IC Mart

The Advantages Of Audio Books

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:41:20 +0000

With the incredible advantage of listening to your favorite book instead of reading it, the popularity of audio books has now gone through the roof. There are now more and more book titles with audio book versions.

Think about it – with audio books you can now save that extra time you spend reading a chapter on your favorite motivational book each morning before you leave for work. Apart from saving extra time, you are gaining extra knowledge in the process.

You can simply put it on to play while you prepare for work or even play it in your car on your way to work.

No wonder children, adults and even oldies have fallen head over heels in love with audio books.

Below are some of the specific advantages that audio books have over normal hardcover or paperback books:

– Audio books are more cost effective to produce than hardcover and paperbacks. More so, those who love to conserve nature insist that if all books are audio instead of hardcover and paperbacks, this will save more trees and keep the earth better than it is today.

– You can select the exact track you want to listen to instead of flipping through several pages in the case of normal books. This saves a great deal of time and makes it very comfortable for you.

– You can listen to audio books while doing other things in the house, while commuting to and from work or even while jogging. With an audio book someone else does the reading, while you do the absorption.

– You can listen to an audio book when it’s dark (example – when you are out camping and you’ve got no lights) but you can’t read a book when it’s dark. So, with an audio book you can go on vacation and still enjoy what the audio book has to offer.

– You can save the time you spend reading to your kids each night before they sleep with an audio book. Unlike a normal paperback or hardcover book that you have to read to your kids, with an audio book you can simply play it for them until they fall asleep, thereby saving you the time.

More so, audio books that are specifically for children are more fun than your reading can be. You probably were not trained to talk like a rabbit, right? But most of the narrators of children’s audio books were trained to read in ways that children love.

Eddie Lamb provides an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. With the amount of information now available to the discerning researcher, we believe a better understanding your area of interest helps your decision making process immensely. You’ll find a host of useful information about digital downloadable products at Digital Audios Direct.

Online Video Community – Reach the Target Audience in a Unique Way

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 21:59:37 +0000

The popularity of video content is on the rise and seems to be threatening traditional media. This has led to the emergence of online video sharing communities on the Internet. An online video sharing community facilitates better communication. Commercial or personal videos that are uploaded on the video communities are very efficacious. videos are soon likely to supersede the traditional features of the Internet such as communication, business, and advertising.

You can also have quality online videos. Videos are uploaded subject to expected viewer ship because whenever a video is uploaded, it gets better response and popularity. After a video is uploaded, care has to be taken about the concept and content of the video footage that has to be put on air on the video sharing community. Thus, the quality of the video improves and the viewers get better entertainment.

Video SEO makes sure that more and more traffic is routed towards a website due to the quality video content. An online video is an improved way of promoting a business unlike traditional methods. Online videos attract a lot of users as things can be better explained through a video clip.

The number of online video sharing websites has grown not only in size but also in terms of viewer ship and popularity level. An online video community allows sharing of online videos. The online videos attract a large audience because more and more people get attracted towards videos. Plus, through videos a lot can be explained. The promoters are able to create unique promotional films. The videos are made after studying the target audience. This helps attract the target audience and the overall market.

Therefore, an online video community plays multiple roles. It acts as a source of income as well as entertainment. The quality videos for the viewers are prepared and the experience is shared with the them. This way income is generated for its members when the videos are uploaded depending on the viewer ship. The online also offers comments on a video and send them to its author. This way the author who created the video gets to know what are the anomalies in his or her videos so that the persons acting in the video also get a chance to make improvements.

Alfie Corey is an expert writer; he is currently associated with Latestt.com, an online professional networking community, online veido community, e-learning community, document shares, video shares, blog shares..

Get More Out of Life – 6 Places Where you Should Listen to Audio Books

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:42:55 +0000

Technology is increasingly enriching our lives in ways which only a few years ago we would not have dreamed of. Who would have believed that not only would we slow down the destruction of trees and forests used for making paper and cardboard for hardcover and paperback books by developing the ability to “listen” to our books instead of “reading” them?

Seriously? Oh yes, through the introduction of audio books.

Audio books enable us to do other things at the same time, particularly physical activities for which we do not need our minds, for example household chores, walking the dog, working out, jogging etc. while still listening to the book.

More and more people are seeing the benefits of audio books and are buying their favorite books in this format.

If you are considering trying audio books but maybe still wonder about how and when you would ‘read’ them, here are 6 of places you can enjoy an audio book:

1IN BED – Sometimes we feel unwell or off colour and may just want to spend the day or a few hours relaxing in bed; or maybe we go to bed at night and simply want to lie till until drifting naturally off to sleep.

This is a great time to listen to an audio book: You have no bother with putting on the lights, holding the book, flipping through the pages or the effort of reading the book itself. You just lie there and relax while the entire book is read to you!

