ms teams

Don’t Email me, Video Me!

Hate email?

If you’re in the corporate world, chances are you have an affliction like I do. Five hundred emails, 24 hours a day, two means — portable devices and your desktop — to receive them. Email has effectively beaten the telephone as a preferred way to communicate. And if you think I’m exaggerating, consider this: Intel recently noted that in exactly one minute’s time, more than 204 million emails are sent. That means more than 12 billion emails land at their destination within an hour!

Email may currently be our number one means of communication, but it is flawed. The world of email has become impersonal and sometimes even hostile. How many of us have received the dreaded “all caps” emails where you can feel the sender screaming through your screen? Often people seem too comfortable saying things in an email that they would likely never say in person or via live video.

And, while email ensures that we are in constant contact with colleagues and clients, for just some of the reasons I’ve just stated, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is better.

We’re a mobile business force — one that enjoys the comforts of a work-anywhere lifestyle, whether from the train, the back porch, you name it. And our consumer technology like virtual meetings, video conferencing and other telecommuting technology allows us to do this. We also rely heavily on social media platforms — ones with video chats, picture exchanges, and 140 characters that tell the whole story. So while just eight percent of the workforce is using these tools currently, this is the future of collaboration.

We see it every day in the way our future workforce — teenagers — keep in touch. It isn’t through email or voicemail, its Snapchat, Instagram and Whatsapp. The younger generation uses video daily in their communications, suggesting that today’s CIO needs to be thinking about opening up the corporate intranet for such video collaboration that is device and technology agnostic. Not only is it the future, it’s good for business and promotes global teamwork.

As video collaboration becomes more mainstream how global companies connect offices will impact mobility in a whole different way.  our government is expected to reduce its travel costs by 50 percent across agencies. Why shouldn’t video conferencing tools encourage enterprises across industries to follow suit? And, while some are currently connecting on devices tethered to their desks, the world is becoming more mobile. Major Telephony companies see the mobile market at 6.4 billion subscribers and 50 percent of those are smart phones. With those numbers only expected to grow, more devices will enter the market with video capability — leaving video as the major contribution to mobile data traffic by 2022.

With most consumers buying mobile devices for their bigger screens and HD video capability how can CIOs replicate quality consumer experiences and ensure employees have what they need to be successful?

They’ve tried. Believe me. But one of the biggest obstacles to integrating an employee’s workflow — and making it more of the consumer experience they desire – is the use of proprietary solutions.

For the last 20 years, we’ve seen different communication channels – everything from telephony and instant messages to the email and voicemail we get today. We’ve made improvements, but we often bind ourselves because of separate platforms that cannot co-exist. Proprietary technology is costly, often not scalable and thus, IT departments cannot make it customized for their needs.

My suggestion? Let’s open it up! Cloud Videoconferencing — offers CIOs and employees an option that appears to be traditional video conferencing without being tethered to a desk or platform.

Phone calls are a thing of the past. And I would wager email is on its heels. We’re on video now. We’re on social media now. It’s a multimedia, multiplatform, multi-device world.

Today is already tomorrow; video and social media use — most prominent already in the consumer industry- – will become as natural as picking up the phone or sending an email thanks to increased use of Cloud Videoconferencing. And that’s good news. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to respond to the 147 emails I’ve received while writing this…

 

 

Determine Your Video Conferencing Requirements with These Questions

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Integrating video conferencing into your organization is quickly becoming essential. However, a top quality video conferencing system can be expensive. Therefore, in preparation for deciding on a provider, and choosing a plan for your company, it is well advised that you define your video conferencing requirements well before you begin to draft any contracts with vendors.

The following list should help you narrow down which types of video conferencing systems and equipment you should consider adopting when moving forward with your purchase. Make sure you consult both your management and IT departments in order to cover all bases.

There are three broad areas you should take a look at with regards to your video solutions.

The first is business requirements – the direct business goals that video conferencing should be looking to facilitate.
Next, there are functional requirements; specific details such as number or users and/or overall functionality that feed back into the business goals.
The final requirements to consider are technical. This may include any limitations you have in regards to space, systems, and bandwidth. Take advantage of the deep knowledge your IT team has in these areas before moving forward. Then ask yourself the following:
What is your organization looking to achieve with video conferencing solutions?

This is first and foremost the most important question you must ask before going forward with a video conferencing solution. The wider strategy your team outlines will be a fundamental help in determining the type of video conferencing solution you choose.

What is your budget for video conferencing solutions?

Your budget should be determined by assessing how valuable the solution will be to your operations. In addition, look at where the solution will reduce costs and improve productivity i.e. travel costs, scaling knowledge, connecting remote workers etc.

How many users does your video conferencing system expect to support?

Knowing how many users your organization will have can help you with issues such as bandwidth and pricing plans. However, knowing how much you are likely to grow in the future is just as important.

Where will your users be located?

Will your users be based in the main office or will they be remote? Remember to look to align your bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategy with the solution to make it simpler for remote workers. Also, look at how many meeting rooms you wish to convert into video conferencing suites and, of course, don’t forget to look at all of your office and subsidiary locations.

Do you have in-house IT support or will you need to outsource?

Most vendors should be able to offer you IT support, though this will be at an extra charge. If you are fortunate enough to have onsite IT staff members, they must familiarize themselves with the solution.

Cloud or on premise video conferencing?

It’s not just applications and storage that are offered from the cloud, it is now possible to dispense with expensive video network infrastructure and have video conferencing and calling delivered as a service. This option is by far the most scalable and affordable. In very few cases, organizations prefer to have on premise infrastructure deployed behind firewalls. Therefore, engage with your IT to understand the pros and cons of both environments.
When you are going to implement a video system, follow these questions and assess your business goals to find a video conferencing solution that best suits your company.

