Video conferencing is finally getting its day. A study by CDW suggests that more than half of all companies today use the technology, and three-quarters will have adopted it by 2013. Companies have credited it with saving costs, raising productivity and improving employee satisfaction.
Although the technology has been available for more than a decade, it faced a skeptical public that seemed to believe it belonged in in science fiction rather than a boardroom. But just as web cameras work their way into hardware from desktop computers to smartphones, professional video conferencing services are increasingly indispensable to a modern business.
A majority of businesses that adopt video conferencing technology report a strong return on investment, thanks to a range of factors. Fully 64 percent found the technology helped to reduce operating costs, 59 percent reported improved decision making, 54 percent found the technology helped to increase their contact with customers, 53 percent reported that it streamlined their training process and 51 percent said it resulted in faster times to market.
Video conferencing offers an obvious advantage over the traditional conference call, since sharing video can not only improve communication by letting the participants see each other, but allows them to share graphs and presentations that cannot translate over the phone. The technology can be an improvement over an in-person conference as well: It can involve participants from remote locations without the expense or logistical difficulties associated with transportation. For companies that can employ consultants or freelancers from across the country to help out with a project, this can go a long way to making the work flow smoothly.
These tools can be especially valuable in the IT field. According to the International Data Corporation’s latest Worldwide Black Book, IT spending grew by 5 percent worldwide last year, and by 9 percent in the United States. With that trend expected to continue, IT companies may need to scale up their business rapidly and efficiently to keep up with the growing market. A service that offers added flexibility in scheduling and savings on transportation can be a valuable asset.
Indeed, part of the rapid adoption of video conferencing may trace to the fact that belt tightening amid the economic downturn led businesses hoping for a way to save on transportation to give the technology a second look. And with a widening range of available services, that trend seems likely to continue.
Everyone knows what you're supposed to do when you have the flu: take some pills to keep the fever down, keep bundled up, and drink lots of clear liquids and chicken soup. Plus, most importantly, don't even think about going out in public, lest you risk infecting dozens of people around you. This goes double for enclosed spaces like an airplane.
Unfortunately, not everyone does this. Various surveys have shown that half or more of people will, in fact, still go flying even when they have the flu. Reasons vary, although most of them involve a business commitment or being unwilling to deal with airline bureaucracy. However, this is still a poor idea. Flying sick only prolongs your illness while trapping other people alongside you inside an airborne petri dish.
If you have a flight coming up and you're sick, you still have some alternatives.
Video conferencing. Making use of web conferencing services with desktop video conferencing can be a great compromise if you're in danger of missing an important business function. They're generally quite inexpensive and can be run on everyday laptop hardware. With a couple days' warning, the people at the other end could easily set up some web conferencing services to make sure you can still attend virtually, even if your body is still running a fever.
Talk to the airline. Policies on flight rescheduling / refunding vary greatly from airline to airline. Contrary to popular belief, many of them will be willing to work with you if you can provide official documentation of your illness. After all, their own employees would be exposed to the flu too, so it's in their interest to help you out.
Drive. Depending on how sick you are, you might be able to rent a car rather than flying. It's not a great solution, but at least it minimizes how many people you expose.
Try to get better. Some flus run their course faster than others, and taking good care of yourself increases your chances. Get time off from work, especially if the upcoming trip is business-related. In general, once your fever breaks, you stop being contagious roughly 24 hours later. So, you could get lucky.
In short, the rule on flying while sick should be: Don't. Reschedule, find another route, or use web conferencing services to avoid flying if at all possible.
After all, you don't want to be "that guy," right?
Your company calls a mandatory meeting to respond to a crisis; it's all hands on deck. Or the annual meeting of the Board of Directors is coming. Flights have been scheduled, workload reassigned. And now you're sick. You hoped it was simply a cold or allergies; alas, it's the flu. But you're going, right? I mean, you "have to go". And you do, coughing, aching, sneezing and feeling miserable every step of the way, not to mention enduring the clearly disapproving glares of your fellow travelers who are now stuck with you in what to them seems like a sickness incubator.
The market research firm ORC International recently conducted an online survey which found that nearly two-thirds of Americans admit to going about their normal day while experiencing flu symptoms. The survey further found that at least four out of every 10 people with flu-like symptoms would still board a plane for vacation or business travel, exposing others to their illness. Because flu germs spread very easily, especially when in close proximity to others (the flu virus can spread up to six feet), travel increases the risk of people literally making other people sick.
