May 2009 - Sound & Communications

General Manager of Nortel’s GlobalMultimedia Services, stated, “Telepresenceis not a corporate toy. Serviceprograms and proper training are keyto its success. Users don’t care aboutthe technical aspects. They want tobring legacy systems up to the level ofvisual equality. They want to connectand interact.”McCullen also noted, “Video communicationsare not just viewed as asynchronous technology. Organizationsnow wish to use video to captureinformation and re-distribute it in verycreative asynchronous models. Usersdon’t have to be on the video call toget value from the communication.They can view it later and away fromtheir desks. The value is capturing thevideo information and repurposing itfor training, meeting documentation orother strategic business purposes.”One example he cited was livewebcasts captured from a desktop PCor video room and being sent to hundredsof participants. He also notedthat some organizations are turning onvideo and never turning it off. They areseeking simultaneous response and nolonger having to chase people down.Telepresence is a form of video beingused to improve communications.Some customers are installing telepresencesystems in locations where theydon’t wish to travel due to geo-politicalor security issues. Others are using itto reduce their carbon footprint.Must Be StrategicDifferentiatorTo be successful, video has to beviewed as a strategic differentiator,scheduling must be simple and meetingsmust be as natural as face-to-facecommunications. Telepresence is a mixin the offering of visual communications.Up to 10% to 20% of organizations’video units might be telepresenceunits; 40% to 50% might be traditionalvideoconferencing units; and 30%to 40% might be desktop units.The importance is to offer userswhat they need to match their meetingand business requirements, and provideseamless service that drives highsatisfaction, regardless of the deviceendpoint or geographic locations.Clearly, telepresence has made userssit up and take notice regardinghow they can use this technology toimprove communications. It is one of avariety of video technologies availableto allow users to communicate visuallyfor a variety of reasons: become moreefficient and effective, become morestrategic, improve global communications,reduce carbon footprint and geta visual message to the masses.Organizations are using telepresencefor executive communications, newproduct introductions, sales, training,interviewing, supply chain activities, retail,healthcare, energy, etc. The introductionof telepresence, and its abilityto allow easy visual communications,has meant an increased interest in allforms of such communications. nFinally, an optical matrix for every architecture... and budget!Introducing the Fiberlink® Matrix, a fully configurable 32x32 optical signal router.See it atInfocommBooth 5015Fiberlink® Matrix is a fully configurable and SMPTE compliant 32x32 opticalrouter. The inputs and outputs can be ordered in quantities of one and theinput and output quantities do not have to match providing you with theability to build a Matrix that is ideal for your specific application and budget!Fiberlink and the starburst logo are registered trademarks of Communications Specialties, Inc.CSI logo and the triangle designs are trademarks of Communications Specialties, Inc.©2009 Communications Specialties, Inc.Compatibility with Fiberlink VGA, 3G/HD/SD-SDI, Component Video, S-Video,Composite Video, Audio and other products provides you with an extremelyversatile matrix switching solution. And, the Fiberlink Matrix works with bothmultimode and single mode fiber. Best of all, the entire enclosure is only3 RU high!For more information, call 631-273-0404or visit commspecial.comMay 2009 71