Visual Collaboration Made Easy

Transcription

1 Visual Collaboration Made Easy

2 Table Of Contents Introduction: Visual Collaboration Made Easy New Social, Technological, and Economic Realities Video Conferencing becomes Visual Collaboration CMIT Impression Functional Capabilities Visual Collaboration Use Cases Hardware Technical Specifications

3 CMIT Impression: Visual Collaboration Made Easy A Whitepaper by CMIT Solutions, Inc. Ask the average businessperson about his or her experience with video conferencing, and you ll get a laundry list of responses, almost none of them positive. From choppy video and poor image quality to complicated set-up routines and high expense, the mere mention of video conferencing elicits feelings of dread and raises an often-asked question: Wouldn t a simple conference call suffice? It s a reasonable question. Until rather recently, the large Internet bandwidth needed for good quality video conferencing (especially for users in multiple locations) necessitated expensive and dedicated high-speed lines. Even then, uneven image quality sometimes meant that a presenter s meticulously crafted charts appeared to the audience only as pixilated blotches on an easel. Even so, many businesses still find value in the technology, though technological impediments and market forces have kept the industry as a whole from really taking off. However, things are changing. Visual Collaboration Guide - 1

4 Aligning the Planets New social, technological, and economic realities enabling change For any new technology to gain mass adoption, three disparate factors must align. First, technological enablers must reach sufficient maturity. In the case of video conferencing, advanced codecs (codec stands for compression/decompression, much like modem stands for modulation/ demodulation ) allow bigger and better image quality to be sent across the Internet faster and more cheaply than ever before. This negates the need for pricey, dedicated T1 lines. Even high-definition (HD) video conferencing can operate today over connections comparable to at-home cable or DSL bandwidth speeds. If you ve ever used Apple s FaceTime application on an ipad or iphone equipped with a Retina display, then you ve seen the quality that even consumer-grade devices can achieve. Social drivers make up the second factor in the mass-adoption trifecta. It s a bit difficult to hold a video conferencing session if you re the only one with a camera, microphone, and connection. The What if the people I need to speak with don t have the right equipment on their end? concern limits video conferencing s appeal and practicality in a very real way. The fact that many conferencing services aren t compatible (or offer only limited compatibility) with ones from other vendors further exacerbates such reluctance. Though this particular obstacle may seem like a chicken/ egg conundrum, the ease of use of many consumer-grade video-chat applications such as Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live, FaceTime, and others are helping business users see the value in video conferencing as an acceptable facsimile of face-to-face communication. Technological economic Social The third factor, which is closely tied with the second, is business need. For a new technology to gain mass acceptance, that technology must solve a problem, or solve a problem in a better way than the existing solution. Video conferencing solves the problem of how to have a face-to-face conversation with someone not in your vicinity. With the rising costs and hassles associated with air travel, companies seek ways to not only have such conversations, but also to present data visually and collaborate on digital documents. Combined with the rising prevalence of remote workers, geographically distributed departments, and supply chains that traverse the globe, businesses increasingly view such tools as a necessity, not merely a convenience. These three factors converge to create a tipping point for mass adoption, creating a disruption in the status quo. Visual Collaboration Guide - 2

5 Disruption Where video conferencing becomes visual collaboration Video conferencing has gotten such a bad rap that marketers have taken to re-branding the technology as telepresence. While that may sound cynical, the term telepresence itself is quite instructive, as it speaks to one of the most significant advantages of video conferencing: the ability to leverage the benefits associated with in-person interaction (as opposed to phone or communication) when travel considerations make it impossible or impractical. It is perhaps the ability to video conference in HD that differentiates telepresence from mere video conferencing. The visual detail afforded by HD imaging enables the user to discern the body language, facial expressions, raised eyebrow, or even perspiration of the person on the other end of the connection details that many salespeople would argue could mean the difference between closing a deal and having it fall through. Similarly, visual collaboration describes a video-conferencing-type system s ability to act not only as a means for communication, but also as a platform for accomplishing tasks. By integrating tools that enable users to brainstorm ideas, annotate and edit documents, and exchange feedback, the experience transforms presenting and viewing static information into an opportunity for dynamic and truly collaborative interactions. Visual Collaboration Guide - 3

6 CMIT Impression Get together. Get somewhere. CMIT Impression, the visual collaboration managed service from CMIT Solutions, transforms conference rooms designed for one-way presentations into dynamic visual collaboration workspaces. Break down visual communication barriers with the InFocus Mondopad, a giant full-hd wall-mountable tablet PC with intuitive touch applications and disruptively-priced cloud-based video conferencing. You and your colleagues can securely connect, share, and collaborate with anyone, anywhere making your meetings more collaborative, productive, and sustainable than ever before. With 55 inches of gorgeous, full HD (1920x1080) multi-touch display at your fingertips, the era of brain numbing one-way presentations is finally coming to an end. Designed for multi-touch, the InFocus Mondopad tablet changes the way people interact with information, collaborate, and connect. This makes meetings more engaging, content more immersive, and audiences more receptive. Visual Collaboration Guide- 4

