More than a third (39 percent) of office staff won't use video communications at work because they're concerned about their appearance on camera, says Damovo.
Research by the IT services firm revealed one in ten are too embarrassed to talk in front of a camera because it feels like public speaking, while of those happy to use video communications, 19 percent say their working location (either at home or on the road) isn't suitable for video.
A Unified Communications Case Study: Download nowHowever, nearly two thirds (63 percent) of office workers believe they are more likely to take action following a conversation in a videoconference than after receiving an email containing the same instructions or information.
"There is still a perception that any video, be it multi-party conferencing or one to one, at work has to take place in a special room with technical equipment," said Alex Donnelly, portfolio manager at Damovo UK.
Recent Calls
Friday, December 10, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Microsoft Lync and Video Conferencing
One of the more promising aspects of Microsoft’s new Lync unified communications server and client product is the growing number of options to use it as a platform for video conferencing. Out of the box Lync, like its predecessor Office Communications Server (OCS), supports simple one-to-one standard definition desktop video chat. Few of the companies we’ve researched that have deployed OCS have exploited this capability, primarily due to the limitations of one-to-one chat, and the fact that most individuals prefer text chat or voice for casual communications.
However, as Microsoft rapidly grows its Lync partner ecosystem, video options are exploding. Examples include:
Avistar’s C3 Unified – offering HD video up to 720p and call admission control
Polycom’s line of HDX and RMX products capable of integrating Lync desktops with a variety of telepresence and room systems
RADVISION’s Scopia UC Gateway for Lync, enabling interoperability between Lync desktops and any standards-based end-point or system
Vidyo’s VidyoDesktop – offering an H.264SVC-based HD plug-in for Microsoft’s desktop application
ViVu’s VuRoom for Lync, offering low-cost, software-based group chat services supporting up to 8 participants including any standard-based end-point
In addition, Tandberg (now Cisco) offers the Advanced Media Gateway 3600 for Microsoft/Cisco-Tandberg integration.
However, as Microsoft rapidly grows its Lync partner ecosystem, video options are exploding. Examples include:
Avistar’s C3 Unified – offering HD video up to 720p and call admission control
Polycom’s line of HDX and RMX products capable of integrating Lync desktops with a variety of telepresence and room systems
RADVISION’s Scopia UC Gateway for Lync, enabling interoperability between Lync desktops and any standards-based end-point or system
Vidyo’s VidyoDesktop – offering an H.264SVC-based HD plug-in for Microsoft’s desktop application
ViVu’s VuRoom for Lync, offering low-cost, software-based group chat services supporting up to 8 participants including any standard-based end-point
In addition, Tandberg (now Cisco) offers the Advanced Media Gateway 3600 for Microsoft/Cisco-Tandberg integration.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Video Conferencing And Meeting Software Leading The Way To Employee Happiness
Teleworking or telecommuting as it is also often called is making waves today thanks to the internet. The ideal environment to work is not limited anymore to the four walls of the office. Many companies allow their people to work at home or anywhere they please as long as the outputs are clear and the delivery are timely. Creative jobs are embracing this practice knowing that artists and content providers love the freedom to work where they want. This indirectly contributes to their overall efficiency. The office today is the very place that less work is actually done. In many ways this is still a controversial idea but many organizations today are leaning more to listen to new way doing things. Technology like video conferencing made it possible for employees to keep in touch and receive timely instructions and guidance wherever they are in the world. Combined with existing technology like email and social networking sites, the barriers of distance and communication are completely eradicated.
Meeting software is also now heavily used online. There can be real time collaboration between two people or even a whole creative team with access to tools that makes sharing documents, images, audio files and even sharing documents very easy. People can now record the whole session and review the meeting for clarifications. What organizations get is optimized individuals and teams.
Teleworking is not just about distance but also about flexible hours. Creative streaks respect no time but this is the very moment where great idea comes from. Video conferencing services are accessible 24/7 enabling people to get in touch with one another. People can talk to their supervisor and the whole team when great ideas pop pup.
