Educause 2010 highlighted some key trends that are transforming the way students, faculty and administrators approach the education experience. With the expansion of technology, traditional boundaries are being blurred and students have access to far more resources than ever before.  As a result, we are seeing far more online courses to complement traditional classroom instruction, increased collaboration through social networking and innovative technologies are enabling professors to teach in new ways.

As we see this expansion from the traditional classroom to “distance learning”, the question becomes, “how do we harness the technology driving these trends to create a rich learning environment outside the classroom walls.  One answer is telepresence.  Telepresence is giving students greater access to subject matter experts, enabling universities and schools to expand their teaching curriculum and increase collaboration between students.  Educause 2010 featured some innovative telepresence solutions that expand the concept of collaboration to include high definition, face-to-face communications with anyone, anywhere, while sharing, evaluating and revising content.

Technology is continuously evolving to expand student and faculty opportunities.  Telepresence will be integral to that evolution, providing an immersive and robust educational experience to far more students.

Summer is over and fall is officially here. Along with beautiful fall colors and a festive holiday season, fall also represents the official start of flu season. Last flu season saw the emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. This virus caused the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years. While not certain, the CDC says it is likely that 2009 H1N1 viruses will continue to spread along with seasonal viruses in the U.S. during this upcoming flu season.

As we brace ourselves for yet another virulent flu season, enterprises must prepare for the worse by developing and implementing business continuity and pandemic response plans that make the most of available resources, and enable employees to function at full capacity, even if they can’t physically be in the office. In today’s economic climate, businesses can’t afford any downtime.  Just one hour of downtime can cost a business thousands, even millions, of dollars. To help your organization survive flu season, here are a few technologies that help keep your business running during a pandemic or disruption:

• Telepresence: Reduce the need for high risk activities such as air travel or public transportation, and offer employees the flexibility to stay home if they’ve been exposed or are feeling under the weather. By maintaining face-to-face communication with video collaboration technologies, employees can strengthen relationships, enhance productivity, improve collaboration and continue to build trust with teams and customers.

• Virtual Private Network (VPN): Without secure access to key documents and reports, working remotely can be wholly ineffective. View, access and update your most important projects and plans – whether employees are in quarantine recovering or caring for ill family members at home.

• Unified Personal Communicators: Unified Personal Communicators integrate the most frequently used communications applications and services (IM, video, multi-party conferencing, presence, etc) so employees can effectively communicate and collaborate from anywhere, including their home.

• Real-time Desktop Sharing Applications: Desktop sharing applications, when combined with phone conferencing, enables employees to share content on their desktop while they talk, regardless of where they are. It’s far more productive than emailing files and struggling to get everyone on the same page over the phone, making remote meetings more effective and productive.

• Network Performance Management: Having the right technologies installed is crucial – but ensuring their uptime is just as important. Every minute a network goes down can result in millions of dollars lost and reduced productivity.  Network performance management tools give your IT department a holistic view into key network applications, ensuring applications stay up and running – and your employees can stay connected.

• Storage Backup: If an employee unexpectedly falls ill, your company needs to ensure all their key priorities move forward and remain organized, whether crucial information is readily available or not. With storage backup, businesses can quickly recover essential information, like urgent emails, to pick up projects without missing a beat.

Incorporating the right technologies to protect your employees and business is no longer an option – it’s a necessity.  Those who take the steps to have the right plans and technologies in place will undoubtedly come out ahead.

Dr. Lance Ford and Scott L. Parks, Superintendent of Howe Public Schools in Oklahoma recently sat down at the video teleconferencing (VTC) units to conduct a Webinar for Cisco all about the use of VTC in education. During this Webinar, they discussed why the Howe Public Schools have been so quick to embrace VTC, and what the benefits for the school system have been since they have done so.

The story of why the Howe Public Schools have turned to VTC in their classrooms is interesting, and truly goes hand-in-hand with what we’ve been talking about on Break Down the Walls since we launched this blog.

Howe Public Schools is a K-12 school district that services a small corner of southeast Oklahoma. The region is rural and isolated and has about 500 students of which nearly 88 percent are high poverty.

