Independent upstream firm Tullow has turned to MeetingZone to deliver a new web and audio conferencing system that will cut its international communication costs and significantly enhance conference functionality.

Sarah Dodd, the group's project manager for business systems, explained that Tullow has grown rapidly in the last two years and needed to consolidate communications across the 22 countries in which it operates.

Since identifying MeetingZone as a preferred supplier, the company has been able to save thousands of pounds with reduced travel and training costs.

"For example, our IT department holds monthly training sessions on our internal IT systems. Using audio and web conferencing this training now takes place without anyone having to leave their desks," she explained.

Tullow has enjoyed marked success in its Ugandan drilling campaign, which began in 2007 and boasted a 100 per cent strike rate until last month, when its Awaka-1 exploration well encountered water-bearing reserves in the Butiabu region of Block 2.

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