Meeting software compliments the best of teleworking simply because it minimizes contact for the things not needed at work like politics, conflicts and little chats here and there. But at the same time this technology provides access to key information the employee might need that is work related. Studies have shown that office communication in not sorely missed by people who are alienated from the physical location.
Employee happiness has always been an active pursuit by organizations all over the world but for the first time telecommuting allows the organization to make their employee happy at the same time lower operational costs. These new technologies are very effective but it is also very cheap when the equation of cost per individual in the office is taken into account into the equation.
Meeting software is also now heavily used online. There can be real time collaboration between two people or even a whole creative team with access to tools that makes sharing documents, images, audio files and even sharing documents very easy. People can now record the whole session and review the meeting for clarifications. What organizations get is optimized individuals and teams.
Teleworking is not just about distance but also about flexible hours. Creative streaks respect no time but this is the very moment where great idea comes from. Video conferencing services are accessible 24/7 enabling people to get in touch with one another. People can talk to their supervisor and the whole team when great ideas pop pup.
Meeting software compliments the best of teleworking simply because it minimizes contact for the things not needed at work like politics, conflicts and little chats here and there. But at the same time this technology provides access to key information the employee might need that is work related. Studies have shown that office communication in not sorely missed by people who are alienated from the physical location.
Employee happiness has always been an active pursuit by organizations all over the world but for the first time telecommuting allows the organization to make their employee happy at the same time lower operational costs. These new technologies are very effective but it is also very cheap when the equation of cost per individual in the office is taken into account into the equation.
Video Conferencing Firms See Boost From European Snow Chaos
Video conferencing companies are seeing increased demand for their services due to the chaos caused by the current spell of icy conditions across most of Europe, adding to the boost they received from travel disruptions earlier this year as a result of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.
Due to the cold snowy weather hitting the continent over the past week, several European airports have been forced to cancel flights while some, including the UK's Gatwick, were forced to close down completely.
But companies which offer business travellers an alternative to physical meetings expect these disruptions to bring them more customers.
Regus PLC (RGU.LN), which operates a network of business lounges, has opened its doors to snowbound travellers in the U.K. and some countries on the continent, where they can use facilities like the Internet for free and also book video conferences, press spokesman Henry Collinge told Dow Jones Newswires.
Regus, which uses video conferencing gear from U.S.-based Polycom Inc. (PLCM), has seen a 40% to 50% increase in video communication since the volcanic eruption in Iceland which grounded much of Europe's air fleet during April and May this year, said Collinge.
Video conferencing demand should get a boost from the recent travel disruptions, he said, because when people are forced to try out alternatives to physical meetings, they realize that virtual conferences are a viable option.
In addition to the harsh weather conditions, European air transport has been further hit by a strike at Finnish airliner Finnair Oyj (FIA1S.HE), and as a result Danish telecom operator TDC A/S (TDC.KO) is offering free video conferencing for stranded travellers in the Nordics.
The ongoing strike and weather chaos show how sensitive communication-dependent companies are to disruptions, and thus offer TDC a good opportunity to showcase its virtual meeting services, said TDC Sweden's head of videoconferencing sales, Lars Schon.
Companies have typically used video conferences instead of physical meetings to save money, but incidents like the recent disruptions and the volcano ash cloud have also highlighted their use in reducing vulnerability, he added.
Video conferencing is growing rapidly with the global market expected to jump to around $8.6 billion in 2013 from around $4.9 billion this year, according to research firm Gartner.
Due to the cold snowy weather hitting the continent over the past week, several European airports have been forced to cancel flights while some, including the UK's Gatwick, were forced to close down completely.
But companies which offer business travellers an alternative to physical meetings expect these disruptions to bring them more customers.
Regus PLC (RGU.LN), which operates a network of business lounges, has opened its doors to snowbound travellers in the U.K. and some countries on the continent, where they can use facilities like the Internet for free and also book video conferences, press spokesman Henry Collinge told Dow Jones Newswires.
Regus, which uses video conferencing gear from U.S.-based Polycom Inc. (PLCM), has seen a 40% to 50% increase in video communication since the volcanic eruption in Iceland which grounded much of Europe's air fleet during April and May this year, said Collinge.
