Install your videoconferencing system behind a corporate firewall

Any part of a company’s IT infrastructure not guarded by a high level of security is obviously a weak link, and hackers love weak links. It might cause more damage if you don’t make sure everything is properly safeguarded with a reliable firewall.

Turn off Auto-Answer

A system that automatically answers any incoming call is a bad idea because you don’t want to give some unknown third party access to your video and audio equipment without permission.

Mute all microphones not in use

You can configure your telepresence system to mute all your microphones when they’re not in use. It might sound like paranoia, but if a hacker manages to breach your security measures, you don’t want them spying on your boardroom or office conversations. Better safe than sorry.

Set password requirements

If all of your important settings are password protected, you can help ensure any configuration details won’t be altered without permission. For extra security, consider assigning passwords to individual users instead of sharing one password. It can help you track who’s accessing the system and when.

Use encrypted data

Especially if you’re using your videoconferencing systems to share files, encrypted data is a good idea. It’s just another security obstacle that will help deter any nosey intruders. Check your telepresence suite for built-in protections to make sure your data is encrypted.

Remember, a properly secured network isn’t just desktop and wireless passwords. Make time to be sure you’re taking the proper precautions and you’ll have a lot less to worry about.

According to the Economist, digital signage spending is likely to increase to $5.2 billion by 2016. Furthermore, companies like Intel have estimated that roughly 22 million digital signs will populate the media landscape by 2015. (That happens to be a revised figure that is actually six million signs greater than their original estimate.) Those are some very impressive numbers and business owners are taking notice.

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But what’s encouraging all this digital signage growth? The CEO of iSIGN Media, Alex Romanov, attributes it to the lowering costs of the digital signage technology, as well as the potential it has to engage customers with video, sound, and eventually 3D imaging.

On the other hand, Digital Signage Today has provided another theory. The company believes the main reason digital signage is becoming so popular is because of the low maintenance and high durability of the technology itself. They also believe the fact that 82 percent of U.S. states now allow the use of video billboards – increasing market penetration – is another big reason businesses are turning to digital signage. No matter the reasons (because they’re all good ones), it’s obvious digital signage is going to be very prevalent in the coming years.

While the numbers are impressive, it shouldn’t much of a surprise. Digital signage offers a lot of opportunity for businesses with its ability to reach a very large and diverse demographic. If you’re interested in learning more about how digital signage can benefit your company, visit www.AVTEQ.net.

TeamViewer, a remote control and online meetings software provider, recently conducted a survey to see where people stood on the topic. The survey, which was given to 2,500 American adults aged 18 and older, found that a large percentage of people, 83%, believe telecommuting is becoming more popular. Of those surveyed, 53% think that smartphones and tablets are the reason for the increased use of telecommuting.

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Surprisingly, many people are saying telecommuting would actually make them more productive during their workday and some would even be willing to give up social media or texting in order to do so. The ability to work from anywhere at any time and on any device is appealing.

But telecommuting may not be the best option for every industry. Obviously some positions require face-to-face interaction every day but telecommuting works for those who can produce a work-product off site and send it to the physical workplace, usually in electronic form. Videoconferencing with coworkers as well as supervisors would be an additional way telecommuting could benefit a company and save on the cost of commuting and additional workspace.

Just a few of the advantages of telecommuting include: flexible schedule, fewer distractions, less need for space and workstations, higher productivity and fewer interruptions.

Do you think telecommuting would be beneficial for you and your coworkers? If you’re interested in investing in the right kind of equipment for your company to begin telecommuting, consider what AVTEQ has to offer. We can provide several telepresence furniture solutions to make videoconferencing easy and affective with your telecommuters.

Cystic fibrosis is a disease passed down through families that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults. It is a life-threatening disorder.

Recently, adults in Canada with cystic fibrosis were able to connect with specialists at St. Michael’s Hospital through telemedicine technology. The technology works well for the adult patients because there is no physician in northeastern Ontario who is an adult cystic fibrosis specialist. Therefore, these patients can stay closer to home and their families rather than traveling hours to go see a physician.

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The telemedicine technology brings a patient closer, said Dr. Elizabeth Tullis, medical director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

Alana Grant, a cystic fibrosis patient, said being able to use telemedicine prevents her from not only a long drive to Toronto, but also missed exercises and other treatments on her schedule.  Now Dr. Tullis is able to accommodate to her schedule and talk to Grant as if she were there in person.

Helping cystic fibrosis patients is just one example of what telemedicine can accomplish. It can help patients with severe injuries, disabilities, rare diseases and more. In addition, those in the healthcare industry are able to expand their knowledge by learning from one another at any time of the day.

Telemedicine is breaking down barriers and improving the quality of life and care. If you’ve been considering bringing the technology into your facility, the AVTEQ TMP Series is an efficient option. The right mobile telemedicine cart to support the technology can make all the different and greatly improve the quality of service.

Do you agree that telemedicine technology is the best options for patients with conditions like cystic fibrosis?

For example, many businesses are now interviewing potential employees via videoconference. This is particularly beneficial when the interviewee does not live in the area because the company is able to save the cost of a flight and the interviewee does not have to spend time traveling. Using videoconferencing in this way would be a rewarding investment for almost any type of business.

Some ways particular industries are using videoconferencing include:

• Personal shoppers using VC to display product features to consumers
• Child care centers using VC to allow parents access to a live streaming video of their child throughout the day. This is often seen in pet daycare and boarding facilities as well.
• Court systems using VC to have virtual hearings

To learn about other uses for video conferencing technology, read this Mother Nature Network article.

