Government Technology

The way in which organisations communicate is changing. The requirement for more advanced communication solutions beyond traditional video conferencing is fast becoming a necessity of daily business life.

Traditional video conferencing has added to the business processes of most organisations, offering a powerful multimedia video and audio tool that permits face-to-face communication where geographical participants can be miles or even continents apart. Video conferencing eliminates the requirement for unnecessary travel, resulting in significant costs savings for the organisation and greater environmental responsibility.  

Traditional video conferencing
Traditionally video conferencing has been available in the form of proprietary hardware based products, which often yield a high initial cost of ownership. The integration of the products within exiting organisation infrastructure requires a specific strategy for delivery and specialist support. The equipment traditionally was classed as “video calling”, using existing telecommunication to dial the remote end to initiate a point-to-point conference. This dialled approached required high bandwidth capable communications and therefore the product fell within the organisations telecom budget with inherent high yearly costs.
    
The advent of expanding IP based networking globally has enhanced the traditional video conferencing products to permit sessions to be initiated over IP networks. The upside of this new communication was to eliminate the high yearly telecommunication costs. Although the implementation to IP based video conferencing often resulted in the addition of additional equipment at high capital cost as IP networks are often complex in structure and have high firewall protection.  
    
For traditional video conferencing systems to traverse these networks required the implementation of gatekeepers, video communication servers and multipoint control units (MCUs) to allow multiple simultaneous IP video conferencing seasons across IP networks, with the only drawback being scalability and cost.

Changing communication
As an audio visual integrator, we understand the driving factors for the changing face of communications in the workplace, every organisation depends upon products and services that are reliable, easy to use, easily implemented, easy to support, offer exceptional value and are truly scalable. Understanding these requirements and exploring beyond the limitations of traditional video conferencing has established a new medium of visual communication, which has limitless scalability.           

By blending leading edge audiovisual hardware technology with the flexibility and scalability of the IOCOM software platform creates unparalleled advanced video and audio collaboration environments, which traditional conferencing systems are unable to replicate cost effectively.
    
Full collaboration capabilities are achievable using any communication IP network and existing technology based computer systems. Office/desktop solutions allow for flexible and instant collaboration conversations from the comfort of the desk, while laptops and ultra-mobile device solutions allow you and your staff the ability to keep in contact from wherever your work takes you.
    
Conference room and auditorium systems offer multiple usage environments with large format display technology using either projection or panel displays, controllable high-definition cameras for ultimate, high-level quality video, full room audio systems and touch panel interfaces for ultimate control of the system and environment.  

Face-to-face interaction
Elliot Marks, Director of Flash IT says that high quality audio and video is a must have in any conference system, added with the ability to instantly invite multiple participants to join into the conference is the most powerful edge of our mobile and room solutions. For example, 30+ location independent sites can collaborate together in face-to-face real-time environments where you are able to see, hear each participant and share information, such as PowerPoint presentation, real-time desktops, application, data and whiteboard information.
    
Additionally parties off system on existing phone, web and video conferencing devices can also be included into the collaboration environments, as interoperability with H.323 videoconferencing systems, and full-duplex audio systems are a feature.
    
The user experience is paramount to the success of the solution as users can manage their own display environments. Everyone in session can see each other, arrange windows as they would like it, change the speed and quality of there video and adjust the volume of the other sites audio without effecting the experience of the whole meeting. The in-meeting collaboration tool is powerful, shared information or application data pops up on everyone’s displays so you can see them looking at it and know that everyone is on the same page.
    
We determine the scalability as the defining factor, the ability to quickly add remote sites and users to the solution is easily achieved without having to invest in additional multi-point control units. This combined with easy deployment and support reduces total cost of ownership.
    
With conference solutions in major corporations, medical science integration across the US and UK, military and government and classroom in universities all over the world, the doors are wide open to imaginable collaboration.