At eVideo, we have a complete range of cloud video conferencing services and a portfolio of hardware for meeting rooms systems and software for desktop and mobile devices.

To find out more visit us at www.evideo.com.au   or 1800 11 387

Sydney | Melbourne | Gold Coast | Brisbane| Canberra | Adelaide| Perth

 

Huddle Rooms and Cloud Videoconferencing

Make Your Business More Productive, with Huddle Room Equipment, Products and Software

If you haven’t been seeing the productivity you want out of your employees and your business as a whole, consider that the layout and design of your office space might be to blame. In recent years, many companies have started trying to innovate their office designs to pursue the look and feel of a modern office.

In many cases, this idea of a ‘modern office’ results in an open concept design where most employees work side by side or across from one another, clustered together in one big main room. Maybe there are a few standalone offices for senior members of the staff, or a few conference rooms for meetings, job interviews and the like. For the most part, though, the office is designed as an open floor plan.

The Problems with the Modern Office Layout

There are two core problems with this kind of office design, and you can solve both of them (at least partially) by investing in huddle room equipment for your business.

The first issue is that open workspaces, while they can drive collaboration and promote a teamwork mentality, can also create loud, distracting environments where very little actual ‘work’ gets done. There is too much chaos and not enough direction.

The second issue, meanwhile, is that the office’s open concept design means that there aren’t many other rooms for team meetings or collaboration sessions. There are a couple of larger conference rooms or boardrooms, but those are intended for more important meetings—not for gatherings of smaller teams or segmented departments.

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The Benefits of Using Huddle Room Equipment

Investing in huddle room products is an effective way of reversing these negative impacts of an open concept office. Huddle rooms are smaller rooms in an office space that act as less formal conference rooms. They are maybe the size of a traditional office but come equipped with key electronics and software to allow for video conferencing, Power Point presentations, idea brainstorming and more. Best of all, the size of these rooms makes them perfect for smaller group meetings.

Having huddle room equipment and software in your office helps restore the sense of collaboration often lost amidst the madness of an open floor plan office. When your individual teams can regularly go into smaller rooms to have meetings or conversations, it removes some of the noise and chaos from the central work area. It also keeps the conference rooms and boardrooms open, available for larger gatherings.

Because huddle rooms are smaller than standard conference rooms, they cost less to outfit with key technology and software products. As a result, turning three or four smaller rooms or offices throughout your workspace into huddle rooms might be more affordable than you realise.

At eVideo Communications, we specialise in huddle room equipment and huddle room software in Australia. We can help you design and implement a huddle room strategy in your office. We predict you will start noticing the benefits right away.

To start collaborating with the eVideo team, call us today on 1800 111 387

Ultimate guide to Zoom-Microsoft Teams room solution.

Face-to-face interaction is critical in business communications but teams are becoming increasingly dispersed. The Video Conferencing systems on the market now are designed with smaller huddle rooms in mind

Our Team are

  • Highly experienced Unified Communications, Videoconferencing, Collaboration Solutions Specialized
  • Offer a consultative approach
  • Highest product and application knowledge
  • Totally technically proficient
  • Superior level of networking competency, service, support & customer satisfaction

Our Video/Audio/IP telephony/Unified Communications solutions include:

  • Cisco, Logitech, Crestron, Poly, Yealink  Video Conferencing endpoints for Meeting Rooms, Cloud, On-premise and Hybrid Solutions, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google meet.
  • Integrate your Boardroom solutions
  • Professional services, Managed Services.
  • Audio Visual solutions (Touch boards, Projectors, Trolleys etc.)

Please let me know if you would like one of our team to discuss with you and  provide the latest Communication solutions you and your organisation.

Microsoft Surface Hub 2S-85″

Microsoft Surface Hub 2S-85 Inch

Move beyond meetings to true team flow

Brainstorm together in Microsoft Whiteboard, and collaborate across devices. Project wirelessly to share content with Miracast, and sign in to access Office 365 files.

Team collaboration fuelled by Windows 10

Enjoy the power of a fully integrated Windows 10 device designed for teams. All-in-one Surface Hub 2S natively runs your must-have Microsoft apps, including Microsoft Edge and Office,2 and your essential business apps. Incredibly high resolution and amazing graphics performance deliver vibrant, crisp, and clear images and video on the thin, light 50” display.

Design a collaborative culture at work

Increase innovation, employees’ skills, and remote teams’ efficiency with a culture of collaboration. Create it with flexible workspaces and the right technology.

Microsoft accessories for Surface Hub 2

Built to enhance your Surface Hub 2S experience,  camera and pen are included in every box, and help your teams best express themselves.

Choose from a stand or wall mount (not included).

Pricing based on Microsoft registration agreement

Order on line from e365 Distribution the Logitech Rally Bar

Logitech Rally Bar

Powerful All-in-one Video Conferencing bar with Brilliant Optics and Automated PTZ.

All-in-one Video bar for Midsize Rooms. Simple to Set and Easy to Use.

Only Quality Products from e365. Award winning Logitech Australian partner with Australia-Wide offices.

Award winning Customer support & Service. No Credit Card surcharge.

We Specialize in Both Cloud-Based and On-Premise Technologies.

  •  24/7 Help Desk *     Maintenance and support options
  •  Australia-Wide installations  Onsite support & Training *
  •  Offices in Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane-Gold Coast-Perth-Adelaide-Canberra.
  •  Free demonstrations & Trials * Video chat consultancy
  •  Customer Promotions & Loyalty Program
  •  Special discounts for Health, Education, Government & Non for profit.

*Subject to conditions and vendors.

 

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