After months of asking to be able to use video conferencing services like Skype and ooVoo, U.S. House members have been given the green light to use it.

The benefits are clear – representatives and their staff can have a greater connection to their constituents and to each other. It would be a real money-saver.

The risks were also clear – using the service and placing all those cameras in the offices could lead to unauthorized use and security leaks. Apparently the security issues have been worked out and – with a set of rules – members may use Skype and ooVoo.

For more on this news, you can read “House enables use of Skype, video teleconferencing for members” by Debbie Siegelbaum in The Hill.

Here is another article in Politico: “House allows members to Skype” by Kim Hart.