2014年3月12日星期三

Ottawa firm expands cloud-based video collaboration services

Ottawa-based Magor Corp. announced last week new updates to its video conferencing service that includes a new Windows desktop client and three new features to its cloud services.
So far the TSX-listed firm has offered its video conferencing and collaboration software via dedicated appliances powered by Ubuntu. Now the firm is offering a native Windows desktop app that is touch-screen friendly and is optimized for Windows 7 and 8. Magor’s video collaboration software is also available to anyone that can use a Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browser – including mobile devices.
Magor launched its cloud collaboration platform, Aerus, in March 2013 and is now continuing to build upon its services with three new features. Magor is offering firms that want HD video conferencing an easier way to get their foot in the door, says Steve Anderson, vice-president of cloud services at Magor. Competitors in the video conferencing market often require a specialized infrastructure to be installed on premises before you can start connecting with video.
“What our competitors like Cisco and Polycom don’t have is the ability to bring someone else in, to share my spreadsheet with you,” Anderson says. “We’re a decentralized environment. If I happen to be in my office today, I can call any of my colleagues like I would call them on a cell phone.”
Aerus supports multiple video codecs and integrates them through the WebRTC protocol, he explains. So whether a user wants to connect with someone use Skype, Jabber, or another video conferencing tool, they can take the call using their Aerus client. Inviting a guest to take part is as simple as sending them a URL to join the conference.
Magor's selling point for its Aerus collaboration cloud service is a flexible workflow system.
Magor’s selling point for its Aerus collaboration cloud service is a flexible workflow system.
Three new cloud features were added to Aerus services last week as well: Aerus Invite, Aerus OnScene, and Aerus WebCollab.
Aerus Invite provides a user with a virtual meeting room. Instead of working on number of ports available, Magor lets companies determine the number of users they’d like to support on video conferencing software. The user could both take and place video conferencing calls using the service. Aerus manages the technology being used to answer the type of video call coming in.
“Its best to look at the Magor software as being multilingual and speaking natively with each application,” Anderson says.
Aerus OnScene is a set of services focused on public safety, designed for first responders such as police and fire response teams. Street-level officers could stream back real time video information that is geo-tagged to a command centre to aid in surveillance activities, for example.
“It’s coordinated and we get to see where all the people are on a GIS map,” Anderson says. “What you’re actually starting to see now are a whole bunch of buffet items sitting on top of our Aerus cloud.”
WebCollab lets you connect with video, audio, and desktop sharing in high quality to other participants through a web browser. Perhaps a professor could use this to host a class for students to connect remotely, Anderson gives as an example. The teacher can just share a URL with his students and push out content to the whole class, able to change the view to a different webcam, or a PowerPoint presentation.
Aerus costs $200 per month per user, Anderson says.

Managing organizational activities through video conferencing

Videoconferencing is the conduct of a video conference by a set of telecommunication technologies, which allow two or more geographical locations in communicating simultaneously to each other by two-way video and audio transmissions.

There are some misconceptions among people about cloud video conferencing. Most of the people understand it as similar to video calls or videophones calls but the fact is not like that. There are some differences in video conference and video calls as video -conferencing is designed to serve a conference over multiple locations rather that individuals like videophone calls. This is one of the main differences.

There are various kinds of hardware and software involved in videoconferencing. The software used in it is known as video -conferencing software. In these days, there are numerous service providers which provide these facilities commercially throughout the world as per their clients' specific needs and requirements.

The main equipment or products that are used in it are webcams, videophones, webcams, conferencing hardware and relevant systems that are related to video telephony for two-way communication with live audio and video. The primary section of this system includes various devices like webcams, telepresence systems, video-conferencing as well as video phones. There are many other related products like videoconferencing software client and codecs.

The secondary section of videoconferencing system include of Video Relay Services (for hard-of-hearing, deaf as well as speech-impaired individuals), Public Access Videoconferencing facilities, Telemedicine along with various others. These systems have made drastic changes in managing organizational activities in terms of meetings, seminars, important conversations along with various others. This is very helpful for especially those offices or organizations, which have multiple offices across many cities in a state or a country. Official activities and functions can be easily managed by official executives and managers for various locations, where their offices are located.

Most of the businessmen think that video- conferencing would be expensive deal for us but the reality is not like that. In these days, there are many small IT Companies, which have started to provide video conferencing services for a small or medium organization according to their specific needs and requirements. If you have a CEO of a company which has more than two branches at different cities and want to manage your operations and activities efficiently, video conferencing options would be one of the most suitable options for you. If you have no any idea about prominent services providers, go through online resources. You'll be able to choose one of the best video conferencing service providers as per your official requirements.