Video conferencing demand should get a boost from the recent travel disruptions, he said, because when people are forced to try out alternatives to physical meetings, they realize that virtual conferences are a viable option.
In addition to the harsh weather conditions, European air transport has been further hit by a strike at Finnish airliner Finnair Oyj (FIA1S.HE), and as a result Danish telecom operator TDC A/S (TDC.KO) is offering free video conferencing for stranded travellers in the Nordics.
The ongoing strike and weather chaos show how sensitive communication-dependent companies are to disruptions, and thus offer TDC a good opportunity to showcase its virtual meeting services, said TDC Sweden's head of videoconferencing sales, Lars Schon.
Companies have typically used video conferences instead of physical meetings to save money, but incidents like the recent disruptions and the volcano ash cloud have also highlighted their use in reducing vulnerability, he added.
Video conferencing is growing rapidly with the global market expected to jump to around $8.6 billion in 2013 from around $4.9 billion this year, according to research firm Gartner.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Vidyo Next Generation Video Conferencing Coming To Japanese Telco
Vidyo, a company that has developed videoconferencing technology that can deliver high-quality images over the Internet and conventional IP networks, is being adopted by a Japanese telecommunications company to deliver a videoconference service to its customers.
Vidyo announced today that its platform, VidyoConferencing, which is based on the H.264 scalable video coding (SVC) compression standard, will be used by KDDI, a Japanese carrier that offers both wireless and wireline service, beginning in January. KDDI will market a video conference service to businesses and individuals to deliver high-quality video over common networks and end user devices, including HD TV monitors, desktop and laptop computers and smartphones.
Vidyo's architecture, based on SVC, has advantages over the current multipoint control unit (MCU) platform for high-definition video conferencing, such as that used by Cisco Systems' TelePresence technology, says Marty Hollander, senior VP of marketing at Vidyo. The MCU architecture requires dedicated network connectivity between locations and expensive hardware. But since Vidyo's product is software-based, it can be installed on an enterprise's network and any devices accessing the network can use it, Hollander says.
Although SVC is an industry standard that any company can use, Vidyo adds unique intellectual property to its solution that gives it a "10 to 100 times price-performance advantage," says Andrew Davis, a co-founder of Wainhouse Research. "It's a huge, huge advantage."
Vidyo's architecture is based on a video router that is not an MCU, but it provides many of the functions of an MCU, Davis explains. It takes streams in from the person sending video and distributes them to multiple recipients on different end point devices.
Vidyo announced today that its platform, VidyoConferencing, which is based on the H.264 scalable video coding (SVC) compression standard, will be used by KDDI, a Japanese carrier that offers both wireless and wireline service, beginning in January. KDDI will market a video conference service to businesses and individuals to deliver high-quality video over common networks and end user devices, including HD TV monitors, desktop and laptop computers and smartphones.
Vidyo's architecture, based on SVC, has advantages over the current multipoint control unit (MCU) platform for high-definition video conferencing, such as that used by Cisco Systems' TelePresence technology, says Marty Hollander, senior VP of marketing at Vidyo. The MCU architecture requires dedicated network connectivity between locations and expensive hardware. But since Vidyo's product is software-based, it can be installed on an enterprise's network and any devices accessing the network can use it, Hollander says.
Although SVC is an industry standard that any company can use, Vidyo adds unique intellectual property to its solution that gives it a "10 to 100 times price-performance advantage," says Andrew Davis, a co-founder of Wainhouse Research. "It's a huge, huge advantage."
Vidyo's architecture is based on a video router that is not an MCU, but it provides many of the functions of an MCU, Davis explains. It takes streams in from the person sending video and distributes them to multiple recipients on different end point devices.
Is Skype finally getting ready for mobile video conferencing?
In a recent article by GigaOm, Skype has upped their hiring of mobile developers. Specifically, the company is looking for devs in the iPhone and Android space, and the total of people to bring on is at about 20-30 developers. While this may be a simple case of Skype trying to fix any issues in the mobile space that they’re already having, chances are they’re looking at the possibility of video conferencing in the mobile arena. 5-10 developer hirings would lead me to believe current bugfixes; 20-30 makes me thing a total revamp or addition of a large new feature.