When Scott L. Parks joined the district 12 years ago, he realized just how isolated the district was, with the closest city one hour away in Arkansas. The technology was poor, with computers labs filled with aging computers with simple dial-up connections and no real Internet access for teachers in their offices.

Scott realized that the district was “just existing” and not flourishing. The district was struggling academically and financially and needed to make changes in how it taught students and the educational experiences they provided for them.

The introduction of VTC technology provides resources for students that simply didn’t exist before. Foreign language, advanced placement and other high-level courses were not available. By introducing VTC, the school district was able to bring these courses to their students without expending too many of their limited resources.

In addition, many of the students in the Howe Public Schools will never leave the county or the state. With the closest city an hour away, and other large urban areas two to three hours away, the ability to provide educational experiences to students, including outside experts and field trips, was horrendously limited. VTC brings them new educational opportunities that would previously been impossible due to finances and logistics, such as virtual tours of the Baseball Hall of Fame or the USS Arizona.

But students aren’t the only ones benefiting. Teachers have been able to use their VTC solutions for team teaching. Also, teachers, such as Dr. Ford, have been able to get advanced degrees through distance learning via VTC.

The Howe Public Schools are an incredible example of how VTC in the classroom is breaking down the walls separating students and a better education. To hear more about how the Howe Public Schools used VTC to enable a new way of teaching, check out the Webinar by clicking here (free registration required).

When we discuss the benefits of telework and video teleconferencing (VTC) with people, they almost always bring up how it helps reduce the amount of business travel that they need to do, and, as a result, how it can save their organization money over time.

And that’s true, VTC and telework enable individuals who are separated by miles, borders and even oceans to interact and communicate as if they were in the same room, practically eliminating the need to board a plane and meet face-to-face. In light of today’s near-ridiculous international airfares, that can be a huge savings. And it’s still cheaper over time than continued domestic flights, hotel stays, meals and every other expense associated with business travel.

Well, it turns out that users of VTC technology aren’t just buying in for the decreased travel and cost-cutting. There are other benefits to adopting VTC that should eliminate any doubts that government agencies, private enterprises and other organizations may have had about implementing VTC solutions in the workplace.

According to a recent Cisco study conducted by Ipsos Mori that polled an international sample of workers from across 12 countries, the benefits of telepresence and video conferencing extend well beyond cost and travel reduction. Building trust, improving group collaboration and increasing competitive advantage were equally important benefits that users received by using VTC in the workplace.

Other findings included:

• 90 percent of respondents believe video collaboration technologies save them at least two hours of valuable work time a week
• 33 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions estimate they save close to one full day of work per week
• 71 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions say it brings people closer together
• 70 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions say it improves work-life balance
• 68 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions say it enhances the communication experience when working from home
• 67 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions say it helps maintain operations if work is disrupted
• 67 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions say it improves group collaboration
• 67 percent of respondents who frequently use video collaboration solutions said it reduces confusion

That’s a lot of benefits. And the numbers are very similar for individuals who weren’t diehard VTC users.

Since many of our readers are from the public sector, there are some stats here that should speak to you in particular. First off is the stat about continuity of operations, which is so important in the government. If a flu pandemic, blizzard or swarm of locusts keeps government employees away from their offices, VTC can enable the government to keep working towards accomplishing its mission, and not grind to a halt.

Also, with government agencies currently looking to fill thousands of positions and vacancies, the stat about work-life balance is increasingly important. Many skilled and qualified individuals in the workforce are putting growing importance on work-life balance, even over benefits and wages. With the government struggling to compete with the private sector for skilled employees, VTC adoption could go a long way in attracting top candidates.

VTC technologies have always been looked at as an effective and beneficial way to reduce organizational travel and expenses. Now, it looks like VTC is breaking down walls to even more benefits for its users and truly empowering a new (and better) way of working.

Every year, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) brings their members together for an annual conference to discuss the issues they’re facing with other information technology experts and vendors. This year’s collection of CIOs, information technology executives and managers from the states, territories and the District of Columbia, met at the Loews Hotel in Miami to talk best practices and the challenges facing states today.

