GLOBAL DIFFERENCES PREVENT CONFERENCING STANDARDIZATION AND STABILITY

MNCs have to realize that global coverage raises the investment requirement The North American numbering system may be dated, but it has provided a consistent, standard model for telephony services. It can be considered both a blessing and a curse, in that it applies only to the North American market: other parts of the world have different number plans and policies,
and these can vary by country and by region. The variations in dialing plans, phone number allocation, use policy, and number distribution add to the challenge of providing the voice connectivity required for a global conferencing platform.

In the US, it is very easy to get the voice infrastructure necessary for national coverage with just a few large carriers. The US carriers all have networks with strong coverage, and provide interconnection between themselves as well as with all the major mobile operators. Customers have long forgotten about the roaming issue, as all the major mobile operators have gone to a blended usage model, without extra charges for mobile roaming. The simplicity of the US system makes it easy to deploy and maintain voice infrastructure for conferencing services. Unfortunately it is much more complex to expand to the global coverage required by most MNCs and large enterprises.

Outside North America, many more carriers are required to provide the necessary connectivity for global conferencing coverage. In many regions, multiple carriers are required within a single country to cover the geographic, mobile, and regulatory divisions. Sourcing and managing all these carrier
relationships can quickly consume all of an enterprise’s internal network staff resources, leaving its other internal IT priorities at risk.

In countries such as India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, the incumbent telecoms provider controls most of the infrastructure, and has a great deal of sway with the regulatory bodies. Enterprises looking to extend their conferencing capabilities into such countries face many uncertainties, ranging from parsing the nuances of regulations, through to the actual physical
connections. The complexity increases exponentially when enterprises attempt to set up multi-country conferencing systems. In fact, it seems as if the one constant for enterprises looking to build out their own global conferencing infrastructure is that there is another unknown lying in wait around every corner.

In addition to the increased number of direct carrier relationships, multi-tier carrier relationships are needed in order to get the global coverage necessary for conferencing services. In many cases the coverage will require a number of small, regional carriers that can provide the needed interconnection or reach. This complexity is one reason that many enterprises turn to conferencing partners
that have already navigated the waters of multi-carrier, multi-country relationships.

It is almost impossible for an enterprise without a good handle on its conferencing volume by region or country to design and build out the network infrastructure or carrier commitments needed to manage the costs and traffic volumes effectively. Many over-build their networks for conferencing, or have to expand their networks at the last minute. This is both costly and difficult to manage, and in some regions network expansion can take as long as 90 days. This means that the service
is either blocked or unavailable until the network expansion is completed.

Other issues enterprises face when building out conferencing capacity include the need to plan for predictable, but difficult to manage, spikes in volume. For example, cultural norms mean employees typically schedule conference calls on the hour or the half hour. This results in heavy spikes in conferencing volumes twice an hour during business hours.

Managing existing capacity and forecasting the need for additional network infrastructure for conferencing services can often expand beyond the customer’s budget, staffing, and expertise. This is another reason for enterprises to turn to a trusted partner with experience in forecasting requirements, understanding the elasticity available to enterprises, and managing the multiple carrier relationships
required to meet shifting conferencing demands.

-Ovum

'Telepresence' Technology Tested at West Virginia Elementary School

Ghostly concept allows students to feel as if they are part of a place far removed from their actual location...

On National Digital Learning Day Wednesday, students at Hollywood Elementary School in Beckley,
W.Va., got a little training in the ghostly sounding concept of “telepresence.”

Actually, the students in Elizabeth Raney’s classroom used their “telepresence” to digitally
engage three other classrooms simultaneously online.

Telepresence is a technology concept that allows a person to feel as if they are part of a
place that may be far from their true location. In this case, four classrooms in the state
were digitally connected for a lesson led by West Virginia Teacher of the Year Erin Sponaugle.

She showed the students multimedia slides of West Virginia landmarks and symbols. The children
were a part of the interactive lesson and gave input verbally and visually with the main screen
switching automatically to whomever was speaking.

Mary Ann Foster, technology coordinator for Raleigh County Schools, was on hand to help set up
the room and make sure the class stayed connected.

When asked what challenges the special event presented, Foster said, “We haven’t faced a lot
of challenges because we have One-to-One here (and) iPads in the county, so our infrastructure
is great. Our connection has been wonderful. We just had to get distance learning equipment to
make the call.”

