Vidyo Takes Videoconferencing To A New Level

It has been estimated that there will be 200,000,000 desktop videoconference users by 2015.  In addition, the tablet and smartphone market is only increasing, and those users will almost certainly aim to leverage their internet and 3G/4G wireless networks to join colleagues in a videoconference for school, work, or a medical consultation.  This modern communication tool has expanded far past the traditional business conference boardroom with its costly hardware and IT support model.  What is needed is a mobile, cloud-based meeting place that can be accessed with any standard device and yet has the quality of communication required in today’s marketplace.

Vidyo has invented “any-to-any personal telepresence,” a videoconferencing technology that is able to intelligently adapt video resiliency without sacrificing quality.  Dropped calls, delays, and distortion are no longer a problem because the Vidyo Adaptive Video Layering Architecture uses scalable video coding to seamlessly compensate for the variables in the network and deliver low-latency telepresence -quality video communication to any device connected to the internet, even those with lower bandwidth environments.  This allows natural, face-to-face meetings anywhere, anytime.  Service providers use the Vidyo Conferencing solution to create and offer private or public hosted video conferencing and cloud services, allowing options suitable for any enterprise.

Vidyo has the U.S. Department of Defense certification for Joint Interoperability Test Command, passing a stringent set of security-based information assurance and interoperability tests.  It delivers end-to-end encryption, giving security assurance for a number of fields, such as government and healthcare.

In the medical arena, this translates to HIPAA-compliant security and allows support for a variety of uses.  It integrates into existing conferencing infrastructure and enhances healthcare environments like cart systems and smart rooms, home health care, speech and language therapy, remote consultations and patient diagnostics.

Education is a natural for the flexibility of Vidyo.  Students, from early elementary through university, can use a laptop to talk to a teacher in a classroom far away.  Smaller school districts can have one specialty teacher giving classes in higher level math, for instance, within their budget.  Lectures, discussions, and research collaboration can occur on everyday networks with off-the-shelf hardware and cost a fraction of that spent on conventional video systems.

Vidyo solutions are fully customizable for your unique enterprise.  You can link room systems, desktops, and mobile endpoints with ordinary IP networks using an award-winning software-based platform.  Vidyo’s software-based technology is the next generation of videoconferencing.  It allows you to connect mobile service, desktop and room system users everywhere, securely and reliably in your enterprise cloud.  It is the only solution that brings the entire spectrum of end users and their assorted devices to the same virtual conference table at a reasonably affordable cost.

What A Video Conferencing System Can Do For Your Business

Today’s workplace includes a growing number of telecommuters who use the flexibility of their schedule to accomplish a great deal outside the traditional confines of the cubicle.  Where a midmorning business meeting in a conference room once allowed regular updates and consistency in ongoing projects, the internet has become the medium for connecting with other members of the work team.

While email has its place, there is often a need for a video conferencing system that provides virtual sharing and editing of documents and optimal communication of face-to-face interaction.  Programs like Skype are notorious for their instability and lack the ability to share documents efficiently.  There are videoconferencing facilities available through brokers like Whygo, and often these rooms are a good solution for a business but sometimes a less costly, more individualized and flexible solution is needed.

Now you can be connected to a coworker or client in moments with high quality face-to-face communications.

Here are some of the things that a video conferencing system can do for your business:

• Provide you with a way to hold one-to-one personal meetings with colleagues in another country or U.S. state
• Help you host a one-to-many seminar with your entire company or a department within your business, even if all the participants are in different locations
• Through telepresence technology, make each member of a video conference feel as if they are sitting in the same room
• Share documents across a wide geographical area with one person or with many over the Internet
• Schedule a teleconference room remotely through Outlook
• Sync calendars with clients and colleagues in other locations 

A video conferencing system should be able to bridge the communication gaps between you and your workforce. Whether you are an executive who needs to reach your entire company across several continents, a division manager who wants to hold intra-office brainstorming sessions, or a business owner who needs to use video to make sales calls, the right video conferencing system can save your money on travel and other expenses while making your entire company more efficient from the top down.

Instead of sending your employees on endless flights across country or around the world to attend meetings that cost your company hundreds of thousands of dollars, you can host a video conference that costs one-tenth the amount that you would have spent fifteen years ago.