It was no surprise that this year’s event had a feeling much like the ones over the past few years. With the ongoing economic downturn still influencing the nation, states continue to be asked to provide more services with fewer resources.

Unlike previous events, this year did have a feeling of uncertainty, with many governors about to be replaced during midterm elections. New governors can often spell new leadership in a state, including new CTOs, which means that information technology staff at states are preparing for a potential transition.

One of the things that we found most interesting at this year’s conference was, despite a call to cut costs across the board, there seemed to be less focus on video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions as in year’s past.

Many CIOs were looking into the technologies, solutions and strategies that are often bandied about when cost cutting is needed (such as datacenter consolidation, virtualization, cloud computing), but many were most likely unaware of the significant cost savings that can be realized from VTC solutions.

We’ve discussed the ways that VTC can save a state and local government agency or entity money on Break Down the Walls. From increasing the reach of teachers and making educational systems more effective and efficient, to reducing the cost and need of travel, to making the criminal justice system operate smarter and cheaper, the adoption of VTC can save a state significant amounts of money.

In addition to the savings that VTC can bring to a state or local government, there are other benefits that are especially important today, in light of the upcoming elections. VTC solutions keep communications high between and within agencies while simultaneously cutting costs. During a transition period, new leadership often needs to communicate frequently between and within their agencies. VTC would go a far way in facilitating the communication and collaboration needed to ensure a smooth and effective transition.

Despite the benefits, VTC seems to be overlooked as a cost saving measure by state CIOs. With the pending transition in power and so many added benefits beyond savings, it may be time for state CIOs to take another look at VTC.

You’ve probably heard that using telepresence in place of travel is saving companies millions. It’s one of the most commonly discussed and proven benefits of the technology because it’s quantifiable.  But if you ask anyone who uses the technology regularly, rarely do they talk about the cost savings. Rather, you’ll hear stories about how video collaboration helped a team come to a decision faster, or how the technology enhanced the trust between a supplier and vendor.

While cost savings is typically the driving factor for telepresence investments, it’s the many other benefits that manifest as a result of usage that prove to hold the most value. In an effort to show the strength of the variety of benefits that video collaboration technologies deliver, such as improving work-life balance, increasing productivity and reducing confusion, Cisco commissioned a global study to uncover market-driving perceptions of telepresence and video conferencing in the work place. The research, announced today, polled an internationally representative sample of workers from 12 key markets and found dramatic differences between how users and nonusers of the technology perceive the various benefits.

While there were many surprising and interesting findings from the research, key takeaways include:

• There are significant gaps between user and nonuser perceptions of the benefits of telepresence and video conferencing. For example, 90% of frequent users say the technologies save them at least two hours of valuable work time a week; yet only 1/3 of nonusers believed they could save any time using the technology.

• Both users and nonusers recognize the value of video collaboration technologies, but workers who frequently use telepresence and video conferencing overwhelmingly value a wider swath of benefits that are more evident from usage – proving seeing is believing. Find out how respondents ranked the top benefits here.

• The perception and use of telepresence and video conferencing varies widely among nations, with workers in China consistently ranking highest in terms of usage and perceived benefits. See perceptions of video collaboration in 12 countries here.

This study provides valuable insight into how video collaboration is transforming the way people work and communicate. While not everyone has access to telepresence and video conferencing yet, it is clear that there is demand. This demand coupled with the significantly improved and diversified technology, and declining costs make a strong case for the projected market growth.  It is only a matter of time before workers who don’t have access to the technology, or only have the occasional opportunity to use it, can experience the many benefits of the visually enabled workplace everyday.

Read more about the Benefits and Barriers to Video Collaboration Adoption study here.

It’s hard to believe that telemedicine has been in practice for nearly 30 years. Maybe it’s even harder to believe that it has taken 30 years for the healthcare industry to widely adopt telemedicine.

But, technology really has come a long way in the past 30 years to provide a better experience for patients and their doctors. We are also making real progress on barriers to widespread telemedicine adoption, such as broadband connectivity across the country, as well as around the globe.

This week, I came across an article that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. According to an article in the State College, Pa., Centre Daily, doctors at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh are using video conferencing to examine infants who are more than 2,500 miles away in Fundacion Valle el Lili, a hospital in Cali, Colombia.

