A popular device in organisations, the 'conference call' is typically held during a meeting with a virtual set of PowerPoint slides across a multitude of times-zones (q.v.) with an unknown audience. Things usually couldn't be clearer. Multiply in the nuances of business which are lost in translation (q.v.) and few real actions (q.v.) are ever generated. However an awful lot of T&E (q.v.) has been saved by not going in person. As nobody notices the expense of confused communication, fuzzy actions and missing decision makers.