Tag Archives: TANDBERG Video Conferencing
2011
Videoconferencing Professionals LinkedIn Group Roundup – September 2011
September was a fruitful month for conversation in the Videoconferencing Professionals LinkedIn group, with a healthy amount of participation from group members on a wide range of different topics. Trygve Wettestad, business development manager at Orange Business Services, started an intriguing discussion about the benefits of video conferencing via cloud-based video solutions versus those which run on a dedicated infrastructure owned outright by the client.
The general consensus of the group was that cloud-based video was notable for its ability to save on the up-front costs associated with dedicated video conferencing hardware, as well as reducing or eliminating the expense of the specialized training required to use and maintain it. This trends small and medium-sized businesses towards cloud-based communications, while larger organizations with greater access to IT resources favor the stability and lower long-term total cost of ownership afforded by a dedicated solution (like Cisco TelePresence). John Skeehan, senior product marketing manager at LifeSize, and Dave Dumas, project manager at Cox Communications, each provided particularly insightful comments and information during the course of the discussion.
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2011
KBZ VideoPalooza 2011 Wraps Up
KBZ’s VideoPalooza 2011 was a resounding success, with close to 350 individuals from 122 different partner organizations taking part in the festivities. These numbers include the just under 40 representatives from Cisco’s TelePresence division.
KBZ showed VideoPalooza attendees how they can benefit from the latest Cisco technologies, as well as KBZ’s programs and services, which are designed to help partners take corporate video communications to the next level.
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2011
A Special Telepresence Event: KBZ’s VideoPalooza Returns for 2011
VideoPalooza is a unique telepresence-focused networking event that has been hosted by KBZ Communications at locations across America since 2008. VideoPalooza was created to provide an opportunity for KBZ partners to learn about the present and future states of video communication technology, and to network with other like-minded professionals. It also offers a wide range of demos, product introductions, and in 2011, will also include special events centered on Cisco TelePresence and KBZ’s specialized programs and services.
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Much of the focus of the 2011 edition of VideoPalooza will be on KBZ’s new role as a Cisco Authorized Distributor after years of working with TANDBERG, now part of Cisco, as its leading Channel Development Partner. VideoPalooza 2011 will offer specific information regarding Cisco TelePresence solutions, including discussions on how to position those solutions in the marketplace, and Cisco’s integration of telepresence endpoints and infrastructure. Attendees can additionally expect to learn about KBZ value-added services and their specific benefit to partners.
2011
Telepresence Tech Tip – VCS Expressway and the Dual Network Interface Option
Users of Tandberg Video Communications Server (VCS), deployed with Expressway, often ask when they should be specifying the Dual Network Interface option for their telepresence solutions. This option exists specifically to protect the security of TCS users who are uncomfortable with the idea of implementing a firewall DMZ, or who cannot go this route due to the technical details of their network setup.
In the simplest terms, the Dual Network Interface option should be selected by every client who is not willing to expose the Expressway directly on a public internet connection. As mentioned above, alternatives to the Dual Network Interface option include the use of a firewall DMZ. However, if the DMZ solution makes use of a private IP address scheme, the Dual Network Interface option will still need to be implemented.
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2011
Telepresence Tech Tip – Upgrading TANDBERG “C” Series Codecs
The TANDBERG, now part of Cisco “C” Series of Codecs offer excellent high definition video conferencing and telepresence at resolutions of up to 1080p. Upgrading a TANDBERG “C” Series codec is a relatively simple and straightforward process, made up of only a few easy-to-follow steps.
The upgrade software itself is available from the Tandberg FTP site, and this software needs to be accessible to whatever PC that you choose to perform the upgrade from. This means having it available on the local hard disk or on a network share with the necessary access permissions configured.
Watch a video of this codec upgrade, presented by KBZ Technical Services Manager, Shamus Doyle.