Not surprisingly, travel etiquette frowns upon traveling with the flu (or, obviously, any other illness likely to be contagious). As disappointing as it may be, it's probably best not to travel at all. First, find out if it's your attendance that's necessary or if you can send someone in your stead. Similar to urgent things not always being important, "meeting" may not be absolutely essential for you. If attendance is necessary and someone can take your place, arrange it.
If you find, however, that it's you the meeting requires, there is another alternative to traveling that not only has regard for your well-being but for travel etiquette as well. Consider the use of web conferencing services to enable you to participate. Sometimes equipped with desktop video conferencing capabilities, web conferencing services enable you to do your job and meet face-to-face without spreading your illness that may result in other people not being able to do theirs. Not only will you eliminate the risk of infecting your fellow travelers, you won't end up sitting alone at the end of the conference table because no one wants to sit near you. After all, you don't want to travel all that way to be reminded how sick you really are.
It’s a good time to be a unified communications (UC) solution provider. A 2011 Unified Communications Tracking Poll found that UC implementation rates across business, government, health care and education groups doubled since 2010 to 16 percent.
A recent high-profile adopter is Volkswagen, which replaced it's old telephony system with a unified communications system that unites voice, instant messaging, audio, video and email for employees.
In the government arena, Kannapolis, North Carolina, centralized communications – instant messaging, email and voice services, and a voice recording solution for emergency 911 services. And Arkansas is creating a statewide video conferencing and UC network to connect government agencies and public schools.
Image courtesy of: losangeles.cbslocal.com
Lots of organizations have figured out where UC fits for them. What’s stopping others? The UC Tracking Poll says the top challenges are:
• Securing budget commitment
• Narrowing the options down to a workable solution
• Choosing between a single- or multiple-vendor strategy
• Securing reliable cost projections
• Convincing management of the return on investment
Do you have some tips to address these challenges? If so, let us know and we’ll share them here.
On October 24, 2011, Niagara Falls, Ontario hosted a huge running event that included a half marathon. It attracted thousands of runners from across North America. The scenic course was situated next to the pristine Niagara on the Lake. As my mind wandered during the run, I thought of the approaching IR season and the correlations between IR events and running events began to form in my mind.
One of the topics that dominates conversations with IR professionals is the attention to detail that has to go into corporate earnings calls. When training for a half marathon, you are consistently micro-managing your progress to make sure you are fully prepared and know what to expect when the BIG day arrives. Familiarity with heart rate, pace and timing are essential.
Correspondingly, with IR professionals, one likes to have a game plan on how the event will unfold. Conducting a dry run (pun intended) with the webcasting provider or online communication tool will help tremendously. Having confidence in the interface functionality that will be used to push the slides and familiarity with how to best communicate with the operator will help reduce technical glitches during the event.
Firming up details on the conference call is important as well. Conferencing service providers should review a booking form with you so that the operator will know exactly how to guide the call on event day.
Questions to consider discussing with your provider:
1. Will the speakers dial out for the live event?
2. Which dial-in numbers are required: local, toll-free or international? If international, what countries?
3. Is there a forward-looking statement required?
4. What information would you like gathered from the participants who call in? And what information would you like captured through webcast registration?
5. Is Q&A open or restricted?
Another theme that arises in successful events is smooth communication. This encompasses having a professional operator who can communicate efficiently and professionally, adapt and troubleshoot. This communication will take place via a communication line or an online communication tool provided by the conferencing service provider.
During a half marathon, runners are communicating and listening to their body and running device to gauge heart rate, distance and re-fuelling with energy gels (not my favorite).
Similarly, IR professionals multitask, communicate via text with co-presenters and listen to cues to progress the earnings call. The online communication tool plays an important role in this process because it enables the IR professional to improve interactions between featured speakers and participants, thereby providing the ability to make better decisions more quickly throughout the event.
Some tips for success:
1. Monitor participants in chronological order as they join the conference.
2. View participant info such as name, phone number and company.
3. View real time phone status of each participant.
4. Determine the queue order for participants during Q&A session.
5. Online chat with co-presenter(s) or operator(s) to manage time sensitive conference details
Preparation and communication are vital components whether you are running any sort of distance or preparing for your next quarterly earnings call. With these tips in mind and put to use, hopefully your next IR event will run as smoothly as the Niagara Falls event – minus the bananas, energy drinks and gels.