That’s right … 30 years later and we are witnessing the globalization of healthcare due to video teleconferencing (VTC).

For those of us who have been in the healthcare industry for some time, we used to think about healthcare as regional in focus. But, through the power of video teleconferencing, the healthcare industry is going beyond the boundaries of the local hospital or doctor’s office. Doctors in the United States are now able to help their peers thousands of miles away.

It’s exciting to see doctors around the world embrace telemedicine, helping expand access to healthcare, not only in rural America, but around the globe. Now, that’s a new way to deliver care!

When the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) met in Baltimore for its mid-year conference this week, the TANDBERG team was there. Aside for the incredible turnout, there was an electricity and excitement in the air this year, and a lot of that has to do with the culmination of the ATA’s effort to increase adoption and get the healthcare community to embrace telemedicine.

As we’ve discussed extensively on Break Down the Walls, there are many benefits of telemedicine. Using today’s advanced video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions, doctors can provide care and treatment to patients miles away. This is extremely beneficial in rural areas and places where specialists aren’t available. Delivering a specialist via VTC can ensure that life-saving treatment can be administered in a timely manner. It also ensures that access to high quality, specialized healthcare is available to all Americans regardless of geography and without the need for expensive or lengthy travel.

Well, the benefits of telemedicine are starting to truly be noticed by the healthcare industry and government. The excitement and buzz at the ATA conference was in large part due to the barriers that have been removed, or are being removed, between the expanded use of telemedicine in the healthcare industry.

In the past, a visit to the doctor would be covered by your insurance and you would probably be on the hook for a low co-pay. That physical trip to the doctor would be covered, but a telemedicine appointment conducted via VTC would not be covered. The end result was the same, a doctor was able to see their patient, but the insurance companies wouldn’t pay for it.

In addition to the cost of telemedicine, there were prohibitive licensing regulations in place. Much of the benefit of telemedicine has to do with the ability to see patients who are far away without the need for extensive travel. Unfortunately, state licensing and other roadblocks stood in the way of doctors treating patients that were out of state or far away.

Thankfully, these things are beginning to change. As part of the recent healthcare legislation passed by Congress, healthcare companies are becoming responsible for covering telemedicine visits and treatment.

Also, a new office, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, was funded to advance medical technology and fast-track legislation that can help increase adoption of these technologies. The Center will investigate technologies that streamline delivery of healthcare and expedite legislation that removes barriers keeping them from being adopted.

On top of legislation to increase the adoption of telemedicine, healthcare companies are starting to see the benefits. For patients with chronic conditions, doctors and nurses can use telemedicine solutions to keep track of the condition more closely. Acts of preventive medicine such as this have the ability to significantly reduce healthcare costs over time.

Although the technology for telemedicine has been in place for quite a while, these roadblocks have been standing in the way of its rapid adoption. Now that these roadblocks are being torn down, the potential for advancement of telemedicine is almost limitless.

What’s more exciting than the increased adoption of telemedicine is the innovation that will most likely follow. The next generation of telemedicine will automate and streamline many process and connect many different systems, making a more efficient, effective and streamlined healthcare experience.

Boston is known for many things. The television show Cheers, the Red Sox, baked beans, college hockey. Above all else, it’s known for the incredible institutions of higher education that call the city home. Among those institutions is the pinnacle of Ivy League education in the United States, Harvard University.

Having Harvard in your backyard has many perks for the city…least of which is the perception that there are a lot of really smart people in town. One of the largest perks is something that came about approximately one year ago.

That’s when Raytheon BBN Technologies, an advanced networking research company, donated the networking equipment that would enable Boston and Cambridge to connect to the schools super high-speed Internet2 network connection. The incredible bandwidth available to Cambridge and Boston high schools as a result has led to some interesting applications that are going to open an entirely new world of learning to the students there.

Cisco has taken advantage of this amazing bandwidth to install Telepresence solutions in a handful of Boston and Cambridge area high schools. Cisco has contributed Telepresence solutions to the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, which are enabling the students and teachers to experience previously unavailable and unheard of educational opportunities.