2IN THE KITCHEN – while doing household chores such as washing the dishes, general cleaning, or even preparing a meal. Many of us find these tasks somewhat tedious, certainly the chore of washing the dishes.

This is a great time to listen to an audio book because your hands are busy but your mind is receptive; instead of feeling listless and bored you can fill your mind with the pleasure of listening to a book of your choice.

3–GARDENING – Another mainly physical activity when much of the time e.g., weeding, mowing grass etc – we don’t have to tax our brains. You can also listen to audio books while gardening and have the pleasure of your book along with the satisfaction of getting the job done.

4EXERCISING or JOGGING – Weights, aerobics or simply jogging leave your mind wide open but your hands, legs and even your entire body busy. This is a great time to enjoy an audio book.

A lot of us tend to exercise, whether for minutes or even hours while their minds do nothing. But listening to an audio book during this time will ensure you don’t waste those periods of time.

Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone – exercising your body and mind at the same time!

5–COMMUTING – This may be in your car or the bus or train ride to work. Many people lose a great deal of time doing nothing while commuting to and from their jobs – and the sheer boredom of it can make them feel tired and irritable.

Why not use that time to listen to an audio book, especially one that develops your mind and/or improves your professional and business skills? Listening to audio books that improve your skills can significantly help you develop career; more useful than simply sitting there or even listening to music.

6AIR TRAVEL – You may not believe it, but there are people who spend more time in the air (or waiting in airport s!) than on the road. As with more traditional commuting, this can be wasted and frustrating time which can be put to good use.

If you are a regular or even an occasional air traveler, consider the enormous benefits you would get listening to audio books, especially those that can improve your academic or work related skills; or simply listening to a favourite novel. Great distraction for the kids too if they’re travelling with you……

These are just a few situations arising in many of our lives where audio books can provide entertainment and/or the opportunity to improve our professional skills; there are many others which you may well have thought of as you read this text.

From London, Nick now lives in Stockholm with wife Lena and Gunnar a Border Terrier. He likes to forest walk and is learning Swedish (from an audio book) He runs Myaudiobookshelf.com where you’ll find 8000+ audio books to download and links to a vast but little known network of free audio book websites. .Sign up to his email list or download an audio book and you’ll get the full list.

How to Stay Current With the Latest Audio Console Software

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:50:56 +0000

When it comes to audio mixing, Hi-Tech Audio is a company that can be trusted to provide continuing support to its customers. Not only do they offer training, parts, and operational and maintenance advice, but they are the place to go for audio console software as well. Everyone now recognizes that the “latest and greatest” technology does not stay “latest and greatest” for very long. By offering audio console software to their customers, Hi-Tech Audio helps them keep their consoles up to date. With new audio console software appearing regularly, you know you can rely on Hi-Tech Audio to be in the know. Their expertise in audio mixing consoles is unparalleled.

Hi-Tech Audio has an exhaustive knowledge of the best consoles in the sound industry. They want their customers to be able to get the most out of these incredible pieces of equipment. Initial training is the first step to mastering your system’s capabilities, but keeping your console equipped with state of the art software is vital if you want to stay at the top of your game. Audio console software, firmware updates, and manual downloads for every major brand of digital console can be accessed at the Hi-Tech Audio website. Whether you work with a Yamaha, Digico, Midas, Digidesign, or other console, you can find audio console software and downloads through Hi-Tech Audio.

New software can allow your console to perform many additional functions. With audio console software, your console could, for instance, easily transfer live inputs with those from a multi-track recorder. You could also add on such effects as analog modeled compressors or an Open Deck tape simulator. There are software programs to allow your console to be communicate with a broader computer network and be controlled from multiple locations. Console software allows you to upgrade your system in many ways.

You really never can tell what Audio console software they will come up with next. Staying up to date is important, and Hi-Tech Audio makes it easy.

Steve Collins is an Author and Journalist based in Encino, California.

Audio Books: How To Download Them To Your Mp3 Player Hassle Free

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:40:23 +0000

Are MP3-technology portable players only good for playing cool tunes downloaded from the net? Far from it. They offer an alternative and a convenient listening addition to audio books on tape or CD.

What used to take days or weeks of waiting for the mail carrier to deliver your audio books on tape or CD, it now takes no more than a few minutes. You can be listening to your favorite MP3 books straight away. And it’s going to get even better, easier and quicker, judging from the giant advances in audio and web technologies in recent months.

The hard-core audiobook listeners may take a while to “convert” from using tapes and CDs to an MP3 format. The sheer convenience, perfect control and the size choices MP3 players offer, the “change-over period” is likely going to be a short one.

So, if you are a budding MP3 book pioneer and want the latest portable audio technology conveniences, they are waiting here to serve you without having to spend a fortune or extra time to do it right.

