Top 10 Telepresence Posts of 2011 From The KBZ Communications Blog

Posted by KBZ Blogging Team

It’s the first week of 2012, which means it’s the perfect time to take a look back on some of the most popular posts of the past year from the Telepresence & Video Conferencing Blog. Let’s recap the most commented, read, and shared telepresence posts of 2011 and see what trends and interests dominated the industry over the course of the previous 12 months.

10. Use of Video Conferencing Surges Toward Widespread Adoption

This post from September was one of the first that we put together charting the growing evidence that video conferencing was about to reach the tipping point in terms of mass adoption. Driving this trend were the lowered costs of telepresence technology, improvements in mobile video conferencing, and increased interest in having employees telecommute at least one day per week across a wide range of different industries.

09. Moving Past Distance Learning – Video Conferencing in Academia

Many people think of video conferencing simply as a way to extend the classroom into the homes of students, but this post described how telepresence is also redefining how researchers interact with each other across institutional and geographical boundaries, as well as changing how administrators manage their faculty obligations. The ability for students and professors to leverage video conferencing to perform remote research interviews also allows for them to shrink the size of their staff and eliminate a chunk of their travel budget.

08. Cisco Video Conferencing Gains End-To-End JITC Certification

The announcement by TANDBERG, now part of Cisco, that its Video Communication Server (VCS) technology had been certified by the Joint Interoperability Test Command drew a lot of attention throughout 2011, despite having been posted to the blog just as 2010 was drawing to a close. The JITC certification was a significant boost to Cisco’s image, given the prestige of being a Department of Defense solutions provider.

07. Mobile Video Conferencing Expands Through Next Generation Smartphones

Impressive sales numbers associated with android handsets, the iPad, the iPhone, and a number of other portable communications devices have fueled a growing demand for mobile video conferencing. This post looked at the track record of this mobile technology and took a shot at projecting where the industry might soon find itself as the mobile telepresence ball keeps rolling forward.

06. Cisco TelePresence Tool For Evaluating Bandwidth Demands

One of the advantages of KBZ Communications being a Cisco partner is the ability to preview and showcase hot new technologies and features offered by the video conferencing industry leader. This post detailed the Cisco Bandwidth Quality Manager 3.2 for Telepresence, which allows IT personnel to better configure their networks for maximum video quality and up-time.

05. Major League Baseball Teams Up With Cisco TelePresence

Major League Baseball has been riding the cutting edge of telepresence adoption, partnering with Cisco to provide in-park solutions for immersive video as well as creating opportunities for members of the media to produce live programming, bringing together television personalities from coast to coast. This post provided a look behind the scenes of how telepresence technology has impacted one of America’s largest professional sports leagues.

04. New Solutions Extend Benefits of Video Conferencing to Educational Institutions

A terrible fire that gutted the Main Building at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio TX turned into a spectacular opportunity to renew the campus’ video communications infrastructure. This post explained how the institution turned a nightmare into a blessing via the integration of next-generation telepresence and video delivery systems into its newest facility.

03. Video Conferencing and the Court System

Courtrooms around the world are adopting video conferencing at a rate that is almost comparable with that of private industry. This well-read post discussed how telepresence can help to protect the safety of prisoners, witnesses, and court personnel, as well as ease the burden of travel associated with lengthy court cases.

02. Top Three Telepresence Trends Headed into 2012 – Online Chat

2011 marked our very first KBZ Communications Online Chat, where industry experts got together to discuss the Top Three Telepresence Trends Headed into 2012. Mobility, hardware and software, and interoperability were the top picks from our online poll about the future of telepresence, and conversation about each of these topics was lively and informative throughout the chat session.

01. Telepresence Tech Tip – VCS Expressway and the Dual Network Interface Option

Our most popular post of the past year offered a detailed technical reference to users of the TANDBERG Video Communications Server (VCS) curious about what circumstances require the use of the Dual Network Interface option when deploying with Expressway. The post grabbed the attention of hundreds of VCS administrators seeking the expert counsel of the KBZ ZCare staff.

Benjamin Hunting
KBZ Communications Blogging Team