March 31, 2011
David Gillespie, Collaboration Engineer
Last week, SKC streaming partner Accordent was purchased by Polycom. Videoconferencing and streaming technologies cross paths everywhere in the distance learning, training and the UC space. This is a natural step for Polycom to take and one that SKC was ready for. SKC has been selling Accordent technology since 2009 and this move should excite those looking to streamline their videoconferencing sessions and streaming/testing needs.
Polycom has always been able to produce excellent recordings of videoconferences through its RSS platform, but struggled with managing and delivering those solutions to end users. The VMC 1000 developed by Cumu and OEM’d by Polycom brought the necessary tools for managing and delivering video on-demand content to users. However its high price point often made the VMC 1000 a desired but unobtainable product for our clients. Accordent on the other hand, has proven its worth with its integration into SharePoint and Lync as video deliverability portals.
I had dinner with Accordent the night before the announcement and they didn’t utter a peep except to say that Polycom could be a natural partner for them. Accordent has strong integration potential with Polycom’s RSS 4000, and brings a lot to the table: robust media management, streaming on and off network, a fully customizable user interface to match client needs and the ability for clients to create and manage testing and certification programs.
The Unified Communications formula here is Microsoft + Polycom + Accordent = Very strong UC.
Tags: Accordent, Polycom, Streaming, videoconferencing
Posted in: General,Technology,Videoconferencing
March 30, 2011
Jeff Holton, Director of Technology
Today, Google announced that it will build its ultra high-speed fiber optic network in Kansas City, Kansas. As a neighbor to the south of KCK, we’re excited about the announcement and what it means for video communications in our community.
Google will provide broadband internet access to the city with speeds of about 1 gigabit per second. That’s around 100 times faster than what most Americans have available to them today. Essentially, this eliminates network limitations that can bog down business’ internet connections. We’ve already seen our clients utilize content sharing capabilities in video calls for meetings and distance learning, but with ultra high-speed internet, these calls can be taken to the next level.
The advantages go beyond the classroom and office. Homes will also have access to Google’s internet, making video calls from home easier to conduct. Teachers, doctors and enterprise employees will have more access to students, patients and co-workers from the comfort of their own homes without worries of slow connections.
Fourteen percent of American adults currently make video calls and 34 percent of that group is willing to pay for those calls. As more people become interested and familiar with video collaboration, the belief that video is just for the enterprise is becoming an outdated thought. Ultra high-speed fiber optic connections will only accelerate the process of video adoption in the home.
Congratulations to Kansas City, Kansas on being the first community in the country to receive Google’s ultra high-speed fiber optic network. We’re looking forward to the opportunities that it will present our community.
Tags: Google, Streaming, Video network, videoconferencing
Posted in: General,Technology,Videoconferencing
August 11, 2010
David Gillespie — Integration Engineer
Internal messaging has come a long way. What used to be just steam whistles and crowded lunch room announcements, turned into memos on the office cork board. Now, it’s email blasts and digital signage. Properly executed, digital signage can be a source of meaningful information to its audience.
Realizing the audience element is essential to the success of a digital signage solution. People today are pre-equipped to ignore televisions. Introducing digital signage to the workspace or public space requires a plan to make it meaningful to the intended audience. To that end, many solutions dedicate a section of the displayed image to news or weather TV channels. Alternatively, displaying timely or even critical information can be all it takes to make a solution meaningful and useful to the audience.
At SKC, for instance, we have the public digital signage with office news, events, and accomplishments. The public signage also includes a news feed that tunes into the Tour De France and March Madness every year. Our call centers each have their own signage which updates how many employees are available to take a call, number of clients waiting on hold, etc. Those updates are pulled from our Avaya phone system dynamically throughout the day.
Digital signage today can be more than a looped PowerPoint. With a clear plan we are able to incorporate many sources of information and manage how they’re presented to the audience. Going forward, these sorts of technology convergences will be more prevalent and pertinent. I imagine it will only be a matter of time before the RSS feed of this blog ends up on the SKC digital signage as well.
Tags: A/V integration, Digital Signage, network, Streaming, video
Posted in: Audio Visual Resources,Technology,Uncategorized