Daniel Niemi is a Business Development Executive based in Toronto. Daniel's interests include collaboration solutions, social media, running and baking. Find Daniel on Twitter:@danielniemi.
How many apps are there for your iPhone or iPad? Macstories.net reports 306,554 iPhone apps and 60,000 iPad apps. Lots more are on the way. Unified communications providers have launch fever for iPhone, iPad and Android apps, including video. Some companies are earning kudos for their apps. Here are a couple articles about apps that would have made Steve Jobs proud.
A law firm in Adelaide, Australia, uses iPhones for court reporting, video conferencing communications and client management. This app won an award for best innovation in the legal industry.
Computerworld reports that Medtronic, the medical technology company based in Minnesota, deployed 5,000 iPads, about two-thirds of them are for salespeople. Industry analyst Forrester gave Medtronic a Groundswell Award for this innovation.
The same article mentions a survey that Forrester recently completed with 1,681 U.S.-based workers about smart phone use. The results? The BlackBerry still leads among U.S. workers, with 42%, but this is a smaller share than the combined share of iPhone (at 22%) and Android (at 26%).
Even IBM is getting into the act with an experimental Mobile System Remote app. Now I’m tempted to use the word “ubiquitous.”
Any guesses at how many apps for iPhones and iPads there will be by this time next year? Before you know it, we’ll be devising shorthand schemes for app quantities like the data storage industry does with gigabytes, petabytes, exabytes, etc.
Everyone likes to predict things. It’s human nature. There are optimistic predictions and pessimistic predictions. Some come true; many do not. I thought it might be fun to look up some predictions. As a result of my Google search on “famous predictions,” (12,200,000 results) my prediction is that the volume of predictions will double in the next three years. You heard it here first. Anyway, this page provides a few gems:
"That rainbow song's no good. Take it out."
- MGM memo after first showing of "The Wizard Of Oz."
"There will never be a bigger plane built."
- A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that carried ten people.
"I think there's a world market for about five computers."
- Thomas J. Watson, chairman of the board of IBM.
The First Macintosh (1984) *Photo courtesy of www.smashinglists.com
And for the category of those that came true, there's this prediction Steve Jobs stated in a 1985 interview with Playboy:
“The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it into a nationwide communications network. We’re just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people‐‑as remarkable as the telephone.”
*Photo courtesy of www.letmedefine.com
The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke came up with three laws of predictions. My favorite is #3: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. So here are a few waves of the wand for unified communications and related services:
• Mobile cloud services will bring in $39 billion by 2016 due to the increase in unified communications spending.
• Forrester Research believes that communications equipment -- especially for unified communications, video conferencing, and mobility at businesses and governments -- will see 8.3% growth in 2011, though telecommunications carriers purchases will increase more slowly…
• Video growth is inseparable from unified communications growth, according to a Unified Communications Edge article, which also says, “Gartner is predicting that high-definition telepresence will be in homes of senior executives in half a decade.”
You heard these predictions here, but possibly not first. The UC crystal ball looks rosy, and I’m not wearing glasses.
So what are your favorite predictions? Do you have some of your own that you're waiting to see the outcome on?
Here’s why…
Consider this scenario: your company’s top marketing execs want to talk to 1,000 partners who are scattered around the world. The execs have sensitive news to share about upcoming products. You need this event to happen on time and go smooth as silk. There are at least two flies in the ointment. If you use a common pass code that many people know, there’s the chance that someone may use it at the wrong time and crash your party. Also, people tend to dial in at the last moment, delaying the start of the call. Been there, done that, right? And you’ve been asked to gather some information about the partners who attend.
After hearing customer wish lists for similar types of conferences, we decided to enhance Passcode Plus Pin, a feature of our Elite and Operator Assisted audio conferencing services. Think of it as an all-purpose flyswatter.
*Photo courtesy of: uconnladybug.wordpress.com
Using Passcode Plus Pin, you can allow, or require, participants to pre-register for your event. Each person who registers, along with anyone else you want to invite, receives an event confirmation email that includes a pass code and unique PIN that is valid only for a specific event. You can supply Pins or we’ll create them. When it’s time to start the meeting, attendees dial the access number and enter their Pin. They are placed immediately into the audio conference. Speakers also register and use a Pin that enters them into the speaker conference before an operator introduces them in the live event.
