Take a look at the invite off to the right and you’ll see that we’re about to host our very first Open House.

For the first time ever, the doors of our Scottsdale, Arizona, corporate headquarters will be open to anyone who wants to learn more about the value and benefits of true HD videoconferencing.

Among the many great things happening throughout the day is that we’ll be giving away one LifeSize Express videoconferencing system worth $6,000, along with one year’s worth of our unmatched Managed Service, which includes:

• Telepresence Consulting
• Bridging and Streaming Capability
• 24 x 7 x 365 NOC for Worldwide Support
• Multipoint Scheduling
• Management Support
• Technical Support
• Fault Management

If you live or work in the Phoenix / Scottsdale metro area and would like to stop by for this Friday’s Open House, please give our office a call at (480) 348-3400. If attending this week’s Open House isn’t going to work for you or your colleagues, give us a call anyway… we’re always up for visiting your location or having you swing by ours for a one-on-one meet, greet and demo.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Today, we’re excited to officially announce that LifeSize Communications has been chosen as our key telepresence technology partner. If you’re unfamiliar with LifeSize, that’s about to change. One hundred percent of the products we rent and sell are manufactured and supplied by LifeSize, an Austin, Texas-based start-up with a stable of award-winning HD quality videoconferencing equipment.

For more on this exciting development, read Face to Face Live, Inc. Names LifeSize Key Technology Partner.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Today marks a special occasion in the history of our company. For the first time ever, all of our Partners are gathered in one location–here at our Corporate Headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona–for our first-ever Spring Partner Meeting. In addition to enjoying good food and wine and getting to know one another better, we’re bringing ourselves up-to-speed on the latest thinking and strategies associated with selling and managing LifeSize™ Communication’s HD quality videoconferencing systems.

Above, our vice president of corporate communications, Darla McCormick, unveils our new sales presentation kit. Other presenters throughout the day included:

• Greg Craven, Channel Manager (Western US & Canada) - LifeSize™ Communications (Greg provided an in depth overview of all of LifeSize’s videoconferencing systems).
• Al Smith, Founder and CEO - Face to Face Live, Inc.™ (Al, our ringleader, kept us on task throughout the day and did a great job making everyone feel welcome and an important part of the team).
• Jean Lancaster, National Accounts Manager - Face to Face Live, Inc.™ (Jean brought us up-to-speed on the latest videoconferencing industry buzz words and phrases and shared a lot great information about other companies in our space).
• Andrew Adams, Corporate Counsel - Face to Face Live, Inc.™ (Andrew covered the Face to Face Live contracting process, which at the end of the day is built around the notion that contracting for services doesn’t need a long and drawn out process).

Gatherings like our Spring Partner Meeting make us smarter and better prepared to help you–our customer–make informed decisions and enjoy the benefits of HD quality videoconferencing sooner rather than later.

Popularity: 20% [?]

• Average cost of domestic airfare, car rental, meals, and one night’s hotel stay for the business traveler: $1,194.00

• Amount of CO2 emissions per trip: 3.75 metric tons

• High Definition Videoconferencing that really works: Priceless… and in the case of the videoconferencing products and services we offer here at Face to Face Live, around $700.00 per month!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these last two weeks, you know that thousands of airline flights have been canceled due to safety and maintenance concerns. On April 9, American Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights after grounding its MD-80 aircraft to conduct extra safety inspections on wiring. The following day it canceled 900 more, causing chaos at airports throughout the United States. The cancellations–almost half of the airline’s total schedule–came after about 450 flights had been scrapped on April 8.

Meanwhile, other airlines have canceled large number of flights for the very same reasons, including United, Southwest, Delta, Alaska Airlines and Midwest Airlines. For its part, Southwest was fined over $10 million by the Federal Aviation Administration for violations regarding aircraft inspections and maintenance (a whistle blower testified before Congress that Southwest aircraft had been allowed to fly with fuselage cracks).

What’s the business traveler to do when airline after airline can’t even guarantee its own flight plans? How about taking another look at videoconferencing? Sure, you’d expect us to say that but in all honesty, what else can you do to keep your business running and employees productive when the airlines pull the runway right out from underneath you… take the train or use smaller airports? Please… that’s not a solution; that’s a hassle just waiting to happen!

Do the math—a cost/benefits analysis—to determine how much a videoconferencing system will actually cost or earn back. Total your monthly or annual travel costs and then figure in how much of that travel could be eliminated through videoconferencing. Also calculate the loss of productivity while traveling and the additional time you need to take off work because of exactly what the airlines are doing to you now.

The business benefits are clear, as are the costs. For around $700 per month, you can equip any of your business locations with an HD quality videoconferencing solution that’s a heck of lot more dependable than any airline we know of!

Popularity: 15% [?]

There’s an interesting article in today’s Evening Telegram about the possibility of the New York State Legislature authorizing the use of videoconferencing in connection with local courtroom proceedings. The Herkimer (NY) County Legislature recently passed a resolution asking the State Legislature to allow what many states have already done… namely, to officially authorize the use of videoconferencing, as long as defendants do not object.

No one would deny that everyone has a right to a speedy trial, but by its nature, the wheels of justice do tend to turn very slowly. Part of the reason for this is that scheduling a trial and gathering all interested parties in a room is a huge challenge. Although videoconferencing may not guarantee justice, it can help those wheels turn a little more quickly.

Read “Legislature discusses videoconferencing technology” for a an overview of how and why the discussion is taking in place in New York.

Popularity: 22% [?]