Following up on last week’s post about telemental healthcare, if you’re looking for an elected official to champion videoconferencing, look no further than the Badger State. Earlier today, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle announced nearly $1 million in grants from his state’s Universal Service Fund (USF) Telemedicine program for several non-profit health organizations around the state.

“These organizations deliver vital services to their communities – meeting real medical needs and making real impacts,” Governor Doyle said. “I am pleased that we are able to award these grants that advance and improve health care in our state. The USF program continues to provide extraordinary value and assistance to all of the state’s telecommunications customers.”

Wisconsin’s Telemedicine Program is part of the Universal Service Fund, which awards grants annually to non-profit medical clinics and public health agencies. The grants help clinics purchase telecommunications equipment to promote advanced medical services and enhance access to medical care in underserved areas.

The telecommunications technology the grants help fund improves communication between patients and healthcare staff and communication between medical experts throughout the state. The Telemedicine Grant Program has awarded more than $3.1 million to Wisconsin non-profit healthcare providers since the program began in 2006.

The following non-profit organizations are some of the ones awarded Wisconsin USF grants:

• Aspirus Wausau Hospital, in Wausau, received $46,420 to purchase four telehealth units to enable patients to have access to specialty care, to provide telehealth training and education and to enable distance education for professionals.

• Barron Memorial Medical Center, in Barron, received $39,432 to purchase two telehealth units to enable the emergency room in Barron to connect to Luther Hospital in Eau Claire.

• Bellin Home Health, in Green Bay, received $75,000 to purchase telemedicine monitors and peripherals to upgrade the services to wireless web-based monitors to provide home-based health monitoring.

• Burnett Co. Dept. of Health and Human Services, in Siren, received $28,702 to purchase four videoconferencing units to provide expanded psychiatric services to four local county health agencies (Burnett, Trempealeau, Jackson and Pepin Counties)

• Community Memorial Hospital, in Oconto Falls, received $25,000 to purchase videoconferencing systems to enable remote pharmaceutical dispensing at primary care clinic locations in Oconto County.

• Human Service Center, in Rhinelander, received $10,000 to purchase videoconferencing equipment to provide expanded psychiatric services in Forest, Oneida and Vilas Counties.

• North Central Health Care, in Wausau, received $36,512 to purchase five videoconferencing units to provide expanded psychiatric services available in Wausau and Madison to rural clinics (Merrill, Tomahawk and Antigo).

• Rock Co. Human Service Dept., in Janesville, received $10,298 to purchase two videoconferencing units to provide expanded psychiatric services to the Beloit clinic.

• Shawano Co. Dept. of Community Programs, in Shawano, received $10,102 to purchase a videoconferencing unit to provide expanded psychiatric services to the Shawano Mental Health Clinic by having access to psychiatrists in other locations.

• Winnebago Co. Human Services, in Oshkosh, received $30,000 to purchase four video conferencing equipment systems for the main clinic, outpatient clinics and the Neenah branch office to increase access to child psychiatrists and additional services for adult clients.

Go Badgers!

Popularity: 31% [?]

Most people have a  general idea of what videoconferencing is — it’s sort of like a telephone conversation with live video thrown in.

In the old days, videoconferencing was clunky, complicated, and unreliable, primarily because phone lines were designed to carry voices, not huge amounts of audio and video data. With the introduction of broadband and improvements in video technology and data compression, videoconferencing improved by leaps and bounds and now offers a high-quality venue for true-to-life, face-to-face conferencing in real time.

Here, we introduce you to the various components required in a videoconferencing system, describes the three main forms of videoconferencing, and deliver a brief primer on how a videoconferencing session takes place.

Essential Components

To videoconference, you need special audio/video equipment installed in each location that will be involved in the conference along with a data pipeline that connects all locations:

• One or more cameras at each location to capture the video
• One or more microphones at each location to capture the audio
• Codec (compressor/decompressor) at each location to compress outgoing data and decompress incoming data — a codec is typically a specialized device or software that runs on a computer
• One or more…

… continued here.

Popularity: 22% [?]

If you’re interested in working in the videoconferencing industry, look no further… Face to Face Live, Inc.™ is now hiring! From the Careers page on our corporate site:

POSITION TITLE: Sales Partner
RESPONSIBLE TO: CEO, Face to Face Live, Inc.
STATUS: Full-time
COMPENSATION / RATE: Salary + Commission

Overview

Face to Face Live, Inc.™, an emergent videoconferencing solution provider (VSP) dedicated to delivering superior high-definition telepresence solutions to businesses and organizations in any industry or endeavor, is seeking highly motivated and dedicated Sales Partners.

