An example video conferencing. Ways of working together. Due diligence on travel. So, judicious use 11/5/2009

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1 3D Interactive Technology and Stereoscopic Displays Dr. Roy C. Davies The Flexible Reality Studio Ltd. Auckland University of Technology. Virtual Conferencing Reduce your carbon footprint by being there virtually (and still be effective). Dr. Roy C. Davies Why do we travel for business? Get away for a while. Stay at nice hotels, have fun, good food, experience another culture and place. Meet people and get things done effectively network and socialize; seal deals; work together; develop channels Time (on the plane and in hotel) to get stuff done. We know that meetings are important to business 1

2 The importance of meetings Average U.S. business would forfeit 15% of profit in one year if it eliminated business travel. Per dollar invested: Gives on average $12.50 increased revenue and $3.80 new profits. Customer meetings have greatest ROI, between $15 and $20. Conferences or tradeshows have ROI between $4 and $6. 40% of prospective customers become new customers through in-person meetings. 85% of corporate executives perceive web and teleconferencing less effective than in-person meetings. 63% believe virtual meetings are less effective than in-person meetings. But on the other hand Travel is a powerful incentive for the development of Human Capital. Source: The return on investment of US business travel, Oxford Economics, USA, October, Carbon Statistics for travel Flying New York to London = 714 kg CO 2 /person Flying Seoul to Auckland = 816 kg CO 2 /person Carbon absorption by trees = 14kg CO 2 /tree/year New York to London = 51 years for one tree, per passenger, to absorb the carbon produced. Seoul to Auckland = 58 years for one tree. Sources: The cost of business travel The carbon dioxide generated by the average expense-claiming employee from business travel (not including commuting) during a year is the equivalent of them boiling a kettle 105,413 times. To offset this, it would require six trees to be planted and grown to maturity (taking about 99 years) per expense-claiming employee per year: 22.5 million additional trees per year for the UK. Source: Economist, 12 th May,

3 New realities carbon tax Regulations will soon start to affect bottomlines. Copenhagen Climate Conference, Many governments are bringing in legislation. Lowering emissions looks good to clients. OK, so we aim to travel less What do we do instead? Remote meeting tools Ways of working together Telephone / Speaker phone / FAX Websites / Bloggs/ Forums / Wikis / / Letters Social Networking tools / LinkedIn / Facebook Skype / MSN / ICQ Video Conferencing / Video Phone GotoMeeting / WebEx / Web conferencing 2 nd Life / Active Worlds / Collaborative VEs Virtual Chat rooms / Chat rooms Specialised Virtual Applications Virtual Conferencing Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Diagram Source: Wikipedia 3

4 Ways of working together Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Face-to-face Telephone / Speaker Phone Skype / MSN Video Conferencing / Video Phone Goto Meeting / WebEx / Web conferencing 2 nd Life / Active Worlds / Collaborative VEs Virtual Chat rooms / Chat rooms Bloggs / Forums / Wikis / / Letters Specialised Virtual Applications Websites, Social Networking An example video conferencing Pharmacia & Upjohn installed enterprise-wide video-conferencing equipment: "The ability to interact with others remotely produces huge corporate benefits," says Glen Miller, director of worldwide video and satellite communication. Saved more than $6 million in direct travel expenses in one year. Freed up about 2000 workdays that managers and executives used to spend in transit. Source: Due diligence on travel Do you really need to travel? Consider cost, time and carbon. Yes: At critical times in opportunity and relationship development. To generate new leads. For large events. But: Be effective and accountable. No: Maintaining client relationships between meetings (learn from social networking). Large events when not presenting or displaying. Short, regular meetings. But: Remote collaboration tools could be better So, judicious use of remote meetings is recommended 4

5 Scientific theory for the use of Virtual Conferencing. What s good about meeting face-to-face and what are the problems and benefits with current technologies? The importance of face-to-face The immediacy of having to deal with the person in front of you to get things done Effective communication Body language Working, learning, experiencing together Getting to know each other Meeting new people Shared physical resources Small and large groups Opportunity for unplanned activities and discussions Communities of Practice The process of sharing information and experiences to learn from each other, and develop personally and professionally. Nurturing new knowledge, stimulating innovation, and sharing existing tacit knowledge. For organizations, learning is an issue of sustaining the interconnected communities of practice through which an organization knows what it knows and thus becomes effective and valuable as an organisation (Wenger 1998, p. 8). Communities can be grown virtually. Source: Wenger, Etienne (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN Presence The feeling of being there / temporary suspension of disbelief What? Depends on the technology and the will of the participants. Why? Higher presence increases learning, recall, performance, communication. Lower level of presence detracts and inhibits and requires additional mental effort. Source: 5

6 Problems with existing technologies Lessons from Virtual Surgery Often not easy to use Setting up, connecting, maintaining connection, collaborating, communicating, sharing content. Many don t support: Good visual (or audible) communication Dynamic sharing of resources Spontaneous group and individual activities Richness of experience Believability is important Gown up and sterilize as if for actual surgery. Puts into the mindset. For Virtual Meetings should make as much effort at going to a face-to-face meeting. Virtual Conferencing Preparation, a high level of presence and believability means more effective remote meetings. 6

7 Capabilities and Structure EONReality Coliseum Multi-modal communication in a virtual environment Scalable, multi-users avatars Live video streaming Voice-over-IP Data connectivity to other software Virtual Presentation Surface(s) Interactive 3D content Scalable to Immersive (stereoscopic 3D) systems Demonstration Why is this good? or search on youtube for EONReality Coliseum Sociological We meet at a common place and have a shared experience. Communities of Practice We can work together using shared resources, and even go off to small discussions. Presence and Believability As a Virtual Environment, it is easier to think yourself into the space than, say, a video conference. Usability All the connectivity is done centrally you just hook in. Getting into the mindset I m going to a meeting in the round room 7

8 Who? And it can save time, money and carbon NZ Interactive 3D Technology Experts World-leading VR Solutions Company The Flexible Reality Studio Industries The Flexible Reality Studio provides clear guidance and definitive answers. It is a business technology consultancy, specialisingin interactive 3D solutions to: support best practices in interactive 3D solutions; supply and maintain interactive 3D hardware; and develop interactive 3D applications. Effective and efficient use of these tools: improves access to information; makes complex data accessible; boosts knowledge retention; helps gather feedback from stakeholders; attracts customers; and enhances communication and collaboration. 8

9 Products Dr Roy C. Davies 9