Qik and Fring have been in the video conferencing space for quite awhile, and don’t enjoy nearly the popularity that Skype has. At this point, it would only make sense for Skype to hop on the video conferencing train, as users have been clamoring for it for quite some time – even before the Skype app for either Android or iOS was ever released.
Qik and Fring have been in the video conferencing space for quite awhile, and don’t enjoy nearly the popularity that Skype has. At this point, it would only make sense for Skype to hop on the video conferencing train, as users have been clamoring for it for quite some time – even before the Skype app for either Android or iOS was ever released.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Compunetix and Spire Global Establish EVERGREEN™ Distribution Agreement
Compunetix, Inc., announced that they have signed a distribution agreement with Spire Global within the United States for its new line of EVERGREEN™ video Multipoint Control Units (MCUs).
The EVERGREEN family of MCUs marks the reemergence of Compunetix into the videoconferencing collaboration market. "The EVERGREEN family of MCUs embodies the engineering and marketing knowledge base of our entire organization. This product family leverages the video experience of our Video Systems Division (VSD) and adds to it the broad knowledge of commercial collaboration platforms of our Communications Systems Division (CSD), along with the reliability, redundancy and security features built into the products of our Federal Systems Division (FSD)," said Jim Klueber, Division Manager of VSD.
Dr. Giorgio Coraluppi, Compunetix President and CEO, commented, "Our distribution agreement with Spire Global will greatly strengthen our ability to reach out to the enterprise market. Many enterprise customers are looking for a turnkey solution from one source. The ability of Spire Global to offer our EVERGREEN MCUs in a complimentary configuration with Sony's premier videoconferencing terminals will make an ideal solution for small, medium, and large enterprises."
When asked why Spire Global sought a new video MCU platform to add to its portfolio, Eric Murphy, Vice-President of Sales, stated, "Spire Global was seeking an MCU manufacturer that would complement the top of the line performance of Sony's PCS-XG55 and PCS-XG80 video conferencing terminals. The EVERGREEN family of MCUs from Compunetix allows us to offer just such a solution to the enterprise market that delivers a very competitive price performance value."
The EVERGREEN family of MCUs marks the reemergence of Compunetix into the videoconferencing collaboration market. "The EVERGREEN family of MCUs embodies the engineering and marketing knowledge base of our entire organization. This product family leverages the video experience of our Video Systems Division (VSD) and adds to it the broad knowledge of commercial collaboration platforms of our Communications Systems Division (CSD), along with the reliability, redundancy and security features built into the products of our Federal Systems Division (FSD)," said Jim Klueber, Division Manager of VSD.
Dr. Giorgio Coraluppi, Compunetix President and CEO, commented, "Our distribution agreement with Spire Global will greatly strengthen our ability to reach out to the enterprise market. Many enterprise customers are looking for a turnkey solution from one source. The ability of Spire Global to offer our EVERGREEN MCUs in a complimentary configuration with Sony's premier videoconferencing terminals will make an ideal solution for small, medium, and large enterprises."
When asked why Spire Global sought a new video MCU platform to add to its portfolio, Eric Murphy, Vice-President of Sales, stated, "Spire Global was seeking an MCU manufacturer that would complement the top of the line performance of Sony's PCS-XG55 and PCS-XG80 video conferencing terminals. The EVERGREEN family of MCUs from Compunetix allows us to offer just such a solution to the enterprise market that delivers a very competitive price performance value."
DaVinci SoC optimized for 720p videoconferencing
Texas Instruments is prepping a version of its DM6467 DaVinci video processor optimized for videoconferencing. The single-chip VCE6467 Video Communications Engine integrates pre-installed software from RadVision on the ARM9-based, DSP-enabled DM6467 SoC, enabling two-way H.264 video at 720p quality running at 30 frames per second (fps), says the company.