Face to Face Live’s Sales Partners operate from self-sustaining business locations around the United States and beyond, and are supported by a world class team of technology and administrative professionals in the company’s corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Face to Face Live (F2FL) Sales Partners are responsible for all sales-related activities in assigned channels or regions. If you are serious about sales and videoconference-related technologies and are ready to get paid, then we want to hear from you.

Note: Gray hair foxes are welcomed to apply!

For more information, including how to apply for this job, please visit the Face to Face Live Careers page.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Nearly 500 Chicago-area veterans are visiting their mental-health professionals using telemental health services at their local VA clinics. About 24,000 U.S. veterans sought telemental health care in 2007, and the trend is on the rise.

Here’s more from Chicago Tribune reporter Jo Napolitano:

Veterans use real-time video to access doctors
One-on-one videoconferencing is becoming a tool for mental health care

By Jo Napolitano | Tribune reporter
10:18 PM CDT, June 9, 2008

Managing her bipolar disorder is difficult enough for Navy veteran Elizabeth Trznadel without the added burden of an hourlong drive every time she needs to see her doctor.

So instead of traveling from her Oak Forest home to Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital in Maywood, Trznadel visits a site in Manteno where she can consult with her doctor one-on-one through special video technology. She said she enjoys the quieter drive through less congested roads.

“You can express yourself just as freely as if he was sitting right in the room with you,” she said. “It’s super helpful. There is not the long wait to see the doctor, so that keeps you from getting stressed out.”

Some 495 Chicago-area veterans use “telemental health services” at six VA community-based outpatient clinics in Elgin, Joliet, LaSalle, Manteno, Aurora and Oak Lawn.

It allows patients access to help for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts without a prolonged car trip, which for some can trigger painful memories of hazardous roadsides in Iraq and Afghanistan. And as the technology becomes cheaper and more user-friendly, more veterans are taking advantage of it, officials say.

Last year, 24,000 veterans sought telemental health care throughout the U.S. Projections for 2008 show that 36,000 to 40,000 people will seek such treatment by year’s end.

“Many researchers have done studies on telemental health, and it stands up reliably to face-to-face service,” said Adam Darkins, chief consultant for care coordination for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more, read “Veterans use real-time video to access doctors.”

Mental health administrators often cite scarce resources and location as major contributors to why more people aren’t treated more often. Now, with affordable and reliable high definition solutions like those offered by Face to Face Live, videoconferencing offers more than just the possibility of improved services to patients with limited access to care.

Popularity: 30% [?]

One of the great joys of working in videoconferencing is showing people the product and watching their reaction. Today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday), we’re doing just that–showing off LifeSize® Communication’s award-winning high definition videoconferencing equipment, and talking with people about the Face to Face Live™ managed service–at the 35th Annual Arizona Emergency Services Association (AESA) Conference, here in Scottsdale, Arizona.

AESA membership is open to representatives of private and public organizations (i.e., government and for-profit business entities) that are involved in emergency planning, emergency response, and other emergency management activities. The conference–which is being held at the ultra hip and modern Hotel Valley Ho–provides a unique opportunity for emergency planning and response professionals to meet, network, and learn from one another, as well as connect with innovative industry vendors like Face to Face Live.

If you’re in the area or attending the conference and want to stop by for a live demonstration or just to say hello, you can find us in booth #12 in the exhibit area, where in addition to answering all your videoconferencing-related questions, we’ll feed you chocolate!

Popularity: 22% [?]

Here’s something that should make you think twice about your company or organization’s business travel budget and strategy. According to a press release issued just this morning, Continental Airlines says it is eliminating about 3,000 jobs, or 6.7% of its staff, and grounding 67 aircraft in an attempt to cut costs amid rocketing oil and fuel prices. As a result, Continental says it will need fewer employees worldwide to support the reduced flight schedule.

Specifically, Continental says it will reduce the size of its fleet by removing the least efficient aircraft from its network. To accomplish this, Continental is accelerating the retirement of its Boeing 737-300 and 737-500 fleets. In the first six months of 2008, the airline removed six older aircraft from service. It says it will retire an additional 67 Boeing 737-300 and 737-500 aircraft, with 37 of these additional retirements occurring in 2008 and 30 in 2009.

From Continental Airlines:

Dear Co-worker:

We’ve always said that you deserve open, honest and direct communication. This letter and the attached employee bulletin and Q&A are part of that commitment.

The airline industry is in a crisis. Its business model doesn’t work with the current price of fuel and the existing level of capacity in the marketplace. We need to make changes in response.