7 Functional Capabilities High Definition, Low Cost Features High-quality 720p video conferencing is finally within reach. CMIT has partnered with Vidtel to make connecting the tablet to almost any video conferencing platform, on any device, as easy as making a phone call. Impression breaks through the traditional barriers that make video conferencing complicated, closed and out-of-reach for most small and medium-sized businesses Vidtel s cloud-based service eliminates video islands, so you can connect to almost any video conferencing platform, from free consumer video conferencing applications to enterprise-level telepresence systems No up-front costs for infrastructure, unlike most video conferencing hardware No technical resources are required for setup and management or for future updates since Impression s hardware and software components are remotely managed by CMIT File Sharing Sharing documents and visuals during a meeting--from any device--is amazingly easy with the InFocus Mondopad s simple and familiar folder structure Add, remove and launch documents from the tablet s View & Share folder, which anyone in the meeting can access Open the View & Share folder with a tap. Another tap opens your file. Move through your documents with the flick of a finger files directly to the tablet The InFocus Mondopad s integrated, Intel i5-based PC works just like your desktop computer, allowing you to create, view, and edit the office documents (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, PDF, JPGs and more) that you use every day all optimized for touch Wireless Connectivity The tablet s built-in Wi-Fi router also creates a wireless access point so guests in the room can easily deliver documents to the display or access the Internet without connecting to the organization s private network Launch and control your presentation from your phone s touchscreen Mirror the InFocus Mondopad s screen on your smartphone or handheld tablet Visual Collaboration Guide - 5

8 Functional Capabilities, Cont. Whiteboard & App Features The tablet s whiteboard and collaboration apps make it easy to brainstorm, capture and share ideas A complete set of writing and drawing tools, pens, highlighters, shapes and lines are at your command Whiteboard drawings and notes of your meeting visuals can be collected, saved and ed to meeting participants right from the tablet Multiple InFocus Mondopads on the same network can connect to form a multi-party whiteboard session with everyone seeing the interaction Writing & Drawing Features Use the whiteboard s writing and drawing tools to take notes on whatever is being presented on screen. This highly visual medium allows your teams to communicate more effectively, collaborate in real time, and never lose an idea Circle, or highlight, key information on PowerPoint slides, spreadsheets, design comps, and more Identify information on-screen to help remote participants follow along Capture and share notes with everyone in the meeting right from the tablet Administrative Tools Powerful remote administrative tools allow your in-house IT administrators or managed service provider to securely monitor and manage the hardware from anywhere Visual Collaboration Guide - 6

9 Visual Collaboration Use Cases The more we look into how visual collaboration technology can give small businesses a competitive edge, the more we find uses for technology that we were either not aware of or could not comprehend. Numerous studies have shown that visual signals (body language, hand gestures, etc.) play a significant role in effective human communication, particularly in terms of conveying emotion and abstract ideas. The below scenarios describe the benefits that visual collaboration provides to small and medium-sized businesses. Small Businesses with Field Sales Employees Effectively collaborating and sharing with sales team Environment Allow for easy, spontaneous mobile device access to multi-purpose video collaboration experience Weekly sales meetings, instead of being traditional conference calls or Webex sessions, are multifunctional and more engaging experiences Benefits A more productive workforce A more engaged workforce Easier for sales reps to share examples and convey the energy around sales propositions Easier for sales managers to review sales performance and new opportunities Ease of document sharing and connection allows for sales reps in the field to connect from an airport, home office, or client location anywhere there s an internet connection Any-to-Any Vidtel network makes it easier for all to participate without cross-platform restrictions 30-person Malpractice Law Firm Facilitating deposition-taking and introduction of visual evidence Environment Lawyers constantly on the go need visual collaborative technology to facilitate easier collection and communication of information Most courts now allow for visual collaboration typically through video conferencing for pre-trial motions, depositions, and interviews Benefits Easier to schedule depositions as court or attorney meeting room schedules become less of an issue HD video conferencing feature assures quality view of individuals involved, assuring key visual cues are captured Ability to simultaneously show and annotate documents and presentations make multi-dimensional communications easier Vidtel s Any-to-Any network assures more people can participate using different devices and from a more-varied set of locations Visual Collaboration Guide - 7