With Whygo's video conference booking platform you can now only book single rooms for video conferencing or telepresence meetings, but you can also book multiple rooms at once so that your colleagues on the other side of the world can schedule their commitments. Take advantage of the best video conferencing system on the planet, which uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver virtual meetings unlike any meeting you've ever encountered.

Live Video Conferencing Is No Longer A Figment Of Imagination

In the past, the idea of a live video conference seemed to be a figment of an author’s imagination.  Science fiction novels and movies had people talking to one another while looking at each other. Even cartoons like “The Jetsons” used video communication, but those ideas were not a reality when they were conceived.  Today’s technological advances have made fiction a reality.

Written communication has some advantages: you can reread what was written and edit it as needed, hoping to clarify your words so that the reader understands what you are trying to say and the words have a permanence that non-recorded discussions lack.  The problem is that communication involves more than words.  Tone of voice, facial expression, even body language can all play a part in expression of thought.

During a live video conference, the participants’ faces are seen simultaneously on screens that other participants view.  Everybody sees everybody else, just like sitting at a table together.  Everyone also hears everyone else (unless particular screening technology is used) so it is in truth a ‘real time’ meeting with people you want to talk to.  This is not a one-way broadcast.  Goofing off or reading your email during a video conference has the same consequences it does in a board meeting!

A videoconference is a wise use of resources, eliminating the time and expense of travel to confer with colleagues.  You have the advantage of a face-to-face discussion without the cost of being away from other tasks or family to journey to the meeting.  You can invest your money in a reusable resource--your technology--and give your clients and staff increased flexibility. 

There are a wide range of options for using technology to hold live videoconferences.  Some services are cloud-based allowing any device that can access a wireless internet site to meet ‘in the cloud’ to discuss ideas.  Participants could be in a coffee shop, a hotel, a home office, or workspace and have anything from a smartphone or tablet to a laptop, desktop, or business grade phone system and they all could connect because the cloud-based service is not dependent upon the device used.  Other systems rely on software or equipment to enable connection.  You can even rent aroom equipped with what you need to have a conference with team members in another country, who are renting a corresponding room.  There are thousands of venues globally available for this option.

A quick search on the internet will bring up many avenues to explore when you decide to have this type of meeting.  Clarify what your enterprise needs to accomplish in communication and effectiveness and use your list to see what you can do with your current devices, then try a few live videoconferences with some of the many free trial offers.  Once you have seen the advantages of this tool, dream a little about what you could do with it and turn your dream into a reality.

Cisco's Telepresence Technology Connects The World

The ultimate in videoconferencing is telepresence.  Some have even observed that Cisco’s Telepresence system is an entirely different league than the run-of-the-mill videoconference experience.  In a telepresence meeting, participants are life-sized with no delay when moving or talking.  You can actually look them in the eye and make the mistake of trying to pass them a piece of paper through the screen because they seem to be across the table from you.

Cisco has come up with a lot of options for those who need a high-quality interaction with remote team members.  This saves more than money: It reduces your carbon footprint by lowering the amount of resources spent on travel and increases productivity by allowing your team members to be flexible in their workspace and schedule.  You can call a quick meeting or have efficient regular updates with employees, clients, customers, and colleagues.  Your communication is excellent with telepresence because all the nuances of expression, tone of voice, and body language are available so you do not sacrifice quality for efficiency.

The new benchmark for telepresence is Cisco’s TX9000 Series, a three-screen, immersive audio/visual experience that plans for future expansion into “high-intensity collaboration” allowing a dynamic interaction with content not previously possible.  This system also helps reduce the total cost of ownership, a welcome factor in investing in the technology a business needs to stay current.  There are two products, the one-row system seating up to six people and the two-row system seating up to 18 people.  The three video streams and one high-definition, full-motion content-sharing stream deliver “the ultimate immersive telepresence experience.”

Cisco’s Telepresence MCU 5300 Series is a standards-based, stackable system allowing your initial investment in videoconferencing services to be upgraded as needed and configured as your business develops.  It offers a low-risk and cost-effective solution for communicating effectively with multiple colleagues.

