Do Video Conferencing Users Really Experience Benefits?

April 21st, 2011 | Posted by Nina Parker in Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

According to study results released by Cisco, users of video conferencing receive both quantitative and qualitative benefits from the technology. It also sets out to explain why there may be hesitation to use this collaborative tool. TMCnet reports:

The biggest barriers to adoption of video collaboration, the study found, are not technology limitations but rather lack of experience and/or lack of understanding about how benefits outweigh costs. People who regularly use this technology are generally eager to extol its benefits, and overwhelmingly say it is worth the cost. Yet those who do not use it have a hard time understanding why it would benefit them. It truly is a case of seeing-is-believing.

“Ninety percent of those who use video conferencing technologies once or more per week say video collaboration technologies save them at least 2 hours of valuable work time a week—yet only 33 percent of nonusers believe they could save any time using the technology,” Cisco said in a report about the study.
http://telepresence.tmcnet.com/topics/telepresence/articles/165802-study-reveals-quantitative-qualitative-benefits-video-collaboration-workers.htm

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Extroverts Make Better Leaders?

April 20th, 2011 | Posted by Nina Parker in Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, extraverts are more often leaders of companies than are introverts. In fact, in the business world saying you’re an introvert can be a kiss of death. If an executive’s job is high profile and requires interacting with people and energizing a group, introverts can fall short as they are more reserved and think things through before speaking. But what secret can extroverts learn from their introverted peers? According to the April 20th article:

“Ian Cook, the chief of Colgate-Palmolive Co., characterizes himself as introverted. He believes his strong listening skills played a role in his steady advancement since he joined the consumer-goods manufacturer in 1976 as an assistant product manager. “I listen intently,” he says. “I am extremely attentive to language and body cues.”

When someone is attentive to body language, an audio-only meeting will never cut it! Video conferencing is a must-have.

Transform the Usual Classroom Experience With Video Conferencing

April 20th, 2011 | Posted by Nina Parker in Education | Use Cases | Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

Time and Cost Savings: Virtual field trips enable students to safely visit new places without leaving the classroom.

Increased Learning: Attention to the subject matter increases, resulting in improved retention.

Student Collaboration: Students from different schools can work together on the same project.

Team Teaching: Teachers can enhance curriculum by virtually bringing experts into the classroom.

Professional Development: Teachers can learn new skills or earn a degree without leaving their school.

Group Meetings: Increased speed of decision making for school board administrators.

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The Technology That Will Be Found in Court Rooms of the Future

April 11th, 2011 | Posted by Nina Parker in Government | Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

Court rooms in New York have increased the number of hearings conducted over video conference, and it is predicted that the court room of the future will include use of this technology, according to a recent article in the NY Daily News. The benefits of using video conferencing for hearings include reduced exposure to risk and increased security. When more hearings are conducted over video a reduction in inmate transportation costs can also be expected.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/04/10/2011-04-10_hearings_by_video_surge_in_courts.html

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Telepsychiatry Provides Mental Health Services to Those in Need

April 11th, 2011 | Posted by Nina Parker in Healthcare | Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

According to a recent NY Times Podcast interview with executives from a telehealth company, people who require immediate psychiatric help are receiving it thanks to a telehealth service called telepsychiatry. A variety of health care organizations ranging from hospitals to community mental health centers that have difficulty finding person-to-person psychiatrists in their area use telepsychiatry to see patients they would otherwise not have had access to.

Telepsychiatry utilizes high definition video conferencing equipment and other immersive technology to create an intimate experience that can replicate a one-on-one consultation in a doctor’s office. Patients who are treated in this manner report that meeting with the doctor over video instead of in person is not a detriment to the quality of care received.

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/technology/techtalk.html?scp=2&sq=Telepsychiatry&st=Search