Using Cisco Telepresence solutions, students at these schools can take virtual fieldtrips to places that the school system would never get the money or permission slips to send the students. They can bring in professionals from a wide range of fields to discuss careers and the schooling necessary to enter them. They can even share resources and deliver courses and lessons previously unavailable on their campus, but offered elsewhere.

All of this is possible thanks in large part to Harvard sharing its Internet2 network, which is a high-speed, high-performance national network dedicated to serving the research and education community. The link between Harvard and the Cambridge and Boston public schools is nothing new, with 123 Harvard educational programs that take place in Boston schools or engage Boston students.

By sharing its network and empowering the use of Telepresence technology, Harvard is giving students at Cambridge and Boston high schools the ability to learn without walls or limitations. Telepresence is breaking down the walls between students and previously unimaginable educational opportunities. Now that’s a new way of teaching.

How many times have you tried a new technology and given up as soon as it started getting complicated?  In those cases, did you ever go back and try it again?  While there are some people out there that may be motivated by the challenge of navigating an overly complex system or technology, the reality is they are the minority.  In most cases, if you have a bad experience with a product or find it’s too complicated or difficult to use, you move on quickly and just hope you never have to look back.

The golden rule in the development of technology intended for the masses: keep it simple and intuitive. This is what made the iPhone such an overwhelming success. The iPhone went beyond what we had come to accept and opened up a new era of expectation: no-fear, intuitive technology designed for the user.  The cornerstone of the simplicity behind the iPhone came with the touch screen interface that allowed humans to interact with their phone through innate, natural gestures and hand movements.

Does this mean that our “old school” touch tone flip phones are soon to become a distant memory?  According to Gartner, we could be headed that direction.  A Gartner recent report^[1] predicted that the worldwide market for touch screen mobile devices will grow 97 percent in 2010; and by 2013, touch screen mobile devices will account for 80 percent of all mobile device sales in developed markets.

But what’s even more interesting is how touch screen technology is so rapidly becoming ingrained into other aspects of our lives. A recent New York Times article discussed this trend picking up with other consumer devices such as e-readers and digital cameras.  But it’s not just in the consumer electronics sector that we’re seeing this.  As touch screen technology becomes more pervasive and commonplace in the mobile ecosystem, consumers are increasingly demanding the same ease of use across other collaboration technologies – both on the personal side as well as in their work environments.

We’ve seen this growing demand with video conferencing and telepresence systems that feature  inTouch interface, a first-of-its-kind user interface that simplifies the experience of video collaboration and makes video calls as easy as the glide of a finger. By incorporating touch screen technology that is purely intuitive and familiar, customers have been able to further drive usage and ensure they’re maximizing on their investment all while enabling a more productive workplace.

Driving the adoption of new technology with new users can be challenging.  But if you’re faced with users that have had a bad experience or found a technology too hard to use, winning them back can be a monumental task.  Which is why it’s so important for technology companies to design products that take the user experience into consideration from the onset of product development, rather than as an afterthought.

^[1] “Forecast: Touchscreen Mobile Devices, Worldwide, 2006-2013,” Gartner, January 26, 2010

Adrian Ott, author of The 24-Hour Customer, and Steve Steinhilber, Cisco VP of Emerging Solution Ecosystems, and others share perspectives with the audience.

Recently, Cisco and author Adrian Ott reinvented the book tour by hosting the first-ever book launch celebration using telepresence technology. More than 100 people, including many Silicon Valley A-listers, gathered for the launch of The 24-Hour Customer using collaborative technologies.

More than six Public TelePresence Suites were connected across Silicon Valley, New York City and Los Angeles and many other attendees joined in from worldwide locations using WebEx. The 24-hour Customer is a book that focuses on the value of time with Cisco TelePresence featured as a case study thanks to the technology’s time saving abilities.

The main event in Silicon Valley featured a live Jazz Band and book signing by author Adrian Ott.  Attendees in L.A. and New York City, received signed copies of the book, networked and enjoyed gourmet refreshments while viewing a stream of the event from Silicon Valley.

Photos (left to right): a) the celebration; b) jazz band; c) author Adrian Ott signing books.