You can enhance your communication with partners and customers with the Cisco TelePresence VCS solution.  This supports a variety of devices and works in unifying systems transparently, facilitating your videoconferencing needs in a simple and efficient manner to bring high-quality telepresence services to a mass audience.

Looking to enhance your current conference table or room?  The Cisco Telepresence TX1300 Series is a single-screen, three-camera system that is designed for different environments and room sizes with limited space or bandwidth.  All meeting participants are life-size on the screen, illuminated by integrated lighting (no weird shadows!) and interaction is automatic, voice-activated, and natural.  Another option, the SX20 Quick Set easily turns a flat panel display into a telepresence system with three camera choices, dual screen options, and multipoint support for three additional callers.

The military, emergency response teams, construction, oil, or gas industries are all examples of extreme outdoor fields that can use Cisco Telepresence VX Tactical systems in their work.  This is portable and rugged, weather/impact resistant with a screen optimized for outdoor viewing and is easily carried.  A secondary camera and display can even be set up in a shelter to create a room-based telepresence environment in extremely remote locations.

With Public Cisco TelePresence Suites, pay-by-the-hour facilities are available world-wide.  There are subscription-based services available with Cisco technology as well.  This brings the advantages of face-to-face interaction with far-flung associates within reach for less than the cost of airfare and hotel. 

Any enterprise that involves people can be benefited by one of Cisco’s TelePresence options.

Telepresence Rooms Must Be Properly Designed

When you're using telepresence rooms it's important to have an immersive experience. You want the best and most natural meeting experience possible so your contacts, clients and employees can have a predictable participatory discussion that is free from distractions. This includes the design of the telepresence rooms, which must have excellent lighting and audio components, meet recommended dimensions, adequate power, and HVAC requirements as well.

Small distractions can build up when human beings are in uncomfortable surroundings. You may even want to go so far as to include certain colors on the walls, framed art, and pay special attention to the fabrics and textures of the furniture and flooring as well. This gives the telepresence rooms an overall look and feel that is in keeping with the branding and image of your company.

When discussing important and critical business through telepresence meetings face-to-face, the communication and interaction should be as clear and natural as possible. This creates the greatest chance of overall understanding of what has been discussed so everyone at the meeting is on the same page. There are some elements of the room that should be in place that will help with this seamless experience.

Make sure the room has been treated with the best acoustical materials and architectural interior design. The lighting must be optimal for reading and viewing video without being irritating to the eyes. When these principle elements are applied it's called “room remediation.” The company that provides the telepresence rooms should be able to tell you exactly what the rooms include to make your meeting as distraction-free as possible. Having said this, there should be room for flexibility as well.

Know if anyone attending the meeting has special needs of any kind. Perhaps one of the attendees is physically challenged or has trouble with their vision. Take these conditions into consideration. Something as simple as incorrect or insufficient lighting can create poor video quality, which can be an interference.

Ultimately, you want everyone on both sides of the telepresence meeting to feel like they are having a real face-to-face meeting. This will engage everyone to a greater degree, which can only provide a higher level of energy and creativity to the task at hand. Instead of feeling inhibited by the sense that the more they move and talk the less will be heard and understood, your participants can freely contribute.

Scientific studies show that as human beings we gain most of our understanding and communication through physical cues and facial expressions when we speak to each other. If you can't be in the same room for a meeting, then finding the best telepresence rooms with the best equipment is the next best thing.

There are a number of successful and meticulous companies who offer this service. Make sure you check to see if they have rooms in areas near where your participants can gather. If the participants need to travel too long of a distance to get to the meeting, it can defeat the entire purpose of why you set up the meeting via telepresence. Know where your people are and where they can meet. It's good business.

Calendar Sync Applications Are Your Best Friend

The toughest part about a telepresence meeting is getting everyone there who needs to be there at the right time and the right place. After that it's usually a breeze. There’s calendar sync software that many telepresence facilities use which helps you set appointments, send invitations to participants and make sure the rooms are booked at the right time. It's important though that everyone who is supposed to attend check the calendar regularly before the scheduled time for any updates.