While there have been several successful fare increases, those increases haven’t been sufficient to cover the rising cost of fuel. As fares increase, fewer customers will fly. As fewer customers fly, we will need to reduce our capacity to match the reduced demand. As we reduce our capacity, we will need fewer employees to operate the airline. Although these changes will be painful, we must adapt to the reality of today’s market to successfully navigate these difficult times.

The attached employee bulletin and Q&A outline some of the steps we are taking to address this industry crisis. The situation for all airlines is serious, and the actions we are announcing today are necessary to secure our future. We regret the loss of jobs caused by this crisis, and we will do our best to minimize furloughs and involuntary terminations.

These actions will help Continental survive this crisis. You have our ongoing commitment to keep you informed as the industry evolves and adapts to these unprecedented challenges. It is important that we all keep our focus on working together during these difficult times.

Larry Kellner
Chairman & CEO, Continental Airlines, Inc.

Jeffery Smisek
President, Continental Airlines, Inc.

When you’re in business or running an organization, you know that expenditures are necessary to achieve your goals. You probably have purchased computer equipment, a phone system, Web hosting services, and perhaps even vehicles for your business or organization. All of these expenses are the cost of doing business. They allow you to generate revenue or run your organization.

With today’s announcement from Continental Airlines, the same is true about videoconferencing. Some people look at the price tag and all they see is the expense. However, when evaluating the cost of a videoconferencing system, you also need to consider the potential benefits to your bottom line, including the following:

• Savings in travel costs: If personnel often have to travel long distances to meet with colleagues, clients, and associates, the savings on travel alone is usually sufficient to more than cover the cost of a high-quality videoconferencing system.

• Savings in travel time: With videoconferencing, the most travel you’ll ever be required to do is to walk to the videoconferencing room. And if the system is installed in your office, you don’t even have to travel that far. No more driving to and from airports, dealing with flight delays and long flights, and spending nights in hotel rooms.

• Improved efficiency and productivity: By being able to consult with key personnel and outside experts at a moment’s notice, you can perform your daily tasks much more productively and even collaborate remotely with colleagues.

The bottom line is this: Today’s announcement from Continental Airlines should give all of us reason to pause and think twice about business travel budgets and strategy. Other airlines are sure to follow in Continental’s footsteps, and when they do, rest assured that those of here at Face to Face Live, Inc. will be here to make sure you arrive at your videoconferencing destination on time, anytime!

Popularity: 41% [?]

We interrupt this blog to share the following special announcement:

We issued a press release earlier today officially unveiling Face to Face Live, Inc.™, www.f2fl.com, and the services and support that makes us different from other videoconferencing service providers. If you’re interested in knowing more about our news, read A New Era in Videoconferencing Arrives.

We now return you to regularly scheduled programming. Tune in tomorrow for another new blog entry.

Popularity: 29% [?]

If you’re interested in knowing what business professionals generally think about videoconferencing, look no further than a new report from Nancy Jamison and Blair Pleasant of Unified Communications Strategies (UCS).

According to UCS’s blog, Nancy and Blair interviewed business professionals who use unified communications-like technologies, including videoconferencing, in their day-to-day jobs. Their findings, which are detailed in “UC End User Productivity Study” (available here via PDF) reveal an absolute love affair with unified communications and videoconferencing in particular.

From “UC End User Productivity Study“:

The Growing Value of Video

Though we did not single out every UC feature in our survey, surprisingly, we received numerous comments on the value of video, even if most respondents are just starting to use it. Those that had implemented video as part of their UC solution found that it helped to build relationships, to work better as a virtual team, and to cut down on the time and expense of business travel. Specific comments included:

• “The video was most surprising. It is better quality than I expected, easier to use, and really makes a difference in relationships.”
  
• “Not only can remote people interact with people in the main office, we all get to see them. People joke and around more and build relationships faster with remote people thanks to video conferencing. Also all of our company meetings are recorded now so people who missed can go back and watch the meeting (And fast forward through the dull parts!).”
  
• “Video has made remote people seem more a part of the team and I feel closer to them.”
  
• “Ever since we put in video conferencing, I’ve used it a lot more. It cut my travel in half and I’m much happier.”
  
• “Videoconferencing lets us reduce the amount of time spent on planes, and we can
  accomplish some of the same benefits by doing videoconferencing and saving a tremendous amount of money.”
  
• “For me the video component will be massive. Often times, especially if I’m talking with my staff, the face-to-face communications is so important in building manager-employee relationship. IMs and emails can get misconstrued, as can voice messages. Visual communication is 60% of the message. For building trust and camaraderie with my team, video will be key.”
  
