The economy continues to be tough -- unemployment is higher than it’s been since the early 1980s and all levels of services, particularly at the state level, are being threatened. While agencies at all levels are feeling the pinch, services are expected to continue to be provided and employees still want to learn and grow on the job. In addition, agencies are also looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprints.

Video conferencing could be a way to work toward both goals concurrently. Using the right technology, agencies can use video to create off-site training opportunities to expedite professional development without requiring employees to travel across a city, state or the country. Video can also be used to record, archive and podcast meetings, presentations and projects, allowing employees with schedule conflicts or who are ill or on vacation to access the information on demand.

A great example is the use of video in Kansas’s Kan-ed network, which serves schools, higher education institutions and libraries across the state. Using the TANDBERG Codian Multipoint Control Unit (MCU), Kan-ed now offers one integrated network for video, teaching, training, meetings and data sharing, as well as access to the commercial Internet -- all with one router and one network connection. The network also makes it easier for K-12 administrators and teachers, specifically, to connect to state agencies and take advantage of various staff development opportunities that would otherwise have necessitated considerable expenditure of time and travel.

In addition, video can provide collaboration opportunities for agency workers who need to interact with colleagues across town or across the globe. That interaction can include everything from trouble-shooting problems with co-workers on site, to brainstorming sessions in high-definition, real-time environments.

Video can help your agency satisfy training requirements, keep employees connected with each other and reduce its carbon footprint. All while helping staff learn valuable skills in an uncertain economy.

What is your agency doing with video right now?

Video conferencing brings families together

Video conferencing has helped many families of divorce cope with the struggles of staying connected while living apart. A recent article in the Huffington Post details how Utah resident Michael Gough worried that his ex-wife’s relocation to Wisconsin would hinder his parental involvement. He sought to have the right to video conference with his daughter and as a result Utah was the first state to pass legislation for virtual visitation in 2004. Since then, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and North Carolina have all passed similar legislation.

“With video conferencing, I was able to read bedtime stories, help her with her homework and even watch her open up a present,” said Gough.

How has video conferencing brought you closer to family and friends?

The U.S. continues to experience widespread job loss, and the latest survey on consumer sentiment shows that it is falling and consumer spending is down. Not the best news.

Leading economists still predict that the recession will end in the coming months. President Obama says that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was designed to work over a two-year time period, not in just a few months.

Part of ARRA funding that is hitting states soon is for education programs. Of the more than $48 billion provided to states to stabilize their budgets, almost $40 billion of that was designated for education.

In Salem, Arkansas, the local school board has already decided to spend a portion of their stimulus funding on high-resolution video conferencing systems to implement virtual field trips and create opportunities for interactive education.

We’re looking forward to seeing how other states and school districts use their ARRA funding, and are anticipating a healthier economy in 2010.

As we continue to see reduced or flat IT budgets and the economy continues to be stalled, many cities and states, such as California, are faced with reducing costs even more.

Smart governments are also looking at how to maximize any existing technologies they already have to meet the Obama Administration’s call for accountability and transparency. Many of them are looking at video conferencing as a way to bolster communication efforts, and some are looking to take it beyond its use as a “conference room only” tool.

Now more than ever, video can serve many purposes, including the need to be mobile and interoperable. We continue to see reports of the H1N1 virus spreading despite the summer weather, and the possibility looms that it could re-emerge with a vengeance in the fall. A report earlier this month noted that three workers at the Washington Post have been asked to work from home due to the H1N1 virus. This scenario, along with possible travel restrictions, will become more common as we continue to attempt to curb its spread.

Mobile video conferencing solutions are a great way to add onto existing networks and allow your agency to continue its mission-critical efforts in a telework or travel restricted environment. Smaller portable units can be used in home or for travel, and mobile units can be used on a wireless network. These technologies offer integration into existing tools like Microsoft OCS, which many agencies already own and can help them stay within budget.

So if these budget-tightening trends continue, integration with existing technologies will be key. If you already own video conferencing technology, there are ways to augment what you already have and make use of that existing technology while providing new services.

Video conferencing is helping out in the battlefield these days by giving doctors access to specialists and facilities that may be thousands of miles away. I shared a few examples with Washington Technology Magazine recently about how video conferencing is so clear now that a doctor can look right at a patient’s pupil to see if there’s an immediate problem.

Along with reading X-rays by video conferencing, this helps doctors diagnose brain injuries and allows the Veterans Administration, the Army Medical Information Technology Center and others to get treatment to soldiers faster. Other agencies, such as the Department of Defense, are attracted to TANDBERG because of our JITC and IPv6 certifications, which ensure that we are secure and interoperable with other equipment.

