Back in February while much of the country was in the throes of winter, winter and more winter, we realized there really is no such thing as a snow day. As a matter of fact, there’s no such thing as a sick day either. Thanks to technology, we’re connected 24/7. Even if you can’t back your car out of the driveway or if you’re in bed with a fever of 102, the BlackBerry will keep buzzing.

In the last week, we’ve also learned, there’s no such thing as a volcanic ash day. With travel halted because of the ash clouds over Europe, businesses are turning to video conferencing to keep work flowing and meetings moving.

A Reuters news article this week highlighted the way businesses are looking anew at video conferencing as a key way to do business.

According to the article:

Videoworks (a Norwegian tech startup) Chief Executive Even Zimmer said the volcano will make business people think about the benefits of videoconferencing.

“The timing is very good. The market’s growing and the consequences of the ash cloud won’t be forgotten very soon,” Zimmer said.

The videoconferencing sector has seen a flurry of acquisitions and, analysts say, is a key growth area as companies seek to cut business travel costs.

Whether it’s cutting travel expenses, working from home with a fever or trapped by a volcanic ash cloud, businesses are quickly finding video conferencing is an effective and less expensive way to do business. Does your business use video conferencing? Is it something you’re considering?