Video Conferencing -

In the 1980s, video conferencing became a "big business" tool. Systems from companies like cost $250,000 upfront and another $1,000 per hour to run.

: Germany launched the first public video telephone service, connecting post office booths between Berlin and Leipzig. VIDEO CONFERENCING

: AT&T wowed the public at the New York World’s Fair with the Picturephone Mod I . Despite the "cool factor," it was a commercial flop due to its massive cost and the requirement that both parties own the expensive hardware. The Corporate Era (1980s – 1990s) In the 1980s, video conferencing became a "big

: Steve Jobs introduced FaceTime on the iPhone 4, fulfilling his childhood dream of the futuristic calls seen on The Jetsons . : AT&T wowed the public at the New

The launch of in 2003 made video calling free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. The true "explosion" happened with mobile:

Cloud-based platforms like (2011) and Microsoft Teams (2017) began to simplify group meetings, focusing on ease of use over specialized hardware. The Global Standard (2020 – Present)