10 Children s Dental Clinic Use of HD video endpoints to visualize before-and-after results, as well as allow for multi-location collaboration Environment 25-person children s dental practice specializing in contemporary techniques for braces alternatives Two locations requiring collaboration between dentists and office workers requiring face-to-face meetings Benefits Impression s large, HD video capability allows for high-quality detailed images of patient s teeth Demonstration of the before-and-after results made more significant through timeline videos that can be created and run on the integrated PC Ability through touch-panel to magnify and move images delivers a more engaging review of proposed and projected results Ability to capture and create JPEG images of proposed results makes it easy to review later on Full collaborative features and HD video-conferencing allow for easy sharing, annotation, and collaboration between sites facilitates getting to issues sooner and lessens the need for travel Three-location, 45-person Hedge Fund (Financial Services) Requirement for NY, Chicago, and San Francisco offices to seamlessly stay connected for high-impact results. This requirement includes having less-technically skilled users to utilize collaboration technology easily for location-tolocation connection, as well as for easy collaboration among employees traveling internationally Environment Highly secure, professional environment with all non-technical resources. High-pressure work environment where easy collaboration with lower levels of technical support requirements are a must Benefits Three physical offices become a single virtual one Less travel expenses Critical problems that would normally require face-to-face meetings resolved sooner through multifunctional collaborative work sessions Optional Vidtel 12-port bridge services allow for senior team to connect and collaborate Any-to-Any connection allows for international travelers to video conference, share, participate and give presentations through multiple interfaces Visual Collaboration Guide - 8

11 Small Boutique Marketing and PR Company Single location, 15-person marketing company with 20 clients. Direct client engagement with a requirement for a high number of conference participants. Environment Dynamic and current technical environment comfortable with highly collaborative applications. High demand for visually impacting presentations and communications with an intuitive ease of use. Benefits Company suggested an InFocus Mondopad video endpoint at each of their clients offices to allow for easy collaboration and point-topoint video conferencing Weekly update calls are now handled via InFocus Mondopads on each end Inexpensive Vidtel Connect service used for the unlimited video conferencing between companies Multi-functional, spontaneous collaborative sessions with HD vide allow for simpleto-capture ideas that can be saved and sent out Significant use of split frame videoconferencing, white boarding, and presentation-sharing sessions Promotes the leading-edge contemporary image of the company Visual Collaboration Guide - 9

12 Hardware Technical Specifications Display - Size 55 Resolution x 1080 Refresh Rate - 60 Hz Viewing Angle - ±89 Display Colors G (10-bit) Pixel Pitch mm Picture-in-Picture - SBS/4 quadrant PiP Video Input Compatibility - Full NTSC, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/24, 1080p/30, 1080p/60 VGA (640x480), SVGA (800x600), XGA (1024x768), SXGA (1280x1024), SXGA+ (1400x1050), UXGA (1600x1200), WXGA+ (1440x900), WSXGA+ (1680x1050), WXGA (1280x800), WUXGA (1920x1200) Data Input Compatibility Inputs - USB Type-A x 6, HDMI 1.3 x 2, VGA (HD15 VESA), Component, S-Video, Composite, RS232, Outputs - RCA stereo audio x 2, 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, USB B to touch screen controller board, Ethernet (RJ45 x 2) 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, audio out (8-pin mini-din) Touch Screen Multi-Touch touch screen system with support for 2 touch and Windows 7 gesturing Glass protection overlay for LCD surface USB connection to PC from touch system panel board Speakers (Integrated) - Stereo 10W x 2 Power - AC 100 to 240V, 50/60Hz Energy Star for display and PC Operating Conditions - 10 to 40 C at 0 to 7.5K ft, 10 to 35 C at 7.5k to 10K ft Noise - 25 C Mount - VESA standard Accessories Included - Wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, cleaning cloth, VGA cable, USB cable, WLAN antennas (2), security screws, security screw removal tool, power cord, remote, quick setup guide, sound bar assembly, HD camera assembly, foot assembly Warranty - 1 year Certifications - US and Canada (cont.) Visual Collaboration Guide - 10

13 Hardware Technical Specifications (Cont.) PC Processor - Intel i5 Memory - 4 GB, 8 MB Flash memory LAN /100 Base-T with Wake on LAN Wi-Fi - Dual purpose b/g/n mini PCIe card, 2.5 GHz Input connections - USB Type A x 4, 10/100/1000BaseT x 2 Operating System - Windows 7 Camera Resolution x 720 Frame rate - 22fps at HD with H.264+YUV (2-way) Lens and Field of View - F/2.0, 3P Lens; FOV(D) 56.8 in HD mode, FOV(D) 50 in VGA mode 1.0x zoom, FOV(D) 30 in VGA mode 1.6x zoom Audio support - 4 built-in Unidirectional microphones Interface - USB 2.0 High Speed Focus - Auto focus Tilt - Up/down ±40 Sound Bar Power - via USB or 60 Hz AC Visual Collaboration Guide - 11

14 Make your impression a lasting one CMIT Impression s powerful collaboration tools, any-to-any connection abilities, and SMB-friendly price point brings enterprise-level visual collaboration to small businesses looking to expand their reach without breaking the bank on travel expenses. As more and more businesses venture into the visual collaboration realm, customers are continually finding new and innovative ways to use Impression in furtherance of their business goals. With its suite of features, ease of use, and interoperability across platforms, CMIT Impression s usefulness is almost solely limited only by your imagination. For more information, or to schedule a demo, call CMIT Solutions or visit com/impression Visual Collaboration Guide - 12