The VCE6467 does not appear to apply any hardware changes to the underlying Texas Instruments (TI) DM6467 system-on-chip (SoC). By integrating the RadVision software, however, the SoC becomes a ready-made solution for a variety of two-way, live HD video communications applications, says TI. Applications are said to include videoconferencing, telemedicine, digital signage, and set-top boxes.
The VCE6467 enables 720p videoconferencing at 30fps using H.264 encoding and decoding with low-latency, says TI. Based on technology developed by RadVision's Technology Business Unit (TBU), the unnamed software appears to be related to the company's "Scopia" videoconferencing technology.
The VCE6467 does not appear to apply any hardware changes to the underlying Texas Instruments (TI) DM6467 system-on-chip (SoC). By integrating the RadVision software, however, the SoC becomes a ready-made solution for a variety of two-way, live HD video communications applications, says TI. Applications are said to include videoconferencing, telemedicine, digital signage, and set-top boxes.
The VCE6467 enables 720p videoconferencing at 30fps using H.264 encoding and decoding with low-latency, says TI. Based on technology developed by RadVision's Technology Business Unit (TBU), the unnamed software appears to be related to the company's "Scopia" videoconferencing technology.
HTC Evo 4G Dissected
HTC’s next Android-powered missile is a big-ass smartphone called the Evo. Designed to run on Sprint’s 4G network, the Evo is packed with a number of powerful features underneath its beautiful 4.3-inch touchscreen.
To give us a look at the Evo’s guts, repair company iFixit disassembled the smartphone in an exclusive video shoot with Wired.com. Some of the most notable observations include the behemoth 8-megapixel camera sensor, accompanied with a much smaller 1.3-megapixel front-facing cam for video conferencing.
Also impressive was the HTC-branded battery (3.7-volt, 1500 mAh rechargeable Li-ion), which contains 23 percent more capacity than an iPhone 3GS, 15 percent more than an HTC Droid Incredible, and 7 percent more than an HTC Nexus One.
The Evo is due in stores June 4, just three days before Apple is expected to announce its fourth-generation iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Leaked prototypes of the next-gen iPhone revealed a front-facing camera, also presumably designed for video conferencing. The Evo and the fourth-gen iPhone may be the first mobile contenders to spark a battle for video calls.
To give us a look at the Evo’s guts, repair company iFixit disassembled the smartphone in an exclusive video shoot with Wired.com. Some of the most notable observations include the behemoth 8-megapixel camera sensor, accompanied with a much smaller 1.3-megapixel front-facing cam for video conferencing.
Also impressive was the HTC-branded battery (3.7-volt, 1500 mAh rechargeable Li-ion), which contains 23 percent more capacity than an iPhone 3GS, 15 percent more than an HTC Droid Incredible, and 7 percent more than an HTC Nexus One.
The Evo is due in stores June 4, just three days before Apple is expected to announce its fourth-generation iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Leaked prototypes of the next-gen iPhone revealed a front-facing camera, also presumably designed for video conferencing. The Evo and the fourth-gen iPhone may be the first mobile contenders to spark a battle for video calls.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Goober 3 Beta Offers HD VoIP Calls and Video-conferencing
Goober Networks, in a bid to better compete with Skype and its ilk, has announced a public beta of Goober 3.0, its unified communications application. The new version allows HD VoIP calling, multi-user video conferencing, and multi-protocol instant messaging.
Goober 3.0 offers HD voice calls (with higher-quality audio). Rates are a little complicated: it's 1 cent a minute for landlines in the U.S. and Canada, and 1.4 cents for mobile lines. Calls to landlines in Europe are usually less than 3 cents a minute, but some areas are more, and mobile lines are 20 cents and up. Asia calls start at 5 cents, and go up from there depending on the country and type of line. The company is making a point of saying that its advertised rates tend to be lower than Skype's.
Other new phone functions in Goober include call forwarding and dial-in (which lets you receive calls from a landline or cell phone). For your iPhone or iPad, you can also download gooberVoIP, an app that allows you to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi and 3G networks.