During the thank you toast and program portion of the event, several senior executives from major corporations involved in the development of The 24-Hour Customer presented their perspectives.  One executive from Johnson & Johnson, who was unable to attend in person because of a senior management meeting in New Jersey, shared his perspectives using WebEx.

Steve Steinhilber, Cisco’s VP of Emerging Solutions Ecosystems, described how technologies such as telepresence are changing the dynamics of time zone limitations.  There are more than 600 Cisco TelePresence rooms internally.  Steinhilber and his team recently rolled out a new initiative across five geographies in 48 hours using this technology which enabled his organization to execute strategies more quickly and more in line with changing market conditions.

Telepresence offerings not only provide a faster way to reach people but also reduces the carbon footprint through less travel.  To calculate your carbon footprint check out our carbon footprint calculator.

According to Adrian Ott, “Even though everyone is geographically distributed, I am so pleased that everyone could participate in the celebration.  This was a highly successful event.” As one New York City attendee summarized, “What a great way to officially launch a book.  This is outstanding!”

More information about The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy can be found at: www.24HourCustomer.com



The ongoing economic downturn has led to many households tightening their belts, cutting back on their spending and evaluating their expenditures. Simultaneously, the federal government was implementing stimulus programs designed to kick-start the economy, sending large sums of money to local governments and schools struggling to make ends-meet, improving infrastructure and extending unemployment benefits to help impacted families get through these hard times.

While experts can argue endlessly about the government’s programs and the effectiveness of some of the Obama Administration’s initiatives, the end result of all of this spending hasn’t been all positive. The national debt has risen precipitously. Now, the government is looking to cut back, slash budgets and otherwise find ways to reduce our national debt.

One agency that has been under increased scrutiny has been the Department of Defense, which has been spending aggressively to address national security issues that arose following 9/11 and financing simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently released a 23-point memorandum for reforming the defense acquisition processes. This was done to help reduce government waste, make the process faster and more efficient and overall make the DoD more cost effective.

This reform was definitely necessary. The bureaucratic red tape and vacancies in the acquisition workforce had historically made the process of selling to the DoD lengthy and expensive for companies, who would pass those expenses on to the agency. In addition, overruns and other extraneous expenses were driving up the end cost of projects, many of which were over budget and behind schedule.

The revamping of the DoD’s acquisition process is important, and will lead to long-term savings for the agency, but it’s just one area where they could be operating more effectively and efficiently.

Travel is exceptionally common for civilian employees of the DoD, many of which find themselves traveling between military bases and offices within the country and abroad. The cost of this travel is covered by the agency, and often includes hotel stays, transportation (rail, plane, car, etc.) and a per diem, which covers food and other approved expenses. In fact, there’s an office within the DoD, the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), whose entire responsibility it is to manage and oversee commercial travel within the DoD.

As one of the largest cabinet level agencies in the country, you can only imagine the amount of travel dollars that the agency expends each year. However, much of those travel expenses could be eliminated if the agency would further embrace today’s advanced video teleconferencing (VTC) and telepresence solutions instead of relying so heavily on travel.

VTC and telepresence technologies enable individuals who are miles apart to communicate face-to-face, as if they were in the same room. This ensures that individuals and teams can communicate and collaborate naturally without the need to be in the same room.

By embracing VTC and telepresence solutions for meetings, training and events, the DoD could save a significant amount of taxpayer money. Now that’s a significantly more effective and efficient way of governing.

As an aviation enthusiast, pilot and part-time air commuter, I am sometimes able to avoid the headache and frustration of the gridlocked traffic that plagues tens of millions of motorists each year – and for those on the road, the problem seems to get continuously worse. However, many scientists and transportation experts are now predicting a turnaround in this trend to one from which we should benefit over the next 20 years.

Technological advancements are at the forefront of this evolution, from cutting-edge in-car technology that can sense when there is a traffic jam ahead and adjust for spacing and speed, to flying cars (think The Jetsons), like the ones recently developed and successfully tested by Terrafugia Inc. in Massachusetts. However, what will likely constitute the most dramatic improvement in the commuter experience in the decades to come is the growing trend of “mobility.” In this context, mobility refers to a new way of working: namely, the promotion and realization of a mobile, efficient, and wholly connected workforce. More and more American companies are adopting this concept of “mobility”, allowing their workforces to “work from home” or “telecommute” to help promote efficiencies, give real credence to the promise of a work/life balance, and ultimately, attracting and retaining talent.