And the “so what?” The customizable registration page helps in two ways. It captures accurate contact information, because the attendees enter it themselves, and you can create up to 30 fields to collect other information. Speakers and participants are never entered into the wrong conference. Hold and wait times are eliminated for everyone. Shortly after the event, you receive a list of participants so you know who showed up and who didn’t. But Passcode Plus Pin is flexible. Registration is standard, but not essential. And oops, a couple of people on your list forgot to register but want to attend? No problem. They call in and speak to an operator, who can enter them into the meeting.
Sometimes meetings require a little extra security, or assurance of on-time starts, or special data gathering. We understand. And that’s why we created Passcode Plus Pin.
Alright, enough about us, what do you think? What audio conferencing event challenges have you encountered? Would this help?
When I read that telecommuters are happier, in addition to being less stressed and more productive, I thought synchronicity had struck again. My book club book for this month is The Happiness Project, or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. The author shares her 12-month journey of what she tried and what she learned. I’m only on January, but I’ve learned that she works from home.
As usual, one thought leads to another, and I began to wonder about the state of telecommuting in general. Many of the people I know are full- or part-time teleworkers, but what’s the big picture? The Telework Research Institute gave me some answers in a 2011 report.
Some of the key findings stopped me in my tracks, and you’ll see why:
- Forty-five percent of the US workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least part-time telework.
- Fifty million U.S. employees who want to work from home hold jobs that are telework compatible though only 2.9 million consider home their primary place of work (2.3% of the workforce).
- The existing 2.9 million US telecommuters save 390 million gallons of gas and prevent the release of 3.6 million tons of greenhouse gases yearly.
- If those with compatible jobs worked at home 2.4 days a week (the national average of those who do), the reduction in greenhouse gases (51 million tons) would be equivalent of taking the entire New York workforce off the roads.
- The national savings would total over $900 billion a year; enough to reduce our Persian Gulf oil imports by 46%.
- The biggest barrier to telecommuting, by a wide margin, is management fear and mistrust.
The report says that the affect of the recession on telecommuting isn’t yet clear, but that the five-year growth rate is significant. And no wonder, in view of this stat: In February of 2011, Fortune Magazine reported that 82% of companies that made its annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list allow employees to telecommute or work at home at least 20% of the time. Take a look at the report for more key findings, the research behind them, and a list of the benefits to businesses, individuals and the nation.
The sources of happiness are typically attributed to genetics, life circumstances and the choices we make. As usual, some things we can control, some we can’t. And some choices are no brainers.
So what are your thoughts on telecommuting? Is it an option at your organization? Do you have a online collaboration tools in place?
Is this a happiness project more employers should implement in when considering employee satisfaction and ways to boost productivity? Or, as a way to reduce their environmental impact?
Did the proliferation of personal devices in the workplace sneak up on you? You’re not alone. Many IT people say yes or say they were surprised by the speed at which personal devices popped up at work. Others say they were aware of it but their efforts at damage control are hindered by company policies that aren’t comprehensive when it comes to this topic.
Many companies are scrambling to figure out the financial, legal and security considerations as they decide what to do. You might feel like Caesar as he approached the Rubicon.
The “point of no return” decision by Caesar to cross the Rubicon was the first step on his journey to victory in a civil war. Present day, this expression generally refers to taking a course of action from which there's no turning back. Talk about apropos.
On one side we have employers, who are expected to reimburse employees for using devices that are security risks, and on the other side, employees who resist complying with security measures. In a recent Computer Business Review article, a British networking company has suggested this approach:
• Only block access to offensive or illegal content. Blocking Facebook, Twitter and such like will only result in a disgruntled mob.
• Be secure.
• You won't beat them, so join them. Social networking sites can be used to build bridges with employees
• Be clear on the rules and enforce them. Policies are only useful if people know and respect them.
• Encourage innovation. If employees are showing enthusiasm for mobile devices and social networks, try to harness it.
Easier said than done? Is there a one-size-fits-all answer? Well, you can’t ask Caesar, but you can ask Marc Beattie of Wainhouse Research. He provides advice to IT managers in an upcoming webinar sponsored by ACT Conferencing on August 25, 2011: Collaboration & Social Media: How to Tame User Anarchy.