2014年3月11日星期二

Students to use video conferencing for online debates

A cloud video conferencing facility has been set up at the Kenya National Library Services’ Nakuru complex.
This will now enable school debating clubs to conduct live debates across the country.
The project named The American Corner is a joint venture between KNLS and the American embassy.
In a pioneering pilot project, debating club members from secondary schools in Nakuru and Kisumu will engage in real time friendly exchanges on various topics.
The e-resource centre has been put up at the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) Nakuru complex in partnership with the USA e-library, a project launched earlier in Kisumu KNLS.
The e-library provides an online database with numerous resources for student researchers, lecturers and the public who can access the content in the KNLS e-resource centres.
Nakuru and Kisumu libraries will host different groups of students from local schools.
The programme will be rolled out countrywide after the official launch by the embassy which is scheduled for later 2014.
Mr Joseck Olala, an ICT officer at KNLS said that the trial session had been hosted with students from Nakuru’s Menengai High School and Kisumu Day Secondary School participating in a live online debate.
“The students from the two schools engaged one another in a very successful debate, ' he said.
He added that students will also use the sessions to bond with one another both locally and internationally.
KNLS Nakuru and Kisumu libraries have been placed under the American Corner project due to their high level of technology.

2014年3月9日星期日

Video Collaboration Software


What will you do if you need to collaborate and communicate with your branch offices,  dispersed teams, customers and partners as well? Email and telephone are already outdated, let alone face-to-face meeting, it is too expensive, time consuming and less efficient.
Nowadays, more and more enterprises tend to use video conferencing software, a kind of video collaboration software to collaborate and communicate with colleagues, customers, clients and partners living in different places.
According to Eugene Eric Kim, founder and director of Blue Oxen Associates, the future of the free world may well depend upon it -- and no, he's not kidding! Unfortunately, there are a list of video collaboration softwares online. Most of them have similar functions, and In this article, we will introduce one for you: CUMeeting video collaboration software.
With CUMeeting video collaboration software, you can easily collaborate and communicate with as many people as you can no matter where they live with HD video and many other features such as whiteboard, file sharing, screen sharing, media sharing, text chat, electronic voting etc.
Key features of CUMeeting video collaboration software
Multipoint video conferencing: You can use CUMeeting video collaboration software to connect with multiple points of participants. It can stream generally 16 points at the same time, if you have more than 16 points, you can broadcast each point of video by turns with video polling feature.
voip
Text chat: With text chat function you can freely send text messages to anyone you like. It allows you to privately chat with specific person or group of people or all people. Just click the drop down list of Chat to choose person that you want to chat with.
meeting-recording
Sharing: Participants can view your actions on the desktop in real time, view your selected application and file including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, PDF, TEXT, Image etc. Besides, you can send file to participant or receive file from presenter.
live-or-streaming-video
Whiteboard: Whiteboard feature allows you to add annotations, highlight any specific content on the presentation (support Image, PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), add notes on a virtual whiteboard. Annotations can be reviewed in real time.
live-or-streaming-video
Electronic voting: If you need to know the opinion of all member involved in the participants so as to make final decision on specific matter, then, you can use electronic voting function to gather information needed. The results can be viewed in real-time.
live-or-streaming-video

Article Source: Video Collaboration Software

2014年3月5日星期三

Online program supports new Canadians, ESL learners

Technological online teaching software, multimedia devices and interactive teaching software are being used to provide targeted instruction, assessments and reviews for people who need to learn English.

English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are often taken for academic purposes, but many see the best online teaching software as a way to advance international careers and global businesses.

Technology, especially the Internet, is changing the way we teach and the way we learn, and it is particularly useful in language instruction, with its ability to connect people with differing languages skills in real-time so they can interact and converse with each other as a way to enhance learning. Mobile applications and web based training software programs are also helping people who could not access foreign language education before.

Many of these digital learners are talking to Canada and the language coaches at TalktoCanada.com.
TalktoCanada was developed and launched by partners Alysia Bartley and Marc Anderson, who first and foremost had identified an software for online teaching need for language resources; having just finished their own university studies, they set out to become teachers from their home in Thunder Bay, ON.

The company now employs several dozen staff members who provide software for teaching online English lessons to private students and businesses in more than 50 countries around the world.

(For ESL learners and adult immigrants in and around Calgary, there is an free teaching online software collection of resources and information to help people who are new to the city, or are looking for help learning the English language.)

One tangible benefit is the use of and exposure to authentic language, idioms and accents used by real people; foreign language students say the immediate feedback helps boost their confidence, and it increases their global awareness through real time interaction. Students can progress at their own pace and keep track of their own progress with the support of the teachers and the technology.

The students also report that online education software is less stressful at home, and the computerized instruction has shown learners to be more responsible for their own learning and managing their own timetables.

Online teachers say they appreciate the versatility, the multimedia capabilities, and a myriad of interactive functions. Specific instruction can be targeted and maximized. Student assessment, skill and concept review, and ongoing record keeping are enhanced. Instruction can be personalized for the beginner, advanced, and business-specific learner.

Various literacy skills are taught. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills help develop English fluency, alongside an emphasis on vocabulary and grammar.