Security, interoperability and enhanced collaboration are the reasons that federal agencies rely heavily on this technology. Use is growing, and, as a bonus, agencies are reducing their carbon footprints and lowering communication costs. The agency wins, the environment wins and the warfighter wins. That’s good news all around.

Joel Brunson, President, TANDBERG public sector

In a recent ruling on the case of Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, the Supreme Court stated that prosecutors need to have forensic experts available for a defendant’s cross-examination since technicians who prepare reports act as “witnesses” for the prosecution.

The ruling is important to protect defendants from being wrongly convicted due to inaccurate laboratory tests and/or evidence, but it has created a lot of dissent on the state and local government level. Many just don’t have the budget or resources available to ensure that experts are on hand for cross examination.

In today’s current economic environment, many states are having significant problems with balancing their budgets. The additional costs associated with ensuring that experts appear in court are going to be a huge strain on resources and potentially an inefficient use of time for forensic personnel.

There is a solution that would require an initial investment, but would subsequently save the states significant amounts of money over time: video teleconferencing (VTC). By implementing VTC in courtrooms, experts could “appear” in court and testify without the added expense of travel to appear in a courtroom in-person.

The concept of using VTC in the criminal justice system isn’t particularly new. In a previous post we talked about how the San Antonio police department is using video conferencing in the search warrant process, which is saving time and money by cutting down on the time needed to process a search warrant.

With the new Supreme Court ruling in effect, VTC could be a good solution for saving money for state governments while ensuring defendants get a fair and speedy trial.

Teleworking could save 84 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually

A recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation predicts that telecommuting could grow fourfold in the U.S. to 19 million and deliver substantial economic, environmental and quality of life benefits over the next 12 years. Spurred by advances in IT, such as video conferencing, many businesses have turned to telecommuting as a viable solution to cut costs, increase productivity, and expand the universe of potential employees. In fact, Fortune Magazine found that 82 out of the 100 Best U.S. Companies to work for provide telecommuting opportunities today, compared with only 18 in 1998. Furthermore, if those who could work from home did so half of the time, 84 million metric tons of greenhouse gas would be saved annually.

The report calls for the government to pursue policies to accelerate and maximize telecommuting. Video conferencing is an integral technology for teleworkers who need to maintain important face-time with managers and other remote teammates. More proof that now is the time to invest in visual communications solutions.

See how much you could save on your commute with TANDBERG’s Commuter Cost Calculator.

When President Obama said he wanted to use a BlackBerry, it caused quite the debate about balancing technology and security. He loves technology and knows how to use it. From an updated, interactive website to Twitter, advanced communications are a given in the White House. Click here for the recent MSNBC “behind the scenes” story on the Obama Administration and what it’s like to work in the White House.

You’ll see iPODs, Blackberrys, and even a few TANDBERG video conferencing units at desks. It’s clear that this administration understands the need for open and clear communication and is willing to find the securest means to do so.

Oh, and they really like candy, too.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July.

TANDBERG Telepresence T1

One Communications uses telepresence to improve their hiring process. With two headquarters — one in Waltham, Mass., and one in Rochester, N.Y. — as well as executives split up among several locations throughout the country, the company found it could use telepresence to make hiring new employees more efficient and less costly.

According to InfoWorld, executives prefer to conduct interviews on the large HD plasma screens rather than over phone because they can clearly read body language during interviews and evaluate a candidate’s character. When they ask tough questions, they can assess the candidate’s reaction. It’s also less expensive than flying in candidates for in-person interviews.

Read about other innovative applications for visual communications here.

Recently I went to the 2009 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. This conference brings together the leaders of many large U.S. urban areas, and they decide how to spend grant dollars and provide thought leadership to each other on a variety of topics. They also are part of teams that respond to emergencies facing cities across the nation.

This year, it was quite interesting to find that the perception now is that video communications can and should be used during emergency situations. In years past, I had to explain what video conferencing was. Now, many cities and counties have already integrated video conferencing into their Emergency Operations Centers. The questions I hear now are centered on making the technology work better for a city or county, and advice on how to incorporate video conferencing into existing technologies.

One great example of this integration is with existing tools such as Microsoft Office Communicator, thanks to the collaboration between TANDBERG and Microsoft to produce a powerful video unified communications solution. The use of this technology as a tool to IM, share documents and, of course, communicate using video has moved to the next level. Now, one can connect with larger video deployments that already exist and in fact can design/merge video deployments with Office Communicator. This is just one example of conversations taking place in cities about emergency preparedness.