Most calendar sync systems are compatible with all the major operating systems, so that’s not usually an issue for the participants of the meeting. Determine which software application host has the most current and relevant meeting information. This will help to avoid any potential problems down the line. Once you've determined the calendar sync system you want to use, keep a backup of the schedule. Knowing you have this data will allow you to keep everyone informed of the meeting details and any updates at any time.

The best way to do this is to have everyone who will be participating in the meeting log into the calendar sync application on the telepresence facility's website. There is usually a choice as to which server you want to access the program from, which eliminates calendar sync troubles.

Once you book the room and lock in the time, everyone who is part of the meeting will get a confirmation message instantly. Of course, the calendar sync system can bring people together from all over the world. No matter where your participants are situated around the world, the calendar sync application gets everyone to the meeting on time and engaged.

The synchronization operations area of the telepresence facility's website will show you when any information in the server database was last updated as well as updated meetings, schedules for a time and date and any other information you need to relay to your participants. You can also call the telepresence facility's help center to verify any details.

You can then go back into the calendar sync application and make any necessary changes to the schedule. The calendar sync application is a complex technological system that makes scheduling very convenient for teleconference meetings.

For the best experience in the scheduling and calendar sync sections of a telepresence website, use it efficiently. If you are the one responsible for organizing the meeting, then be thoroughly prepared before you actually book the room for the smoothest and most pleasant conference experience.

Other advantages to using a calendar sync system at the same telepresence facility each time is the ability to allow the system to remember your company information. That way you don’t have to re-enter it as well as allowing the system to present your company branding when participants are checking the data. An added bonus is the elimination of excessive phone calls to confirm appointments between participants and no need for faxes. The calendar sync application does all this for you. 

Video conferencing technology could be considered a toolbox of aids to business function & growth.  There are many things in this toolbox, all useful and appropriate for specific needs.  Whygo, a videoconferencing broker for over 70% of the world’s major bridging providers, has opened their toolbox online to offer you access to extremely competitive video, audio, and web conferencing rates.  We have excellent customer service reps to help you choose the tools you need for your business no matter if the connections are to desktop (PC) or boardroom, private or public, ISDN or IP, Standard Definition or High Definition, or even Tele-Presence locations.

For a personal telepresence service with high definition audio & video on your computer over the internet, Whygo uses the Vidyo system to offer the best quality video picture and sound over standard broadband connections allowing you to use your current compatible boardroom video conferencing system or any other broadband connection such as a home, hotel, or coffee shop.

Unlike a flash or Java-based system, Vidyo uses Scalable Video Coding to take the best parts of the picture and sounds and removing poorer quality bits.  The result is less freezing and pixilation with more useable bandwidth for your videoconference.  The processing power of your PC and the speeds of the broadband internet connection can deliver up to HD quality desktop video conferencing to multiple users at one time.  For many businesses, this is a simple, reliable, inexpensive solution for an increasingly mobile workforce.

Another tool in the video conferencing toolbox is audio conferencing; on-demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week without the need to make a reservation.  You dial a permanent number and enter a conference code to access a variety of features allowing you to control and secure your conference; muting all callers except the chairperson, locking the conference to additional callers, conference record, playback, operator intervention at your request only.  You simply open an account and forward the relevant details (telephone numbers and codes) to your colleagues.

The WebEx web conferencing/collaboration tool allows you to share anything on your desktop with your participants.  You can engage your team by sharing a PowerPoint presentation, demonstrating software, showing website navigation, and transferring files.  Reservationless-PlusSM integration allows you to control the audio portion of your meeting directly from the web interface.

If you need to connect two or more groups of people, the video conference facility booking system will allow you to quickly find nearby video conferencing rooms and set up your seminar or conference with all the technological support you require for success.  Your group goes to the local facility and connects with colleagues in other facilities across the world without the cost of airfare or hotel.

Certain facilities even have the ultimate in videoconferencing…Telepresence.  Seamless high-definition life-size video combines with studio quality high-fidelity acoustics, giving you the absolute best video conferencing experience available today.  You will feel that every participant is sitting in the same room or at the same table.

Such a complete toolbox of opportunity deserves a look inside to see which tool you could use today.  Whygo has live, real-time assistance to help you select the tool you need for your business success.