Controlling the exchange of global Internet traffic is a fast moving business environment which demands efficient and cost effective communications. So when the volunteer board members of the Association of Internet Exchanges, Euro-IX, examined their own management processes, they selected the Marratech e-meeting solution to bring essential meetings into a virtual business environment.

Association member LINX, The London Internet Exchange, offered to research available on-line e-meeting solutions, but immediately found their options limited by the need for cross-platform solution. Said CEO John Souter: "Our Board splits roughly between Windows and Macintosh users, and we know other association members use Linux, so cross-platform compatibility was an essential from the outset. Marratech delivers this and we soon found that of all the options available, no-one does it the way they do.

"Using Marratech, we can share documents and brainstorm on the whiteboard with no need to take minutes. Everyone just saves the whiteboard pages. The voice is far better than a telephone and we have the opportunity to see each other." With Euro-IX members as far apart as Moscow and Lisbon, Mr Souter believes Marratech will bring a huge increase in productivity and efficiency while saving a vast amount of travel time and expense.

With the Euro-IX secretariat based in Amsterdam, he is confident Marratech will replace endless meetings and countless miles of European travel. He explained that a typical recent trip to Frankfurt for a five hour meeting actually took 36 hours. "When you add the time, air fares and hotel bills, such meetings are a very expensive exercise. But with Marratech in place, we can achieve the same result without leaving our desks."