2011
Mobile Video Conferencing Expands Through Next Generation Smartphones
The idea of mobile video conferencing might seem lifted out of the plot of Star Trek to some, but the movement to bring video communications to devices such as smart phones is well underway. Both the iPhone and Android mobile phones have seen a flurry of internal and third-party software development that has led to some recent interesting breakthroughs in personal mobile video conferencing.
The two greatest limitations to the development of portable video conferencing, hardware and bandwidth, have been in large part overcome by advances in phone and network design. The advent of 3G mobile networks has dramatically improved data transfer speeds to the point where real-time digital video data is finally feasible, and with 4G networks slowly rolling out across the country, mobile video conferencing continues to expand in terms of the quality and features it can offer. At the same time, phone manufacturers have been able to cram ever more powerful chips inside handsets, along with accessories such as miniaturized video cameras that face the mobile device’s user – a critical part of providing a video conferencing experience.
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2010
Will Telepresence’s Growth Mean the End of the Office?
Through the years, the workplace has shifted from home to factory to the office, and is now poised to revert back to the home. A Cisco survey found that 60% of workers no longer believe that they need to be in the office in order to be productive. By relying on telepresence technology, they find themselves at least as productive (and sometimes much more) than their cubicle-bound counterparts.
The Cisco Connected World Report survey questioned 2,600 workers and IT professionals in 13 countries and was conducted by InsightExpress, a third-party market research firm based in the United States. The survey found that network connectivity has become an expectation rather than a perk. Two out every three workers expect the company to allow them to use any device – personal or company-issued – to access corporate information from anywhere at any time.
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2010
Cisco Video Conferencing Gains End-To-End JITC Certification
TANDBERG, now a part of Cisco, recently announced that its Video Communication Server (VCS) and several products in its C and EX video conferencing lines have been certified by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC). This follows up on TANDBERG’s strong history of leading the industry when it comes to JITC certification for high definition video conferencing options.
What is the JITC? This branch of the U.S. military is responsible for the evaluation of technologies which can give American personnel a high-tech advantage in both peacetime and war. The JITC makes use of an extensive array of software and hardware based testing procedures when evaluating any product that could serve an important role in the military’s technological arsenal, whether directly on the battlefield or in a critical supporting role. JITC certification also ensures that a technological device or system meets the full standards of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and as such satisfies the Department of Defense’s extensive security requirements.
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2010
Video Conferencing Benefits Expand Beyond Cost and Travel Savings
If you were to ask most business executives to name two benefits to video conferencing, you would almost certainly hear the terms “less travel” and “lower costs” used to describe what this technology can bring to the corporate world. The appeal of cost and travel savings are what initially lured many companies into experimenting with and then adopting TelePresence and video conferencing systems such as those offered by TANDBERG, now part of Cisco. A new slew of positives associated with the use of video conferencing has now been confirmed, however, thanks to a worldwide study overseen by Cisco.
500 professionals working at companies employing 250 people or more participated in the study, which was run by Ipsos.Mori. Truly international in flavor, the effort stretched across three continents and 12 countries to ensure the widest possible sampling of opinions and experiences of those who use video conferencing in the workplace at least once per week.
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2010
Video Conferencing Empowers Public Safety Agencies
During natural or manmade disasters, time is of the essence, and face-to-face interactions provide a much clearer picture of what people are going through than phone calls, email, or text messages. Consequently, a growing number of public safety agencies rely on video conferencing equipment from TANDBERG, now part of Cisco, to streamline communications as well as enhance their training programs.
For example, the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is responsible for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters in an 1,134-square-mile area housing 700,000 Alabama residents. The agency works with local government departments and private organizations to develop emergency response plans, and a desire to make sure that they all had a common understanding of what was occurring led to the deployment of TANDBERG video conferencing equipment. During Hurricane Gustav in 2008, the county used the system to coordinate placement of 7,000 evacuees, and as a result, a process that could have taken days or longer was completed in a matter of hours.
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