There are supplementary online training software such as voice message boards, games, and online dictionaries. Forums and video chat software can be scheduled among students and with teachers. Before formal instruction begins, there is an initial assessment to determine which specific course is appropriate for the student.

It’s been estimated that over free one training software billion people worldwide now study ESL. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and networked, more foreign students are enrolling in online English classes. Europe boasts a third of all students who study ESL. There are a high number of online ESL learners that reside in countries in Asia such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China, clearly the country with the largest potential of future ESL learners.

2014年3月4日星期二

Texas high school uses video conferencing to bring the world to the classroom

Del Valle High School teacher Michael Cunningham has found a way to knock down the walls of his classroom and engage his students in rich conversations with other high school students around the world.

Cunningham is using teleconferencing technology from LifeSize. The system enables him to connect members of his speech and debate classes with students at other high schools in the US, Australia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The live discussions are part of a larger initiative to broaden the student learning experience through video technology.

"The purpose [of these cloud video conferencing is to provide a world class education in my school by bringing the world to Del Valle," said Cunningham in an e-mail interview with T.H.E. Journal.

Cunningham, a 28-year veteran educator, first introduced free video conferencing online into his lesson plans in 2001. DVHS uses LifeSize's ClearSea system. Cunningham has used the system to stream presentations from guest lecturers as well as to hold moot courts, mock trials and debates with schools around the world.

"Today we had a moot court with the Czech Republic and then a debate with Sisler High School in Winnipeg, Canada," he noted. Earlier this month, his students debated the topic of drug trafficking with students at Findon High School, in South Australia. "And last fall we had a video conference server about Iran from Pittsburgh at the same time my students were arguing with Kehrad High School of Iran."

The free video conferencing sessions have given Cunningham's students a rare real-world glimpse into the turbulent social and political environments of their global peers. He recounted a time when a conversation with students at a school in Uzbekistan was cut short because the army appeared for a "crackdown" of local residents. Another time, a discussion with a class in the country of Georgia ended abruptly when Russian troops invaded the region. And just recently, while talking to a teacher at her home in Kiev, rioters took to the streets, protesting the government.

Cunningham sees big opportunity for best online meeting software in education, particularly for students at schools in low-income areas. Three years ago, he launched a project called online teaching software. The program is designed to bring educators from around the globe to teach in the United States, via teleconference.

"It [is] the ultimate concept of bringing the world's best and brightest teachers to schools in urban areas," he explained. The initiative aims to level the academic playing field by providing a way for all students -- at all schools -- to have access to high quality educational content.

"In the 21st century, you do not have to go to the suburbs to get the very best teachers," Cunningham said. "Come to the inner city and we have a faculty that is truly second to none in the world. Why? Because we have brought the world to that school."

2014年2月27日星期四

VCSU to host videoconference with university in Philippines Feb. 26

Four faculty members from Valley City State University will make presentations as part of an international cloud video conferencing with the University of the East (UE), Manila, Philippines, to be held Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. in Rhoades Science Center on the VCSU campus.

VCSU faculty Shou-Ching Chao, Daisy Figueroa, Jodi Shorma and Rob Walsh are panelists for the free video conferencing online titled “Preparing English Language Activities for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom.”

The web video conferencing will electronically connect VCSU presenters with their counterparts in the Philippines—UE professors Mark Fabella, Paolo Danduan, Menandro Mortel and Arnold Santos. The international collaboration features presentations by each VCSU professor, followed by a brief response to each by the UE professors.

In addition, the event will include the culmination of an intercultural assignment in which students of VCSU’s Jodi Shorma were paired with students of UE’s Arnold Santos.

Once the largest university in Asia with more than 60,000 students, UE is a leader in technology, dubbed “most wired university” by Computer World Magazine and Enterprise Magazine in 2006.

The event is open to the public free of charge.

Article Source: VCSU to host videoconference with university in Philippines Feb. 26

2014年2月25日星期二

New video conferencing network launched to cater to HD

Media Network Services (MNS) launched of a new global video conferencing network enabling any business with video conference equipment to experience high-quality to Telepresence and Internet video conferencing without the need of traditional dedicated networks.
The increase of businesses choosing to use online video conferencing to communicate and interact with employees, customers and partners led to a high demand for enhanced video presentation software quality.
While companies traditionally have invested in expensive dedicated networks to experience high-quality to telepresence and web presentation software, MNS now offers affordable guaranteed-capacity network to meet any demand for maximized video conferencing experience. And there is no need for businesses to invest in new video conferencing equipment when taking advantage of MNS’ global network.
“We are very excited about our new global webinar software network. Media Network Services can  enable any business to experience a maximized online training software experience while leveraging their existing online video teaching software equipment”, says Haakon Bryhni CEO, at MNS.