For information about how Charlotte, NC, uses video conferencing to support their emergency response efforts, check out the video below:

http://www.tandberg.com/media/index.jsp?id=1250

Scott Feinberg, Public Sector Market Manager

Recently the ABC affiliate in San Antonio, Texas, ran a story about another use of video that saves time, money -- and maybe lives. KSAT news talked about how the San Antonio police department is using video conferencing to greatly speed the granting of search warrants.

The story describes how it often took three hours or more for police to secure warrants. Now, it can take only a few minutes thanks to TANDBERG’s PC video conferencing solution called Movi.  All you need is a PC with a webcam (built-in or peripheral) an Internet connection, and it’s as easy to use as making a phone call.

Five judges are Movi equipped so far, and the city plans on all judges soon having the ability to administer an oath online, sign the warrants digitally and help police respond faster. All warrants are reviewed as before, but the police save precious time in going after suspects.

You can imagine the time and expense saved by this approach. Or you can check out the video. Here’s a link: http://www.ksat.com/news/19738909/detail.html#video

Qatar Science & Technology Park, Dubai

Forbes magazine recently interviewed the CIO of global architecture firm Woods Bagot about their use of video conferencing to support their “global studio.” “We’re not like other practices, where someone in the New York office doesn’t know someone else in the Chicago office. We leverage our skill pool globally. We have experts from Dubai, Sydney and San Francisco working on a very large development in the Middle East,” he said.

Enabling their experts to easily meet face-to-face and collaborate anytime with each other and clients is a priority for the firm, and why they were drawn to video conferencing. Not only has Woods Bagot’s global deployment of video helped streamline business processes and improved client relations, the savings for the first board meeting replaced by visual communications was $120,000 just for airfare. Now board meetings are held more often at a fraction of the previous costs, which has helped speed decision making.

The Obama Administration has made it clear that the way government is conducted is just as important as the outcomes produced. As a result, many federal agencies have been focusing on creating processes for collaboration, accountability and transparency that are now required, while still delivering on their mission.

All of this needs to be accomplished with limited resources and in a timely fashion. As the end of the fiscal year approaches, many agencies are facing even greater pressure to deliver on priorities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

A key area of the recovery is the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Public Building Service (PBS) to invest $5.55 billion in federal public building projects, which includes $4.5 billion to transform federal facilities into exemplary high-performance green buildings. Contracts to support approved initiatives will be granted over the next two years.

Now is the time to ensure that you are aware of the opportunities available to your agency. Take a long hard look at your existing technology to determine whether you need to make changes to ensure that you are able to participate in not only a “green” environment, but also in the new Gov 2.0 world.

Is your agency prepared for fiscal year 2010? Have you audited the technology you have in place and know where your agency wants to go?

TANDBERG Telepresence T3

According to a recent USA Today article, video conferencing helps cut travel costs. The article notes that airlines and hotels are “spooked,” as more companies continue to invest in the technology.

It’s no wonder: In 2008 the global video conferencing market grew 24% to $2.4 billion, according to Roopam Jain, a technology analyst at Frost & Sullivan. The firm forecasts the market will more than double, to reach $5.7 billion by 2013. Is your company using telepresence or video conferencing yet?

This week we joined more than 750 participants at the 3rd annual Air Force Cyberspace Symposium (AFCS) at the Shreveport Convention Center. The AFCS theme of Collaboration for the Future is one that we feel strongly about at TANDBERG, given that our video conferencing technologies are centered on the idea that face-to-face communications bolster collaboration.

The defense community is constantly looking for new technologies that will help people across the globe collaborate and share mission-critical information easier, faster and more efficiently. The highest quality video teleconferencing (VTC) is particularly critical for the Air Force because its cyberspace activities are not centralized in one location. VTC enables officers, policy-makers, technology staff and teams in the field to communicate in real-time over secure high-definition networks.

TANDBERG provided attendees, which included senior representatives from the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, industry, cyber-focused organizations and education sectors, a look at the latest and greatest in video collaboration solutions.

At this year’s AFCS, we focused on our capabilities for connecting cyber control centers and showcased the C-60 with a 52“ Profile, the 1700 desktop solution, the E-20 and Movi, our mobile offering. Our E-20 was especially popular at this event for its combination of unique capabilities and high performance at a low price point.

We were excited to meet personally with leaders from the Navy, Air Force, Department of Energy and Department of Homeland Security, and we are already looking forward to next year’s show!