Goober 3.0 offers HD voice calls (with higher-quality audio). Rates are a little complicated: it's 1 cent a minute for landlines in the U.S. and Canada, and 1.4 cents for mobile lines. Calls to landlines in Europe are usually less than 3 cents a minute, but some areas are more, and mobile lines are 20 cents and up. Asia calls start at 5 cents, and go up from there depending on the country and type of line. The company is making a point of saying that its advertised rates tend to be lower than Skype's.
Other new phone functions in Goober include call forwarding and dial-in (which lets you receive calls from a landline or cell phone). For your iPhone or iPad, you can also download gooberVoIP, an app that allows you to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi and 3G networks.
ESPN to use video conferencing for WCup interviews
YORK — ESPN will use video conferencing to interview coaches and athletes from the most remote World Cup sites.
The network announced Thursday that it will set up Cisco TelePresence systems in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth for the tournament in South Africa starting next month.
That will allow ESPN to produce more reports on off days from the two far-flung cities as part of its expanded World Cup coverage instead of being limited by using expensive satellite trucks.
Eight of the 10 venues for the tournament are clustered loosely around Johannesburg in the country's northeast, while Port Elizabeth and Cape Town are on the southern and southwest coast.
The network announced Thursday that it will set up Cisco TelePresence systems in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth for the tournament in South Africa starting next month.
That will allow ESPN to produce more reports on off days from the two far-flung cities as part of its expanded World Cup coverage instead of being limited by using expensive satellite trucks.
Eight of the 10 venues for the tournament are clustered loosely around Johannesburg in the country's northeast, while Port Elizabeth and Cape Town are on the southern and southwest coast.
Zamtel launches video conferencing
ZAMTEL Limited has launched video conferencing services for corporate clients aimed at enhancing business operations for various companies.
And Zamtel marketing manager Fabian Chalwe has said the company has launched a 10 per cent bonus on every recharge of Cell Z talk time on Wednesday that is aimed at appreciating subscribers.
In an interview at the just-ended 53rd Copperbelt Mining, Agricultural and Commercial Show (CMACS) whose theme was ‘2010: a new decade with renewed hope”, Zamtel public relations manager Rose Mwanza said the company was upgrading all its equipment in order to provide innovative services that would meet customer requirements.
“The challenge we have is financing but this will be resolved soon when privatisation is completed and we shall offer various products according to customer requirements. For instance, we have launched video conferencing services whereby clients will reduce on costs since they will be able to hold senior management meetings over a distance; meaning that even when other officers are out of the base or head office, they can still be part of the deliberations,” said Mwanza.
“We have screens and related accessories whereby clients will be able to see each other or listen to what the other is saying, many people do not know about this services but we have been having tailor-made meetings with specific clients like the mines and some banks to demonstrate how it works and so far the response is good since customers are willing to be part of this innovation.”
And Zamtel marketing manager Fabian Chalwe has said the company has launched a 10 per cent bonus on every recharge of Cell Z talk time on Wednesday that is aimed at appreciating subscribers.
In an interview at the just-ended 53rd Copperbelt Mining, Agricultural and Commercial Show (CMACS) whose theme was ‘2010: a new decade with renewed hope”, Zamtel public relations manager Rose Mwanza said the company was upgrading all its equipment in order to provide innovative services that would meet customer requirements.
“The challenge we have is financing but this will be resolved soon when privatisation is completed and we shall offer various products according to customer requirements. For instance, we have launched video conferencing services whereby clients will reduce on costs since they will be able to hold senior management meetings over a distance; meaning that even when other officers are out of the base or head office, they can still be part of the deliberations,” said Mwanza.
“We have screens and related accessories whereby clients will be able to see each other or listen to what the other is saying, many people do not know about this services but we have been having tailor-made meetings with specific clients like the mines and some banks to demonstrate how it works and so far the response is good since customers are willing to be part of this innovation.”
Canadian G20 Cheaper with Video Conferencing
Due to the cost of being near 1 Billion, people have debated ont he merits of using video conferencing to bring in international delegations and reduce the security costs associated. Makes perfect sense to use the technology.