2014年2月19日星期三

Telstra to offer Blue Jeans video conferencing service

Telstra will start selling cloud-based video conferencing and collaboration service developed by Blue Jeans network.
The web-based product, that works with most video systems and devices, allows businesses to use the internet to connect face-to-face while sharing content and presentations with staff, customers and suppliers.
“With full compatibility with other industry leading web based video conferencing providers and an ability to dial in from a phone line if no video options are available, Blue Jeans makes it possible for billions of devices which were previously incompatible to now join together in an easy video call,” Blue Jeans chief operating officer Stu Aaron said in a statement.
The multipoint video conferencing market is rapidly picking up steam with even the likes of Google getting ready to take on heavyweights like Cisco and Polycom.
While it has been around for twenty years, for organisations making the most of the technology has historically gone hand in hand with prohibitive costs
Typical deployments are usually limited to only a handful of rooms in large office locations. But with the mean capital cost of a telepresence deployment hovering between $250,000 and $300,000 there has always been a built in barrier to right of use.
However, the proliferation of mobile devices has added a new dimension to unified communication (UC) deployment, with a recognition that important conversations just don’t need to happen in purpose-build screens and rooms.
With rank and file appetite for conferencing services on the rise businesses are now acutely aware of investing in viable services.
Telstra Business group managing director, Will Irving, says that combining Blue Jeans technology with the reach and reliability of Telstra’s networks provides a compelling service to local businesses.
“With this new solution employees at work, at home, or on the road can connect face-to-face with their colleagues, partners, and customers whether they are in a boardroom, an office, a living room, or a coffee shop,” Irving said in a statement.
Launched in 2011, Silicon Valley-based Blue Jeans is keen to take the fight  up to the legacy giants, with the only interoperable video conferencing server service on the market right now.  
Australia is currently the sixth largest market for the company following the US, UK, Canada, Germany and India

2014年2月17日星期一

Enjoy 50% off of CUMeeting 12 months license for 25 users

Trying to explain something on your computer to someone else is impossible unless they can see what you’re doing. Crowding people around your screen is one possibility, but impractical if your team is distributed in different offices. The perfect solution lies in today’s discount software promotion, CUMeeting!
CUMeeting is a powerful web conferencing solution that lets you share your screen and files with people around the world. With it, you can view up to 16 simultaneous streams. If there are more than 16 people in a web conference, each video can be broadcasted by turns. Besides, you can conduct your video conference with up to 1,000 people.
Best of all, with CUMeeting, you’re not just limited to desktop or laptop computers, since the program also supports iPads, iPhones, and Android devices, all in glorious 720p/1080p resolution! Everything you need to do and share is right here in CUMeeting, including the ability to view applications and files, send files from presenter to participants, and play a variety of audio and video file formats.
Beyond just screen and application sharing, CUMeeting also includes a powerful Whiteboard feature that lets you add annotations to the screen and highlight specific content, boosting the ability to collaborate with others, explain ideas, and come up with innovative solutions as a team. You can even use CUMeeting to capture an entire meeting as a WMV or ASF file so that anyone can view it, anywhere, at any time!

2014年2月10日星期一

Google Inc launches Chromebox for videoconferencing at $999 – Financial Express

Google took aim at office meeting rooms with the release of a Chromebox for web based video conferencing.
“These days, we often connect with each other from far-flung locations, coordinating time zones and dialing into conference calls from our phones,” product management vice president Caesar Sengupta yesterday said in a blog post.
“Meetings need to catch up with the way we work they need to be face-to-face, easier to join, and available from anywhere and any device.”
Chromebox-for-meetings is available in the US at a starting price of USD 999 and is to be released later this year in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Japan, New
Zealand, and Spain.
The first model box comes with a high-definition camera and a speaker with a microphone. A monitor must be provided.
There is an annual management fee of USD 250 for the cloud-based video conferencing setup.
As many as 15 people can take part in a Chromebox multipoijnt video conferencing using smartphones, tablets, laptops or other Internet linked computers.
Google has been working to expand its business beyond online search and into businesses with a productivity and collaboration software offered as services in the Internet cloud.
The California technology titan also continues to promote Chrome-powered boxes and laptops that push computing power to servers in Google data centers.
Google introduced the first Chromebook in mid-2010 in a challenge to Windows operating software at the heart of Microsoft’s empire.
The array of Chromebook makers has grown to include Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Samsung and Hewlett-Packard, with many models offered at bargain prices when compared to high-end laptops.
Shifting operating software to banks of servers online means that Google updates programs and fends off hackers and malicious software.