The advent of high-end, High definition video collaboration tools has undoubtedly helped to encourage and promote this emergent “work from home” culture. In fact, according to reports from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of U.S. employees who work from home has been on a steady increase since 1999. The agency’s reports show that 11.3 million people worked from home in 2005, up from 9.5 million in 1999. Another survey found that 17.2 million Americans worked from home one day a month in 2008, up from 12.4 million. And this trend isn’t just being driven by the private sector — the Federal Government has also been growing tele-work programs across agencies. For example, 86 percent of employees in the Department of Treasury’s OIG for Tax Administration tele-work and we’re seeing significant growth across many other government agencies.

It stands to reason that with pervasive video-based collaboration becoming a mainstay in competitive, forward-thinking organizations, these numbers will sky-rocket in the coming years as access to video communication becomes more and more prevalent. Furthermore, we should expect telecommuting to expand its reach beyond typical “white-collar” jobs with innovative and customized video solutions that can enhance and improve process within fields such as manufacturing and law enforcement, to name a few.

In the last 20 years technology has had an immeasurable impact on the way we work and play. Only time will tell what the next 20 years will bring, but my bet is that video collaboration tools will indeed emerge to become one of the most important technologies of this century in redefining the way we live, work and play.

Small, but mighty independent federal agency the Institute of Museum and Library Services is doing its part to not only meet, but exceed the goals outlined in the Federal Agency Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans.

If you’ve never heard of IMLS, the agency’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. With 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums across the nation, this is no small task.

Yet, nearly 25 percent of the agency’s staff telework at least occasionally. But, the IMLS is not stopping with a mere 25 percent. Its goal is to have 50 percent of its employees telework at least one day per week by fiscal year 2013.

So, in honor of National Library Card Sign-up Month and the Smithsonian’s National Museum Day on Saturday, Sept. 25 (click here for your free museum ticket at participating museums across the country), we salute the IMLS as they set their goals higher than Napoleon could reach to reduce their carbon footprint. Now, that’s a new way of working!

What is your agency doing to achieve the goals outlined in the Federal Agency Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans? Drop us a comment and let us know.

If you’re the top business school in the United States in the area of international business, your interaction with the international community is of the utmost importance.

Professors need to stay connected with other professionals across the globe, teach abroad and keep on top of the latest global business and financial trends. Students need the opportunity to travel and study abroad. Students also benefit extensively from international internships overseas.

This is the exact position that the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina is in. The school’s International Master of Business Administration program has been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 for 20 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. In 2009, the Financial Times ranked the school’s MBA programs at No. 38 among U.S. universities.

Unfortunately, this success in international business comes with a price tag. All of the international travel required to keep the program at this high level has taken a toll on both the staff and the budget. This is an increasing concern today, in light of the ongoing economic situation affecting the amount of funding and donations being brought in by educational institutions.

In an effort to continue bringing the best minds into the classroom, and to allow professors to keep their overseas relationships without the large budgets and constant travel, the school turned to Cisco Telepresence solutions.

Cisco Telepresence technology has been integrated into a classroom and enables professors to teach over long distances. Off-campus experts can also be brought into the classroom to teach or share their experience. Everyone can see, hear, and talk, even from the back row. Every participant sees the classroom the way that they expect, whether as a student seated in a tiered seat or the professor standing in front of the class.

This new Telepresence classroom has since become an integral part of the international business program. The Telepresence implementation has brought together students and executives. Students are even interacting with executives at major corporations in New York, and other locations across the globe, working on real-life projects that provide true business world experience.

The Darla Moore School of Business has seen so much success with the Telepresence classroom that they’re looking to begin wider adoption of it across both graduate and undergraduate programs in the future. By breaking down the walls between business schools, students, corporate partners, researchers, and others, advanced Telepresence technologies are ushering in a new way of teaching at the University of South Carolina, and around the globe.