Also, be sure to check out AVTEQ’s line of A/V Products if you’re looking to implement a video conferencing system for your business.

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What we’re referring to is that many physicians are only licensed to practice in one state, which is proving to be a major barrier in creating a unified telemedicine network. If this new bill is passed, it will be much simpler for physicians to apply for national licensure and thus provide medical care to patients across state lines via telemedicine.

Other barriers to telemedicine include malpractice concerns, cost, billing and reimbursement issues. However, the Department of Health and Human Services is aware of these problems and is already working to combat them. For example, hospitals’ Conditions of Participation no longer requires smaller hospitals to double check each telehealth physician’s credentials before giving them site privileges.

All efforts are being taken to ensure the future success of a telemedicine network, making healthcare easier on both patients and physicians. This proves that the outlook for telemedicine is promising.

Be sure to check out AVTEQ’s Medical Series, for your telemedicine needs. Have you experienced barriers to using telemedicine? How could these be overcome?

The videoconferencing services available include:

• 24/7 video communication and meeting room arrangement
• Video endpoint management
• Event-based temporary upgrades
• Value- added services
• Videoconferencing room rental with access to 2500+ videoconferencing rooms across the world
• 190 videoconferencing rooms at Reliance World sores across 100 cities in India

The President and CEO of Reliance Globalcom said that videoconferencing has “immense potential” in our world and their service is aimed at making videoconferencing usage simple and effective.

Photo by DanielKHC

Photo by DanielKHCVideoconferencing is also a preferred method for Reliance because it is a “green technology.” In India, Reliance facilitates 300,000 hours of videoconferencing in a year, which saves up to 40,000 tons of carbon emission.

Reliance Globalcom will continue to be a supporter and facilitator of videoconferencing as they help organizations integrate the technology for their own benefit and take part in the face-to-face collaboration.

As companies across the globe are finding how videoconferencing works for them, have you considered how it could work for you? Not only could your company cut down on travel costs, but you will also significantly expand your network and potentially bring in new business that distance may have prohibited in the past. AVTEQ’s Technology Conference Series may be just what you need. We provide state-of-art solutions to help companies bring videoconferencing technologies into their workspace. Our seamless integration ensures that the equipment doesn’t take away from the digital experience.

If you’re considering bringing videoconferencing into your company, or expanding your network and capabilities, consider contacting AVTEQ. (800) 285-8315
customerrelations@avteqinc.com.

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But what may be most interesting is how it’s going to continue to grow this year and if it continue to meet and possibly exceed expectations. While most companies get it right, others are integrating digital signage hurriedly without strategy or the correct equipment to display it well. Regardless, video communication mediums are becoming a regular feature of our environment and it’s predicted that they will continue to spread over the course of the coming years.

The Economist predicts that by 2016, digital signage costs will amount to $5.2 billion, while companies such as Intel project 22 million digital signs populating the media landscape by the year 2015.

The reasons for digital signage’s growth could be that the cost of integrating the medium is lower and the opportunity to engage potential customers with video and sound (and perhaps 3D images soon!) is appealing to advertisers and companies alike.

Digital Signage Today believes that companies are attracted to the low maintenance and high durability of digital signage. Also, 82 percent of U.S. states now allow the use of video billboards, which provides better market penetration.

In order for digital signage to continue growing, it’s important to set up a systemized media campaign ahead of time. Know who you’re targeting, what time of day sees the most traffic and how you will implement the interactive ads on other devices such as mobile phones.

One way to get your interactive media campaign on the right track is to connect with AVTEQ. We specialize in designing and manufacturing innovative products that meet the constantly changing needs of retailers. If you’re in the process of integrating digital signage into our advertising budget, we can provide custom kiosks, three-screen mobile carts, display enclosures and more.

So how can the new collection positively impact your business? For starters, Q-Solutions products have the ability to be an addition to your office space without taking away from the aesthetics. Instead of bringing in office furniture to accommodate your technical equipment that is bulky and unattractive, our new collection has the ability to hide the A/V equipment with a unique integrated screen mounting system.

The customizable furniture series can also be used in an open cubicle environment. For example, you may need to set up A/V equipment for a large area of employees in several cubicles. Our system will integrate this technology easily so that it won’t be cumbersome and will permit easy viewing for everyone in the area.

Outfitting your office with the right equipment to allow advanced technology is essential. If you’re afraid bringing A/V equipment into your workspace could be nearly impossible, AVTEQ may be the perfect fit for the job. We are the largest manufacturer of videoconferencing carts in the industry. We have a full line of A/V and digital signage support products, as well as custom develops and designs solutions for unique videoconferencing, business and retail applications.

Photo by Phil Roeder

It is not often that you see a young person without a smart phone or other gadget in tow. Because technology is part of student’s everyday lives, they are more likely to be engaged in the learning process when teachers use it as well.

It has been found that using movement and color is effective in appealing to students. Incorporating these things into innovative tools can transform a student’s learning experience. KBZ Communications shares some ways in which schools leverage telepresence technology:

• Videoconferencing with experts from around the world
• Videoconferencing with partner schools around the world to promote cultural diversity
• Direct video communications with the Principal and other school leaders
• Digital Signage displaying school announcements and schedules

Take a look at this AVTEQ blog about using video chat in schools. Also, check out our GMP Classroom Series Carts and array of digital signage options that can prepare schools to offer telepresence technology.

Do you think this kind of technology is helpful in schools? Do you have any suggestions of other ways schools could utilize telepresence technology? Please let us know!