2014年2月8日星期六

Google takes on Cisco In video conferencing market

Google has entered the cloud-based video conferencing market with the release of the Chromebox for Meetings, billed as a low-cost, easy-to-use device for holding business meetings in any room.
The wireless device, introduced Thursday, comes with everything but a display for holding meetings of up to 15 people on laptops, smartphones or tablets.
People who prefer phones can dial into a meeting through UberConference, while those with traditional web based video conferencing systems need to have a separate tool sold by Vidyo.
Chromebox, which will compete with products from Cisco Systems and Polycom, costs $999 and comes with a high-definition camera, a microphone and speaker unit and a remote control with a full QWERTY keyboard. The device itself has four USB ports and is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor.
After the first year, buyers pay $250 annually for use of the service, which utilizes Google+ Hangouts and Google apps, such as Calendar for scheduling meetings and Gmail for people who join without a Chromebox. Dell, Hewlett-Packard and ASUSTek will sell Chromebox. It will also be available through resellers CDW and SYNNEX.
The device will be sold first in the U.S. and in Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and the U.K. later this year. "We are excited to be working closely with Google on such an innovative solution that gives professionals the opportunity to connect, collaborate and meet face-to-face no matter where they are," Neil Hand, vice president and general manager for the Dell Tablet Group, said in a statement.
Companies that tested Chromebox before the launch included Eventbrite, Gilt, oDesk and Woolworths Limited. Google's interest in online meeting software started with its development of Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC), a technology the company open sourced in 2011.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) are standardizing WebRTC. The technology is considered a disruptor in the web conferencing software market because it enables inexpensive browser-to-browser applications for voice calling, video chat and peer-to-peer file sharing without plugins.
Advance implementations of the technology are in the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers. Video conferencing server is a key component of corporate strategies for Web-based collaboration. However, the market has stalled as companies decide whether to take advantage of inexpensive software options or cloud services, according to market researcher IDC.
"We are definitely starting to see the impact of lower-cost video systems and more software-centric products and offerings on the enterprise video equipment market," Rich Costello, analyst for IDC, said in a statement. Overall mutlipoint video conferencing equipment revenue fell almost 10 percent year to year in the third quarter of 2013 to $576 million, IDC reported.

2014年2月6日星期四

Vidyo, Google to let Hangout users hang out with other video callers

As Google unveiled its first multipoint video conferencing hardware on Thursday, it also introduced software with partner Vidyo that can bring together employees in video meeting rooms and users of Google+ Hangouts.
The software, called VidyoH2O for Google+ Hangouts, is the first product to come out of a long-term partnership between Google and Vidyo aimed at improving the quality of Web browser-based video meetings. It will be available March 31, priced at US$99 per month for on-premises use or $149 per month as a cloud-based video conferencing.
VidyoH2O acts as a bridge between Google+ Hangouts and legacy collaboration platforms, including video conferencing server room systems from Cisco Systems, Polycom, Avaya, Logitech Lifesize and Vidyo as well as voice PBX (private branch exchange) systems. The result is that enterprise employees can use Hangouts to join meetings with colleagues or outside partners who are on room systems or office phones.
There are more tools than ever for doing video chats on the Web and mobile devices, but the big, expensive, dedicated systems that once were the only options are still installed in many enterprises. Vidyo and Google, like some other vendors, want to bring together as many platforms as possible so more potential contributors can get in on meetings. Last month, Logitech announced the ConferenceCam CC3000e, a hardware system that can be used with popular collaboration software from vendors including Microsoft, Cisco and Vidyo.
Google+ Hangouts, the group video chatting feature of Google’s social network, runs on WebRTC, an emerging platform designed to make video and audio conferences possible in a browser without plug-ins. VidyoH2O acts as a bridge between Google’s offering and traditional collaboration systems that use standard H.323, H.264 and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technologies.
The Chromebox video meeting system Google introduced on Thursday consists of a Chromebox compact PC, an 1080p camera module, a combination speaker/microphone and a radio-frequency remote, and is intended for web conferencing software small “huddle rooms” in an office. It has a Hangouts-style interface and is designed to work with Google software such as Google Calendar, Hangouts and Gmail. The product, priced at $999, is one of the meeting systems that could be linked together through VidyoH2O, said Ofer Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of Vidyo.

2014年1月23日星期四

Hinds Co. inmate visitation to be through video conferencing

The 1,000-plus inmates in Hinds County’s three jails will soon talk to friends, family and attorneys through web based video conferencing rather than eyeing each other through a Plexiglas screen in the jail’s visiting area.

Members of the Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the new visitation system, which could reap hundreds of thousands of dollars in fee income for the county. Mobile, Ala.-based Global Tel Link Corp. will provide the service.

It’s touted not just as a revenue source but also as a safety move. Guards and deputies now must move inmates from secure cells to facilitate visitation, potentially placing inmates and staff at risk. And, using cloud-based video conferencing will keep down the number of visitors to the jail, including those who try to sneak in contraband.

Today, inmates wanting to visit with someone outside the jail can either call them for a flat $3.50 in-state fee, or their visitors can come to see them at either the Adult Detention Center in Raymond, the women’s facility in downtown Jackson, or the Penal Farm located adjacent to the main Raymond jail. Inmates do not have to pay for visits at the jail, in which there is no physical contact. The inmate and the visitor are separated by a clear screen and talk to each other through a telephone hookup.

“When I have full-fledged visitation going on at the Raymond jail, it’s exhausting to the staff,” said Hinds County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chris Picou. Inmates must be moved to designated visiting areas, and their guests often come unannounced and unscheduled, he said.

