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Thursday 24 March 2011 DIGITALIRELAND INSIGHT 11 Videoconferencing


Videoconferencing on the move


From FaceTime on the iPhone to professional systems that allow workers on the move to communicate via video, the era of affordable and mobile videoconferencing has arrived


became more prevalent and in a post-9-11 world, not to mention a succession of bad winters and volcanic ash, videoconferenc- ing is increasingly becoming a must-have for businesses and executives themselves. Most people today who have a broadband


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connection use Skype to keep in touch with loved ones overseas. For businesses it is a good way to cut down on air travel and for- ward thinking companies are looking into it as a way of boosting customer services. With the greater affordability of videocon- ferencing the trend has been also towards high defi nition (HD) solutions in boardrooms. The result is videoconferencing is no longer tied to conference tables, but can happen anywhere, whether through a smartphone, a netbook, an iPad 2 or via the TV in your living room. According to Niall Hennessy of Arkadin, companies are already seasoned enough to know that Skype isn’t always the ideal solu- tion for managing customer relationships or conducting meetings with important clients. Arkadin, which resells Webex, Microsoft


Live Meeting and Vidyo technology, looks af- ter fi rms who want to connect offi ces but also individuals on the road. “Many fi rms use legacy systems from Poly-


com and Tandberg but there are also new af- fordable alternatives for fi rms that don’t want to make big capex investments,” said Hen- nessy. “We’re seeing many executives beginning to


take videoconferencing on the road, especially with devices like the iPhone 4 with FaceTime, or they use their laptops. “Many of the new systems involve down-


loading ActiveX software onto your laptop and away you go. Latency issues mean Skype


NCE videoconferencing consisted of expensive screens and cameras that only wealthy multinational or- ganisations could afford to invest in. Then things changed – broadband


isn’t always going to be the answer for busi- nesses so they need something that guaran- tees quality of service and which also allows you to collaborate, bring up documents or ap- plications so that people on the other side of the conversation can view.” Hennessy said that solutions like Vidyo and


LiveMeeting mean fi rms can connect workers to videoconferencing for a nominal sum per month, rather than the tens of thousands of euro that would have been spent in the past on these systems.


Flexible options Technology distributor Steljes has signed an exclusive deal with AVerMedia to distribute the new H Series videoconferencing system in Ireland. The system requires low bandwidth for high-performance video conferencing. Designed as an ‘out of the box’, IP-based so-


lution, the H Series is easy to transport and can be set up in any suitable environment, fl exible enough to fi t any videoconferencing room. It is said to be ideally suited for small to medium-sized businesses who need the ben- efi ts videoconferencing brings – such as re- duced travel costs and improved productiv- ity – and for educational establishments that want to embrace a more collaborative way of teaching and learning, but were unable to af- ford existing systems in the market. The H Series consists of two models – AVer-


Comm H100 and AVerComm H300 – offering high-quality videoconferencing that is as easy to use as making a phone call. Both systems include everything a user needs in a video conferencing product – HD720P @30fps reso- lution, two-way content sharing, 5-megapixel PTZ Camera and an embedded 10w speaker in an exclusive presentation hub. The AVerComm H100 offers point-to-point videoconferencing, making it ideal for deploy- ment in branches, remote offi ces, home work-


‘We’re seeing many executives beginning to take videoconferencing on the road, especially with devices like the iPhone 4 with FaceTime, or they use their laptops’


ing and conference rooms. The AVerComm H300 offers session recording and a four-way MCU for multi-point videoconferencing func- tionality. “The AVerMedia H Series will open up new


market opportunities for our reseller part- ners,” said Greg Tierney, business develop- ment director at Steljes. “There is a growing demand for affordable


and easy-to-use videoconferencing solutions and AVerMedia has met this need with a value for money range that is perfect for new VC users in this market. The AVerComm H series will take the videoconferencing market to the next level. “With no required service and maintenance


contracts or additional licensing fees, the to- tal cost of ownership is signifi cantly lower than comparable videoconferencing solutions available on the market today. “With many Irish companies looking to maximise their return on investment with low cost solutions, this is the perfect time for AVerMedia to launch its new videoconferenc- ing solutions.” Tierney added that Steljes also distributes


SMART interactive screens that enable two- way interaction to allow executives in the middle of a videoconferencing engagement to collaborate on documents on a large 70-inch screen. “The technology enables both ends of the


conversation to manipulate a document si- multaneously and this is being used for a va- riety of purposes in the business world, par- ticularly for brainstorming sessions.” He said that the technology has been em-


ployed by BT in Northern Ireland and the UK, and it is beginning to fi lter into medical and education applications. “We have examples in Ireland today where


it is being studied by fi re and rescue groups, education and in the corporate space,” Tierney added.


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