Global Business and Environmental Challenges Drive Demand for Video Communication

LONDON, January 20 /PRNewswire/ --

- Regus Launches the World's Largest Public Access Video Communication Network

Regus, the leading global provider of innovative workspace solutions, today announces the launch of the world's largest public access video communication (VC) network. The 2,500 VC suites, available through the Regus website, and made up from its own centres and partner facilities, has a footprint which covers 115 countries and 1,110 cities and suburban areas.

The growth of Regus VC facilities is a response to increased demand for the solution. For the 12 months ending Dec 2009, Regus experienced a global average increase of 22% in VC bookings. This supports a recent finding from research and advisory company Gartner that the value of the VC market is set to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8 per cent between 2008 and 2013, rising from $3.8 billion to $8.6 billion[1]. Regus asserts this is because businesses are looking for smart ways to reduce travel, the associated environmental impacts, and crucially, cost without compromising business operations; video communicating rather than travelling can be up to 75% cheaper with negligible carbon emissions.

Mark Dixon, CEO, Regus says: "Business boundaries have been expanding for some time but as pressure mounts to curb travel spending, increase productivity and reduce environmental damage there's the risk that international business relations could suffer. Whether the motivation is cost, productivity or the environment we're allowing companies to stay connected and expand their international footprint. With facilities in 1,100 locations, from Tokyo to Tehran and Tbilisi to Toronto, video communication through Regus means it can be business as usual."

Regus' VC facilities can be booked with just three to seven days' notice and nearly half of the bookings run across multiple time zones. To cater for this relatively late booking profile Regus offers online, real time meeting room and VC equipment availability globally, meaning that units can be booked immediately from anywhere in the world. All guests need to do is enter their location details to find and book their nearest VC suite.

Regus have designed the service and network to unlock maximum savings for their customers, this includes:

    - The broadest spread of locations to optimise ease of access
      to VC services
    - A bridging provider to ensure best-in-class call quality
    - Equipment that can seamlessly connect to any other compliant
      industry standards

Beyond traditional VC facilities, Regus is also leading the roll-out of public access Telepresence studios with Cable & Wireless using Polycom RPX equipment. Telepresence enables participants to experience life-size presence of colleagues in high-definition so that all parties feel like they are in the same room. Following its debut in Berkeley Square, London, 12 further global sites will be deployed in February.

Notes to Editors

About The Regus Group

Regus is the world's leading global provider of innovative workspace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world's largest network of video communication studios. Regus delivers a new way to work, whether it's from home, on the road or from an office. Clients such as Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nokia join thousands of growing small and medium businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workplace needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core business.

Over 500,000 customers a day benefit from Regus facilities spread across a global footprint of 1,000 locations in 450 cities and 78 countries, which allow individuals and companies to work wherever, however and whenever they want to. Regus was founded in 1989 in Brussels Belgium and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:RGU). For more information please visit: http://www.regus.com

For images, previous press release and general facts and figures please visit our Press Centre at http://www.regus.presscentre.com

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[1] 1 - Gartner, Inc. "Dataquest Insight: Videoconferencing Products and Services Market Forecast, Worldwide, 2007-2013," September 28, 2009, ID# G00171041

SOURCE Regus