The new system allows visits to be scheduled online. Those wanting to visit inmates can use their own computer or cell phone to multipoint video conferencing with them, and attorneys can save time and money by conferring with inmates from their offices instead of driving to Raymond.

“Where I would now use 10-12 people to staff visitation, I wouldn’t have to use any,” Picou said. “The technology is something we have badly needed.”

Said Jackson attorney Mike Espy, who is representing GTL in the endeavor: “It’s a tremendous upgrade to the current services.”

There will be no fee for a video visit in which the visitor comes to one of the three jails. And, in certain circumstances, inmates and visitors could still see each other through the glass screen, Picou said.

A typical video conferencing server visit lasting about 20 minutes would cost $12. That’s a lot less than it might cost someone to drive to and from the Raymond jail, take time off work or factor in inconvenience, said Robert Orso, an account manager for GTL. “This is especially good for attorneys who spend a lot of time just coming to the jail. They can now sit in their offices and talk to their clients.”

Inmates and potential visitors will be given instructions on how to use the new system. They can still place phone calls instead of choosing to visit by video.

In 2012, the county reaped about $175,000 in fees from inmates placing phone calls at $3.50 a call. In constrast, Orso said, Rankin County earned about $369,000 from inmate video and phone fees in 2012, even though that jail system has less than half the inmate population of Hinds County.

Orso estimates the county could gross about $700,000 from fees generated for phone and video visits in the system’s first year. Of that amount, the county would keep 60 percent, and GTL would get 40 percent. The county would pay no money up front for the new system.

Although all supervisors approved moving to the new system, District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes worried that some visitors would rather use the old procedures. “This is a county jail. It’s not a prison. A lot of the people are innocent,” he said. “You have mamas who call us and their son is in jail, and he hasn’t done nothing. I hope we will support them visiting face to face.”

Article Source: Hinds Co. inmate visitation to be through video conferencing


2014年1月22日星期三

Video conferencing company Blue Jeans network raises $50M for global growth

Blue Jeans Network, a web based video conferencing company that plays nicely with other services, is announcing that it has raised $50 million in new funding.
The round doubles the amount that Blue Jeans had previously raised, and it was led by Battery Ventures, with participation from previous investors Accel Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and Norwest Ventures Partners. (A spokesperson told me that Battery’s Roger Lee isn’t joining the board of directors, but he will be sitting in as an advisor.)
When a company raises a round of this size, it’s probably growing at an impressive clip (especially when, as co-founder and CEO Krish Ramakrishnan claims, it managed to close the round in a single week). Blue Jeans isn’t sharing revenue numbers, but it does say that its customer base now includes more than 2,000 businesses of all sizes,including Facebook and 99designs. More than 3 million people have conducted nearly 2 million meetings using the service.
Naturally, Ramakrishnan and I used a Blue Jeans cloud-based video conferencing to discuss the funding. One of its main selling points is its interoperability with services like Skype and Polycom RealPresence. In conjunction with Blue Jeans’ mobile apps, this seems to fulfill Ramakrishnan’s goal of letting people join a mulitpoint video conferencing from wherever and whenever they want. (Not that I really stress-tested it — I just connected from my browser after spending a few seconds installing the needed plugin.)
The broader goal, Ramakrishnan said, is to turn Blue Jeans into the top platform for visual collaboration, which he described as “the wave of the future.” In other words, it’s not just about video conferencing server, but also helping users work together in “visual, real-time” way. Ramakrishnan said that doesn’t mean competing with to document-sharing companies like Box, but rather making that documents and other content a bigger part of the conference experience: “We want to replicate what an office meeting would look like.”
Ramakrishnan added that the new funding will be spent in a number of areas, including research and development, sales and marketing (more on that in a second), geographic expansion (with new offices in San Francisco and operations in Europe and Australia), and building a data center.
And yes, Blue Jeans has also attracted attention for its tongue-in-cheek marketing. In fact, my most recent post about the company focused on a fun promotional video about a fake product called The Roominator. Ramakrishnan promised that as Blue Jeans grows, “We’re not going to lose that edge.”
The company has even recruited its new investors to take part in a new promotional video, as you can see below. I’m not sure Battery’s partners have a big future as online video stars, but hey, the on-camera destruction is pretty fun.

2014年1月21日星期二

InFocus introduces cloud-based ConX group video conferencing service

Visual communications industry pioneer InFocus Corporationis expanding its offerings today with the launch of ConX (kh-NEX'), its cloud-based video conferencing service.

InFocus ConX requires no extra hardware investment and enables an unlimited number of participants in different locations to take part in a web based video conferencing using standardized SIP or H.323 video conferencing devices. The user experience is similar to a traditional audio conference; one dials an assigned ConX number from the video device and enters a secure pin code to complete the call. The ConX service then translates all the different feeds and delivers each video stream in a separate window on the same screen.

