Government Technology

“We need Video Conferencing to cut our carbon emissions and improve productivity.”

“We need the latest audio visual technologies and rich media to aid our communications.”

Sound familiar? Is your organisation about to implement new audio visual/video conferencing technologies? What are the benefits and how should you go about it?
    
Technology of course offers much but beware – as with many things the devil is in the detail, how well designed are your new systems? Not from an individual product perspective but from a strategic and an end users point of view also from a sustainability standpoint.
    
The majority of audio visual and video conference systems are network centric and will involve multiple brands and types of equipment, whilst this is a concept we are all familiar with in a PC hardware environment the difference that should be borne in mind are that integrated audio visual and video conferences systems do not employ the same universal standards that PC hardware does, and that the resulting integrated systems do not have a universally accepted operating system or user interface.
    
Take a typical audio visual equipped training or video conference room, how many remote controls does the user need to navigate to access the benefits the technology offers? How much training and support does the technology require to realise the potential it offers? Does the equipment actually get switched off when it’s not in use?

An integrated solution
It is of course possible to engineer integrated audio visual and video conference systems in such a way that they shutdown when rooms are not occupied, the user interface can be made identical in all locations and this can be via a single intuitive control panel which greatly simplifies operation. In addition this type of approach introduces the possibility to centrally support and managing multiple local and remote locations including providing real time support.
    
To achieve real return on investment it is necessary to consider the whole solution from a strategic and an end-user perspective; is the system simple to use? Does it increase efficiency and does it save energy, time and money? A well engineered solution should provide all of these benefits.
    
This is where a knowledgeable systems integration company can really add value to the solutions offered by leading audio visual and video conference manufacturers, professional systems Integration companies such as Snelling Business Systems (SBS) that specialise in integration can work with organisations to develop and deliver systems and user interfaces to the exact specification required to meet the end user and organisational needs.
    
At SBS we pride ourselves on providing quality solutions designed around you.

Finding the business need
The first stage in the process of achieving audio visual excellence combined with operational simplicity is to understand functional requirements, a brief that describes what an organisation wishes to achieve is an ideal starting point as it offers the opportunity to examine a range of technologies which may or may not have been on the organisations horizon.
    
This is a relevant point given that much of the professional audio visual and video conference world is not easy to access outside of glossy web presentations.
    
At SBS we like to give the opportunity to do more than view a demo on the web. To realise this we are hosting a two day technology showcase with seminars on advanced technologies and the benefits they offer plus exhibitions by the major manufacturers. The event runs on 2 and 3 April 2009 in Norwich’s iconic FORUM building and entry is free of charge to professional AV/VC/IT users. Norwich is just 90 minutes away from London by train and free onsite parking is available to those travelling by car.
    
More detail on the show can be found in our advert opposite – please come and meet us, join us at the show and gain maximum knowledge at minimum cost.

For more information
Web: www.snellingbiz.com