Suite at the chamber offices on Chapel Street. The meeting room costs $175 for a half-day session, but access to the technology and bandwidth was free. Other venues cost up to $250 an hour for the videoconferencing facilities, Ms Pankhurst said. With two 50-inch screens suitable for professional video conferencing and presentations, the technology allowed for a five-way video conference and other parties could be dialled in on tablets, laptops, PCs or another video conferencing unit.
The suite could cater for up to 25 people and the camera view could take in the entire group or focus on individual speakers.