"ConX makes group multipoint video conferencing a viable option for almost any organization because it is affordable and easy to use. It empowers them to connect and collaborate with employees, partners or customers in a much more engaging and productivity-boosting way," said Raymond Yu, president of InFocus. "Historically, most video calls were reserved for groups who used the same kind of video conferencing, within the same organization. Now groups from different organizations, on different systems, and even using the Web, can connect using ConX." 

Through the cloud, ConX seamlessly connects all parties, whether they are using an InFocus Mondopad, a video phone or a video conference server system from Cisco, LifeSize or CUMeeting. Those who do not have a SIP or H.323 device can connect to the video meeting software using InFocus' free WebDial browser plug-in or can participate with audio-only using a telephone. Users can also join the meeting with audio only, for those participants without video conferencing server devices. Additionally, The InFocus ConX service can easily connect with third-party video conferencing applications such as Jabber.

Yu continued, "From our projectors to our large format collaboration displays like Mondopad one of our core goals at InFocus is to continually deliver products that help people collaborate in productive ways. ConX is a service that continues in that tradition and moves us closer to our goal."


2014年1月14日星期二

VIDEO: Petroc students hold video conference with Noam Chomsky

STUDENTS at Petroc college had the chance to question one of America’s greatest philosophers during a web based video conferencing last month.
Noam Chomsky is a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an American linguist, political commentator and activist.
He agreed to do the conference with both A-level and degree students in December as he had a link with a teacher at Petroc.
Around 75 people from the college attended the multipoint video conferencing and 10 asked questions regarding civil rights in the USA.
Cathy Slaughter, scholarly activity co-ordinator at Petroc, said the conference was very beneficial and feedback from the students afterwards had been positive.
“Noam is 85 and very lucid,” she said. “He used certain questions as a jump-off platform to go on to other subjects.
“It is quite an unusual video and raises some interesting points.”
Chloe Gibson who is studying for a foundation degree in history with English, said: “We are studying the civil rights module at the moment, so it was great to be able to listen to the views of someone who was around at the time.
“I was a bit nervous before putting my question to him, but he was very receptive and I was really impressed by the level of detail he gave in his response.”
Bob Neale who is studying for the same degree added: “It was awe-inspiring. I found the whole conference thoroughly fascinating.”

2014年1月13日星期一

Spotlighting Kashmir issue: Video conference to be arranged for journalists on both sides of LoC

A web-based video conferencing for journalists working on both sides of the Line of control (LoC) will be arranged shortly with help from the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday, Central Union of Journalists (CUJ) President Asif Raza Mir said that people-to-people contacts and other interactions would help the countries sort out their differences on Kashmir amicably.
He said that the conference will also help highlight poverty and other issues plaguing the people on both sides besides creating an environment for promoting mutual trust. Mir said that the divided families on both sides of the border would also get a chance to interact with their loved ones.
The speakers said if the Indian government did not give permission for the conference, they would march towards the LoC in protest. CUJ founder Shamim Chaudhry said that for the first time in history, journalists from both sides would get a chance to interact on the Kashmir issue. He said that the conference will also help in highlighting the Kashmir issue internationally.
CUJ Secretary General Aurangzaib Jaral alleged that western and Indian media had been running a propaganda campaign against the independence movement of the Kashmiris. The cloud-based video conferencing will be a milestone in uniting journalists and intellectuals on both sides to give a befitting reply to the negative propaganda, he added.
CUJ and the National Press Club will arrange the conference.

