Al Smith, CEO of Face to Face Live, continues to be a strong figure in helping disadvantaged and troubled youth across the nation to become the leaders of tomorrow.  For many years, Al’s commitment has ranged from sponsoring youth to attend summer Kanakuk Kamps (www.kanakuk.com), to sponsoring troubled teens through Doulos Ministries (a Christian organization which provides a structured learning and living environment for troubled teens to overcome addiction to become the leaders of tomorrow).    

Last month, Al Smith worked with Kids Across America to help to bring over fifty inner-city St. Louis youth to a sports camp located in Missouri.  KAA has found success in helping disadvantaged youth within St. Louis to overcome their life situations to achieve personal success by exposing them to the great outdoors.  Hopefully, Al Smith’s example will help others to look for ways in which to help the leaders of tomorrow.

Part of what drives Face to Face Live is a concern for people to connect in lasting personal ways, even over great distances.  Video Conferencing is simply a tool to achieve that end.  We are proud to be a part of a Al’s greater vision to bring about lasting change for the disadvantaged and troubled youth of today.

Popularity: 38% [?]

On September 17, the typical response at the IT Summit in Phoenix, AZ to first experiencing LifeSize HD videoconferencing was, “Unbelievable!”  It was such a shock to the system that many felt that the live conferencing either was a recording or was staged.  In reality, it was a simple connection between Phoenix and the Face to Face Live headquarters in north Scottsdale.  The next day the corporate office received an order to buy three systems.  Truly, businesses and organizations are finding out that they cannot remain on the cusp of their industry without HD video conferencing.

The amazing part was that most of the attendees of the conference were executives and IT network engineers from local government entities looking for solutions for their long term networking, records management, security and software challenges.  For many of the participants, their previous experience with video conferencing was via webcams or standard definition video conferencing platforms.  It was amazing to see their reactions as we demonstrated the ease of use in switching between a/v inputs (PowerPoint, Document Camera, DVD, Secondary Camera), dual streaming presentations, and bringing in and out multiple participants without having to hang-up and redial.  Obviously, after experiencing the quality, flexibility, and effectiveness of the HD LifeSize experience, they were hungry for more and many scheduled their own private demonstration at our corporate headquarters here in Scottsdale.

Popularity: 36% [?]

What are we to make of the current economic crisis?  First, it was Bear Stearns.  Then it was Fannie and Freddy.  Now it is AIG and Lehman Brothers.  It seems like timeless American companies are being timed out.  Even our esteemed presidential candidates are silent in what it will take to provide stability to the economic market.

Interestingly, into this economic uncertainty come the rapidly falling crude oil prices.  Crude oil is now down almost $60 a barrel from just two months ago.  This should create an upturn in spending as consumers, whose budgets were pinched tightly two months ago, open up their pocket books and wallets as gas costs have fallen.  The economic forecast should be rosy, right?  The answer simply is no – the drop in oil price has only lead to a more topsy-turvy economic situation. 

Stevenson Jacobs, a writer for the business arm of the Associated Press suggests, “US consumers and businesses [are] bracing for a protracted economic downturn that should guarantee more of the money-saving energy conservation measures…”

In the same article, James Cordier, president of Liberty Trading Group of Tampa, FL, predicts, “the economic slowdown is completely unavoidable now and people will be driving less, trucking less, and buying less…”

Both men describe a bleak picture for the future of the American economy.  However, this does not mean that companies cannot make substantial gains in their bottom line.  So the question becomes, how can businesses maximize their profit during these uncertain economic times?  The answer is quite simple: cut down on budget-guzzling expediters while maintaining core business objectives. 

However, the tougher question is how this is to be accomplished in the quickest, most cost-effective manner?  Thankfully, there is a simple SOLUTION: Video conferencing.

Video conferencing allows you to drastically cut down on business travel which historically comprised a large percentage of operating budgets for businesses.  Not only that, video conferencing speeds up business decisions and allows for products and services to go quickly from innovation to implementation.  With video conferencing, playing phone or email tag is obsolete as you can speak face-to-face with your team.  Businesses all over the world have been experiencing a radical drop in the number of meetings needed to bring a product or service to market. 

Trimming budgets while increasing efficiency and productivity seems like a great way to increase the all-important bottom line – profit.

Please contact Face-to-Face Live to find out more ways in which we can make your business profitable even during these tough economic times.

You can view Stevenson Jacobs’ article online: biz.yahoo.com/ap/080916/oil_prices.html

Popularity: 36% [?]

It looks like High Definition is not just for democrats (see August 12th blog on HD at the DNC), but is also for those who are Republican. The Republican National Convention used a 51’ x 30’ Hibino Chroma LED video wall by LG to display not only visual images and video feeds during speeches but also a live broadcasted video from President George Bush. President Bush actually seemed to be in the Xcel Energy Center.

Not only this, but LG supplied many flat screens monitors in the Hurricane Information Center within the convention so that participants could track Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf of Mexico. Obviously, in cases of crisis, up-to-date information is imperative in today’s world, and having the ability to view video in true color and sound only enhances the information.

As Maria Cino, president and CEO of the RNCC, commented on the impact of LG’s HD technology at the convention: “LG’s [HD] technology enhanced the overall experience of our convention.”

If HD screens can add value to the Republican Convention, just think how much added value HD technology can bring to the business sector.

Popularity: 48% [?]

As if we needed another reason to avoid business travel.  A recent study done by the Ponemon Institute (a for-profit research organization which specializes in the privacy industry) noted that 12,000 laptop computers go missing weekly at United States Airports, with 67% of those computers never being reclaimed by their owner.  That is a whopping 804 laptops a week sitting around at airports waiting to be used by whomever!

The loss of the hardware is one thing; but the bigger issue is the loss of sensitive files that practically anyone can access.  Since roughly half of business travelers bring their laptops with them on the plane, you would think that they would at the very least password-protect them.  Unfortunately, the study also found that 65% of business travelers do not password-protect their computers. Consequently, all personal and corporate files are open and available to anyone who wishes to view them.  Talk about a security risk!

Owen Wild, professional blogger and business traveler at Inc.com, passes on some helpful hints to making sure your laptop survives the airport. 

1. Don’t bring it!
2. Keep your eye on it – according to the study over 40% of laptops are lost at the security checkpoint.
3. Lock it up.
4. Put it in a case.
5. Password-Protect it.

Even though these tips will help some absentminded business travels monitor their computer, they will by no means eradicate the issue.  The good news is that there is one last business travel tip that will protect your laptop 100% from absentminded employees and thieves…you guessed it, Video Conferencing.

Video Conferencing allows you to go to meetings without the costly hassle of airports – ergo you keep your laptop and its sensitive data files all to yourself!  With today’s affordable immersive HD video conferencing, you can truly do business throughout the world from the comfort of your own office or boardroom.  Now that is some GREAT news for business travelers.

You can view Owen Wild’s blog and the Ponemon Institute’s study article online at: http://blog.inc.com/business-travel/2008/09/tips_for_hanging_onto_that_lap.html

Popularity: 50% [?]