Video Conferencing - Potential Medical Applications

While most peoples idea of video conferencing is of group executives sitting around the boardroom table talking to the CEO over a video link on his island paradise. However, video conferencing has come a long way from this stylised image and technological revolutions on the architecture delivering online conferences mean that everyone, anywhere can do it.

One really useful application for high definition, video conferencing is in the field of medicine. There are a number of incredibly versatile and in many instances life saving uses to which video conferencing can be put.

The technology is such that even a simple desktop computer logged onto the internet can provide a valuable high definition video link with a medical specialist or surgeon. The software running such programs is so sophisticated that you can achieve television quality images with incredible sound quality every time. The system ensures that there is no delay or latency in the image screening and that breaks in communication do not occur.

When advising on a delicate operation or the emergency administration of treatment the last thing any doctor would wish to happen is for the system to need rebooting or poor picture quality making it impossible to decide what is going on. The HDVC system provides television quality image presentation and offers crystal clear sound; helping surgeons make the correct diagnosis and offer accurate advice.

A simple but high quality system is also a great aid in the remote care and monitoring of patients who are laid up in difficult to reach places or long stay home patients that need the occasional check up, or to monitor post operation recovery when the doctor is unable to attend in person.

The system, which runs of a desktop computer, can also provide an incredibly useful tool for, often cash strapped health authorities at a fraction of the cost that more traditional video conferencing systems cost.

The same system can also be helpful in the sphere of medical training through easy access conferencing either in house or for remote students. The presentations can also include a whole array of multimedia enhancements, document files, sound and audio clips and PowerPoint presentations. All provided in glorious Technicolor.

Whether HDVC is used as a teaching aid, consultative link or patient monitoring system there are many practical uses that hospitals and medical professionals can put high definition video conferencing to and increase the quality of patient care and student education as well.

Alex acquired various programming skills at university. Recently he got involved with working not only on video conferencing software but with HDVC equipment as well.

Original article

Video Conferencing to Save on Travel Costs

Over the last few years many businesses have struggled due to the financial problems business as a whole has encountered. This has made saving money more important than even with many budgets being cut. This has included travel budgets.

As well as the economy leading to less business travel, in some areas transport costs have also risen. The increasing price of oil has been a major factor in making a high amount of travel unaffordable, and this is a trend that is not likely to change.

There are other advantages apart from cost that businesses have for cutting employee travel. It also saves on time, and being more productive makes a business more money in the long run. It is more environmentally friendly too, something that has become more important to many in recent years.

Although there are positives of not travelling, there are also negatives. Travel may be necessary for meetings, so there could be less company get-togethers to discuss business and forward planning. This can mean a lack of planning that eventually leads to a less profitable business. Depending on the geographic location of customers, travelling less can mean not meeting customers as regularly, potentially damaging customer relationships. It can also prevent a business from going out and generating additional work.

So, while there are positives of cutting down on travel, there are also negatives that can impact profitability. There is, however, one way of not travelling but preventing many of these potential problems. The solution could be Video Conferencing.

More businesses are utilising video conferencing as a way of travelling less while still being able to communicate with fellow employees and customers. It can replace holding business meetings in person. For example, if employees need to meet with a customer, they can each use a video conferencing suite for audio/visual communication with each other. They will each be filmed, with their voices recorded, and this can be transmitted across to the video conferencing suite on the other end. There, they will be seen on monitors or large video screens, and heard through microphones. This all takes place instantaneously, meaning no delays. If video conferencing can be utilised there will be many situations where in-person meetings will no longer be required.

Video conferencing is not a cheap option. However, it can save money once travel savings are taken into consideration. Not only that, but due to the travel time saved, it can also lead to better employee productivity. Travelling can take up a lot of time, especially when travelling abroad. If travelling by air there is the time travelling to and from the airport at both ends, the time spent at the airport checking in, boarding and collecting luggage, and the flight time itself. There is also the likelihood of having to stay overnight, possibly the night before and after the meeting. This can be a lot of hassle for one meeting. It can take three days for a three hours meeting. This would only take three hours if using video conferencing instead.

There are always going to be times when face-to-face meetings with clients and staff are necessary. However, with video conferencing technology, this can be reduced while still allowing meetings to take place and seeing facial expressions and body language. This can save businesses money and increase productivity.

Andrew Marshall ©

Original article

The Hidden Advantages of Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is nothing new. The first video conference was held in 1968. And if you remember Neil Armstrong on the moon, we saw "live" video pictures and had a two-way radio conversation with him at the same time. And TV news programmes have been interviewing people "down the line" ever since it was all in black-and-white. So we are pretty much used to the technology.

However, in business the cost of the equipment was prohibitive for many companies, except big blue-chip firms. And even then, they needed to set aside a special meeting room for the purpose. Of course, things have changed in recent years with dramatic reductions in the cost of video technology and the increased portability of it. Indeed, you only need a webcam on a laptop to hold a live video conference these days - and you can even take part while your on a train, for instance...!

But that might not be such a good idea to discuss confidential matters or future plans for your business...! Portable, web-based video conferencing clearly has its place, but for many companies more secure and higher quality solutions are necessary. And these will cost more than web conferencing, so people clearly want to know the advantages they'll get for spending more money.

The advantages of video conferencing are mostly obvious. For instance, you save money on having to travel and you can reduce your carbon footprint as a result. Then there is speed - rather than having to spend a few days travelling around to your offices or to your clients, you can get the discussion done, over the video conference, cutting back on the time it takes, helping you meet deadlines more easily.

However, there are some extra advantages of video conferencing which are not always so obvious.

Firstly, there's the ability to bring in extra information and additional participants. How often have you been in a meeting and wanted to show the other participants some data - only to find it is back in the office? The only way out of that is to say you will email it to them later - and then you forget...! With video conferencing you can load your files live for everyone to see the relevant information. It is this easy access to all your information that means video conferencing has another "edge" over traditional meetings. You can also call in someone with particular expertise - you can't easily do that if you are in a physical meeting at a different location to the person with the knowledge you want to tap into.

Secondly, video conferencing helps boost creativity. That's because with video conferencing true collaboration is possible. In traditional meetings, someone stands at the front, gives their presentation and others comment or discuss. But they cannot "work" on that presentation - add to the data, enhance the information or change things in any way. With video conferences that include screen sharing that is possible - participants truly can work together, often across international boundaries and time zones, collaborating on a project, rather than working asynchronously, which is the norm for most businesses. And when people collaborate, rather than work separately, they tend to be more creative, coming up with more ideas and potential solutions to problems.

So, not only can a business save money with video conferencing, they can also increase their productivity, speed up their work and be more creative at the same time.

Jon Knight is the Managing Director of Smarter Interactive, a leading supplier of video conferencing services. See: http://www.smarterinteractive.co.uk/

Original article