• “We have video conferencing which saves wear and tear from traveling. It makes my distributed teams more efficient.”

As an aside, if you’re confused by the term “unified communications,” don’t feel bad. Some say it’s just a buzz phrase while others swear it’s here to stay. Basically, “unified communication” describes the integration of disparate communications systems, media, devices and applications. Said differently (thanks to the folks at UCstrategies), unified communications is communications integrated to optimize business processes.

Regardless of the longevity of “unified communications” as a descriptor for the marriage between communications devices and systems, videoconferencing–when it works and works well–is appreciated by nearly everyone who comes face-to-face with a system of their own.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Reuters is the latest major news gather & reporting organization to weigh in on videoconferencing. In a widely distributed article published earlier today, Reuters’ Helen Chernikoff reports that as companies reduce or eliminate travel budgets in the face of higher travel costs and a softening economy, they’re “increasingly adopting technology that enables employees to collaborate face-to-face without boarding a plane.”

From Reuters:

As part of an effort to cut travel costs by 10 percent, staffing services company Manpower Inc has ramped up use of its video conference equipment in the last couple of months, said Allan McKisson, a vice president of human resources at Manpower.

“It used to be, when you can video conference, do it. Now it’s do video conference first, or maybe don’t have the meeting,” said McKisson, who must approve his direct reports’ travel requests.

In companywide e-mails, office furniture maker Herman Miller Inc has encouraged employees to use video conferencing in addition to conference calls and car-pooling to cut operating costs, spokeswoman Susan Koole said.

All very encouraging news, as is this:

But for customers who must buy the equipment, such savings don’t come cheap. News Corp has sprung for some of Polycom’s priciest systems, which cost between $299,000 and $700,000. They feature life-sized screens, surround sound and operators — so tech-challenged executives don’t need to even flip a switch. Less expensive alternatives cost between $30,000 and $45,000 and desktop systems start at about $10,000.

Why on Earth would we label the fact that Polycom’s videoconferencing systems cost an ungodly $10,000, $30,000, $299,000, and $700,000 encouraging? Quite simply because LifeSize Communication’s high-definition videoconferencing systems–as offered by Face to Face Live (that’s us)–cost significantly less (in many cases, you can pick up the versatile LifeSize Express system for under $6,000, or rent the same system without spending any money upfront).

The high end systems are nice if you can afford them, but even so, for businesses truly interested in cutting costs, increasing ROI, and making a positive environmental impact through videoconferencing, there’s only one way to go… for the same amount of money News Corp reportedly spent on its one Polycom system, we could have outfitted more 100 different offices throughout the company with jaw-dropping high-definition videoconferencing systems that would have enabled more business success stories than you can a stick at.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Securities trading and management firm Weeden & Co. is known for many things. The Weeden family’s involvement in the securities industry, according its website, spans generations and can be traced back to the early 1900s, when Frank Weeden, the son of a sea captain, signed on as the first salesman for a new San Francisco brokerage firm formed by Charles Blyth and Dean Witter. With that type of pedigree, people tend to take notice when you make bold predictions like those made by Weeden & Co. senior energy analyst Charles T. Maxwell, who recently predicted American’s may soon be paying $12 or more for a gallon of gasoline.

Educated at Princeton and Oxford, Maxwell entered the oil industry in 1957 and worked for a major international oil company for 12 years. His background has been in four traditional sectors of the industry—producing, refining, transportation, and marketing. In 1968, he shifted to Wall Street, where since 1972, in polls taken by Institutional Investor magazine, Maxwell has consistently ranked among the Nation’s top oil analysts.

What does all of this have to videoconferencing? Good question. Nowadays, whether you believe in the science surrounding it or not, everyone seems to be talking about global warming. From the conference room to the board room and in every office and cubical in between, all of us are being asked to reduce, reuse, recycle, and produce stronger results while expending fewer resources. Before you know it, your business or organization’s “carbon footprint” will be judged right alongside its balance sheet and profit and loss statement.

If you believe Charles Maxwell’s predictions about the rising price of gasoline (or if you believe the ‘talking heads’ who reference Maxwell on cable television shows like CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box‘), then perhaps it’s time to give videoconferencing another look (especially the high definition videoconferencing solutions from LifeSize, which are expertly managed by us–Face to Face Live, Inc.). If, however, you think Maxwell and his fellow analysts and pundits are full of hot air, that’s okay… just don’t let that stop you from analyzing the clear ROI afforded by a reliable high definition videoconferencing solution.

Popularity: 24% [?]