The Problem: Not using the technology
The corporate office mandated that every
operating unit would get broadcast quality video
conferencing but nobody used it because most meetings
required not just seeing other people but a way to share
presentations and information in an interactive format.
The vendor just sold equipment and had nothing to offer.
The Solution: The complete solution
Using Microsoft NetMeeting to share PC
applications such as PowerPoint and Excel over our intranet,
I developed a standard equipment configuration and room
layout that put a networked PC in meeting rooms at seven
locations, along with an overhead PC projector and screen
next to each of the video monitors. Wireless keyboards
completed the setup, allowing our division to use our
investment with great success and effectiveness while the
equipment at corporate and many other divisions largely sat
idle.
Video conferencing changed the
way we met and did business, becoming a standard alternative to frequent
travel which often led to day long meetings just to justify the trip. The
sound quality far exceeds teleconferencing and the broadcast quality video
image gives a presence that's impossible to achieve with audio alone.