Hollywood Elementary Principal Tamber Hodges was happy to participate in Digital Learning Day.

“It’s exciting that our school was chosen to participate in such an exciting event, to be
chosen as one of only four schools in the state. It’s an honor that we were picked to
participate in such a fun learning activity that will hopefully show our students how
important it is to learn digitally.”

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington, D.C.–based national policy
and advocacy organization, Digital Learning Day is a nationwide celebration of innovative
teachers and common-sense, effective applications of digital learning in America’s schools
that support teachers, improve learning and provide options for students to achieve at their
highest potential as they navigate the shift to more robust digital learning environments.

Foster gave examples of how the county has been utilizing available technology.

“There is a lot of virtual learning that goes on ... When there are snow days, we have snow
packets and they have lessons that they can do on the iPad. We use Engrade which allows the
teachers to post assignments. Students can take quizzes, they can look at their assignments,
we have many schools doing that with the iPad. The iPad has been wonderful during these snow
days because they’re still getting to have instruction. They’re still able to learn at home in
their own environment.”

Hodges agreed, relaying her own child’s use of the program. “They were able to keep up with
some of those programs and assessments that would keep them going. We weren’t here at school,
but we were still doing some work, we did about two and a half or three hours of work a day.”

Hodges thinks that there have been great successes since starting the iPad curriculum in
third-grade through fifth-grade.

“It’s really made a big difference, I’ve seen an increase of student engagement. Teachers
are really coming out of their comfort zone and trying new projects and new ideas and trying
to see how they can change their instruction to better suit our students for today because this
is what they are going to have to get used to.”

Other schools around the county, though not a part of the teleconferencing lesson, implemented
their own digital projects on a class-by-class basis to celebrate the day.

Home   |   About   |   Partners   |   Customers   |   Join Us   |   Solutions   |   Login

©2014 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.)

Have Something To Say To a Lot of People?

Have something to say to a lot of people?  Why not save significant travel and accommodation costs by using one of our event calls instead.

Whether it’s announcing a new product to the media, presenting to the board of investors or providing training seminars for staff, our Event Service is just the ticket!

Providing you with a friendly operator to assist in all aspects of your call, running a large scale teleconference need not be scary. We provide help with everything from the initial call set up through to introducing speakers on the conference, to any assistance that may be required after the event.

Maintaining the usual professional peace of mind that comes with the security and reliability of a Everest Communications Conference Call, this is the affordable way to get your message to a lot of people quickly.

Thinking global?  With worldwide access, multilingual operators and a handy transcription service this need not hold you back. You can even include web-conferencing or a webcast solution to bring your presentations to life and engage your audience.

Home   |   About   |   Partners   |   Customers   |   Join Us   |   Solutions   |   Login

Advantages of Teleconferencing

Teleconferencing among multiple participants in two or more locations is a strategic communication tool deployed by many companies with multiple locations and dispersed employees. Business cyclical shifts and economic downturns tend to see a rise in the use of teleconferencing facilities.  Used judiciously and strategically, teleconferencing can enhance organizational productivity, engage employees at all levels and reduce travel budgets.

Reduces Travel

One of the most-apparent benefits of teleconferencing is reduced travel. Businesses with multiple offices and federal governmental agencies with state offices can hold discussions, share critical information and conduct other meetings with employees through teleconferencing.

Saves Time

Teleconferencing frees up time for company executives to finish tasks and execute assigned roles in their own locations or home bases. Time saved from reduced travel can be used more productively.

 

Streamlines Costs
During economic downturns, teleconferencing sees a resurgence in popularity as an effective communication and interaction tool. Companies report significant savings in travel and human resource budgets.

Enhances Productivity

Teleconferencing allows dispersed employees to communicate with coworkers at headquarters, conduct long-distance meetings and strategic discussions, and share grievances and other human resource issues. Better employee engagement, understanding of roles and effective use of time lead to enhanced productivity.

Short-Notice Scheduling

Teleconferencing systems and toll-free, dial-in access facilities make it possible for companies to schedule short-notice or ad-hoc employee teleconferencing meetings or discussions.

Home   |   About   |   Partners   |   Customers   |   Join Us   |   Solutions   |   Login