2014年1月12日星期日

GP2U to launch WebRTC video conferencing app

Telehealth provider GP2U plans to release a new version of its iPhone app with in-built WebRTC functionality, and is also using the technology now to conduct web based video conferencing between GPs, specialists and patients through its website.
WebRTC is a developing telecommunications standard that will allow people to conduct multipoint video conferencing and transfer images and documents in real time through common internet browsers without the need to download a separate application such as Skype.
GP2U founder James Freeman said the new version of the app will allow patients to register, book, pay, cloud-based video conferencing and get prescriptions through their iPhones.
The app is currently in Apple’s approval process, and should be available on the App Store next week. The Android version will be released on Google Play at the same time.
A simple button will be added to the existing app to take the patient straight to GP2U's virtual waiting room, with connections to the doctor via WebRTC proving faster and more secure than when using Skype.
Dr Freeman said he expected there to be reasonable uptake of people video conferencing server through the app on their phones, but most would still use PCs, Android tablets or iPads.
The GP2U website also now includes a WebRTC link in the virtual waiting room, so once a patient has logged in, they only need one click to attend the web conferencing software.
“If I want to see the doctor I go to the waiting room and I wait until the doctor comes to get me,” he said. “With our virtual waiting room patients simply wait the until the doctor pops up on the screen. That's pretty easy to explain. Go to the waiting room and wait for the doctor – you don't need to explain anything much else as it all just works.”
WebRTC currently only works natively with the Chrome or Firefox browsers, but it is also easy enough for users of Internet Explorer as IE will install Chrome's Frame plug-in automatically.
The WebRTC standard is not yet ratified and there is still some wrangling going on – Google, for example, wants to mandate the VP8 codec, while others are still pushing for the more widely used H.264. This was initially rejected as it was a proprietary codec and involved licensing fees, but in October last year its owner, Cisco, announced the codec was being open sourced.
People can still use WebRTC now, although it does require a signalling protocol in order to exchange IP addresses, and STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT) and TURN (Transversal Using Relays around NAT) servers to transverse firewalls.
Dr Freeman's team built a signalling server itself, but has now decided to outsource to a company called TokBox, which is backed by Spanish telecoms giant Telefónica. TokBox runs the OpenTok service and is one of many new start-ups concentrating on WebRTC.
“One of the advantages of WebRTC over Skype is that because we are using a signalling server we're not bouncing from machine to machine trying to work out where you are,” Dr Freeman said. “The bottom line is that it only takes a couple of seconds to connect so it’s much faster than Skype.
“We are continuing with the process of trying to make it as easy as possible for people to video conference. We have really smooth registration processes with patients that you can do on the phone or on the computer, it's easy to understand as you just go to the waiting room, you click one button once to allow the camera, and it will just work.
“One of my contentions about video conferencing is that it’s still too damn complicated, but if you look at the little iPhone app, you just press a button like answering a phone call and away it goes. And then once you've finished you press the hang up button. The volume control is the phone’s native volume control, it’s automatically on speakerphone, so there is almost nothing to go wrong.
“From the user interface point of view what we were shooting for was a video application that works as easily as answering a phone call. One button to answer, one to hang up. Simple, but instead of a voice only call you have video as well.”
Dr Freeman and his team have been building the company up for several years, but this year plan to make a full assault on the market, having appointed Salmat to help with marketing and Red Agency to help with PR. He estimates that GP2U currently does more than 20 per cent of all the Medicare-funded specialist telehealth consults in the country, and is also looking to get into the occupational medicine market.
Last year, GP2U caused a few ripples when it launched Skype2doctor, a paid service that allows patients to Internet video conferencing directly with the GP. For both GP2U and Skype2doctor, a prescription ordering service is available that allows the GP to fax a script to the patient's pharmacy of choice, allowing them to pick it up at their leisure. Patients can also choose to have their script mailed out to them or home delivered via Terry White Chemists Online service.
The company has signed agreements with pharmacy giants Terry White Chemists and Priceline Pharmacies to help with prescription medication delivery.
“We are really grateful to both Terry White Chemists and Priceline Pharmacies for the support they have given us in this new and emerging market of online doctor consultations,” Dr Freeman said.
“Because the prescriptions are faxed through prior to the patient arriving, on many occasions they walk in to find their medications already waiting for them, so not only are patients saving time both travelling to see a doctor and sitting in a waiting room, they are also getting a very efficient service from both Terry White and Priceline.”

2014年1月7日星期二

ClearOne to acquire Spontania and expand its video conferencing offering to include cloud solution

ClearOne has entered into an agreement to acquire Spontania from Spain-based Dialcom Networks, S.L. in an all-cash deal for EUR3.65 million (approximately US $5.0 million). Spontania is a software-based cloud collaboration solution which combines the benefits of web based video conferencing and web conferencing software into a unique, effective and powerful enterprise solution that can scale to tens of thousands of users.
The addition of Spontania makes ClearOne the only company offering an entirely software-based cloud-based video conferencing product line that provides on-premise and cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions. Spontania complements ClearOne's existing premise-based, enterprise video conferencing offering, COLLABORATE(R) (VCON).
"This acquisition will position ClearOne to address a broad range of needs in the rapidly growing desktop and mobile multipoint video conferencing markets," said Zee Hakimoglu, Chairman and CEO of ClearOne. "ClearOne can now offer its partners and end users a clear choice between public cloud, private cloud and on-premise solutions for video collaboration along with our industry-leading voice solutions."
"Spontania's acquisition by ClearOne will benefit and provide new opportunities for our partners, customers and other stakeholders," said Enrique Dominguez, President and CEO of Dialcom Networks. "ClearOne shares our vision for the future growth of the video conferencing server market and will be able to leverage its strengths and global leadership position to continue to enhance our web conferencing software."
ClearOne will fund the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Spontania business with available cash and will not assume any debt or cash. The acquisition is expected to be accretive immediately and should close by the end of the first quarter of 2014, subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals.
Since 2007, Gartner, the leading IT research and advisory firm, has consistently ranked Spontania in their "Magic Quadrant." Spontania enables real-time video and voice conferencing, presence and instant messaging, as well as advanced collaboration services, including the ability to share interactive whiteboard, media files and presentations.
Designed to be flexible, Spontania is interoperable with video meeting software and communication platforms and runs on multiple platforms and devices including Android and iOS for smartphones and tablets, and on PC platforms such as Windows, Linux and Mac.