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“In the past, the take-up of videoconferencing was
marred by issues with quality but this has changed. The
advances in speed, quality and ease of use mean that
video conferencing, as well as audio and web, are real
options for meeting and speaking with colleagues and
customers anywhere in the world” Mike Landers
SL: We have literally made it as easy to Vodafone has deployed Tandberg services to enhance collaboration within
use as a telephone. You see, Polycom has videoconferencing in 50 locations as part an enterprise and/or to drive more efficient
been making great phone systems since of a concerted effort to reduce the time interaction with both customers and
its inception in the early 90’s, and recently and expense involved with business travel. suppliers.
we have engineered our phones and video In addition to the boardroom and executive
systems to allow a user to start a video office video conferencing systems that Reducing the volume of travel for the average
conference as a simple phone call, and for are now common in a company of this exec should benefit the organisation overall.
the phones to then invite the user to add size, Vodafone has built “video lounges” to For example, reduced travel equals reduced
video, if they wish. By pressing a single encourage small teams and workgroups costs and improved efficiency overall as key
button, video is added to the call, and as an to use video technology to replace some decision makers spent less unproductive
added bonus the voice quality increases at face-to-face meetings. The video lounges time in departure lounges. It can have a real
the same time. We also have the technology are designed to be easy to use and easy to positive impact on enterprise and workgroup
to allow partners to set up the whole book. productivity – decisions can be made faster,
conference remotely for the user, to that the as the execs are no longer “out of action”
only skill required to attend the conference BR: Is it true that executives will spend much during flight time.
is finding a seat. less time in departure lounges because the
face-to-face meeting experience can be Similarly, by reducing the carbon footprint and
RDM: If a customer is going to replace achieved without having to travel? But this providing an improved work-life balance, the
travel with audio and / or video conferencing is not just true for executives – all employees company overall is perceived as being more
solutions, the key requirement is that it’s can reduce travel through the use of video socially responsible and hopefully a better
got to work. If the user has to spend thirty conferencing. However travel will still be place to work.
minutes fiddling with network settings, cables, an inevitable part of business and when
cameras or anything else just to make it work, employees have to be away they can
the magic of the experience is entirely lost. continue to meet people or manage a sales Question: A cynic might say that
or executive meeting via a WiFi-enabled, we’ve been here before – for example,
Nortel ensures ease of use of these solutions webcam-equipped laptop from anywhere – videoconferencing and telepresence
through the end to end services that are even while waiting at the departure lounge for was first demonstrated in 1995 – so
provided as part of the overall solution. their flight. how has the segment evolved?
Our 24x7x365 managed services and
our concierge services are instrumental in SL: Executive productivity is a key concern, ML: The market has changed considerably
maintaining the end user experience. especially when you factor in the issue from 1995. Bandwidth is much cheaper and
of “dispersal” - workers are dispersed in more common than ever before. High definition
satellite and home offices, functions are video systems are now more affordable. And
Question: If it is true that ‘executives outsourced and placed offshore, and all the financial and environmental costs of travel
can look forward to spending less the time the pressure is on to deliver more are more widely recognised. All these things
time at the departure lounge’, will the results with less resource. So, shaving 10, mean that video conferences can finally be a
benefits filter down throughout the 20 or even 30 per cent of time from a travel cost-effective and efficient way of achieving
organisation? budget can make a huge difference to a face-to-face meetings, with a much improved
business, not only saving travel budgets but user experience.
ML: They already are. Cisco has installed allowing people to get on with their jobs of
Telepresence rooms across the company and getting products to market and making more In the past, the take-up of videoconferencing
will tell you themselves that they are seeing customers more satisfied. was marred by issues with quality but this
a huge take-up (65 per cent) compared to has changed. The advances in speed,
traditional video conferencing. And in these days when the organisation is quality and ease of use mean that video
under scrutiny regarding its environmental conferencing, as well as audio and web,
Typically, there are two key factors to impact these technologies have a lot to offer are real options for meeting and speaking
seeing the benefits of video conferencing in reducing travel related carbon footprint. with colleagues and customers anywhere
throughout an organisation: 1) the ease of in the world. And as an additional bonus, it
the solution and 2) its endorsement from RDM: Yes. The benefits of managed helps anyone with hectic schedules, limited
senior managers. We help our customers video conferencing services will filter down budgets and environmental concerns.
with both of these. throughout the organisation.
AC: Firstly it’s important that I tell you that we
AC: Absolutely and in many cases the The technology will not eliminate the need for believe Telepresence and video conferencing
benefits have already filtered down through all business travel but it will definitely play a are in fact the same thing! Why you may
the organisation, a lot of our customers huge role in reducing the volume of travel for ask?
depend on video every day and we’re the average executive.
not just talking at an executive level. Take
for example Vodafone, the global mobile Beyond the executive ranks, many different Continued on page 35
telecommunications company. parts of the organisation can utilise these
ecoexecutive | 30
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