To download audio books in MP3 format to your computer and over to your MP3 player, look at the exact steps you need to take to do it quickly and easily.

Just note the following instructions use Windows Media Player – Version 10 as an example.
Let’s assume you are already good at downloading files from the web onto your computer.
Let’s also assume that you already own an MP3 player, but don’t know how to do this transfer correctly yet.

1. If you are using an older version of Windows Media Player and need to upgrade, surf over to Microsoft and download it at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download. Follow the installation instructions.

2. Download the MP3 books to your computer. It is a good idea to create a separate folder, say in “My Documents” folder and name it “My Audio Books”. It allows you to keep your audio book downloads all in one location. Done it? Good.

3. Now, connect your computer (switched on) to the MP3 player using the USB cable supplied with your player.

4. Once the connection between the two is live, your computer will show that it has found a new piece of hardware. If it doesn’t say this, just unplug everything in the above sequence and try again.

5. Is it working now? Okay. Open your Windows Media Player and open the audio book MP3 file you want to copy. This will open your audio book in the main display area of Windows Media Player.

6. Add the audio book to the Sync List of your Windows Media Player.

7. Go ahead and click on the Sync tab on the Windows Media Player. It brings you to a pull-down arrow menu on the left-side box of the Sync tab. Make sure you select the choice “Removable Disk (E)”, or the name of your MP3 player as the source where the audio book will be copied to.

8. Do you see a display with the choice to “Start Sync” right now? Great! Go ahead and click on it. Once you’ve done this, the Windows Media Player will let you know that it’s sending the audio book to your MP3 player.

9. As soon as the sync (or copying) of the audio book file is complete, you can check to assure it is on your MP3 player. See it there? Excellent. One more step to go.

10. To finish this process properly, ensure you click on your PC’s hardware icon (found in your system tray – in the right bottom corner – usually a small icon with a green arrow) to “Safely Remove Hardware”.

Don’t remove the USB cable until you get a clear signal saying “Safe To Remove Hardware”.

Removing the USB cable without following this step may damage both your computer and the MP3 player.

Note:
Are you using an older version of Windows Media Player? Even so, you can still follow the steps above. The only major difference is that instead of having “Sync”, you will have “Copy” in the menu. You can click on it and follow the same steps above to have your audio book copied to your MP3 player.

If you have a portable MP3 player that uses a drag-and-drop file method instead of Windows Media Player synchronization, then the steps are easy to follow. Simply connect your player to the computer as above. Open the player’s window by clicking on its name or on “Removable Disc (for example E or F) under “My Computer” icon.

Then, open the MP3 books folder (the location where you have them saved) in a separate window. Keep both windows open side-by-side. Now, left-click, hold and drag the audio files over to the open window of the portable player. Once you release the left mouse button, there will be a short file-transfer moment. Done? Now, your MP3 books are on your player, ready for you to enjoy listening to it.

So, can you play back the audio book from your MP3 player now? If you have followed the steps, you should hear the audio book playing on your MP3 player. If you have difficulties, you can watch an easy-to-follow video that shows you how to do it at http://www.mybigaudio.com/help.html .

Lu Smith shares with you hard-to-find Audio Books in too many categories to mention. Be our guest and download free MP3 Books right now.

The Various Services That Diamond Audio Provides for Its Customers

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:18:52 +0000

In the world of technology there are many companies who produce excellent quality items that we can use with confidence. This type of service ensures that the customer receives only the best quality items that they are looking for. Now with Diamond Audio you have this assurance. Since Diamond Audio has committed itself to high quality goods that customers will want, you can be sure that you will find something that you want.

There are many items that Diamond Audio has created that stands out as the leader in the field of mobile sound technology. This company is also making sure that its excellent goods are very affordable. This means that just about anyone can buy one of the many Diamond Audio parts.

Now if you would like to see what is available in the Diamond Audio range before you go to their showroom then you can look at these items on the internet. This way you can gain a brief introduction in to the various services that Diamond Audio provides for its customers. You can also preview the many new innovations that have been released by Diamond Audio.

A visit to the Diamond Audio showroom will be of great help when you need to see what the many upgrades that you can invest in are. Now when you go to the showroom you should examine the various items that you want to have installed in your car. You will also need to ask questions from the sales personnel about any item that you may want to buy. In addition you should find out what sort of price range there is for the many different Diamond Audio systems.

There is one other facility that you may want to look into before you go to see what Diamond Audio system that you can buy. This is the various car audio reviews that you can find on the internet. With the help of these reviews you can check to see which type of Diamond Audio will work with your car. The other thing that looking at these car audio reviews will reveal is any potential problem that you could run into with a Diamond Audio that may not be right for your car.

All of this information that you have gathered will be very useful in making your final selection of the various Diamond Audio systems and parts that can give you a great working Diamond Audio system for your car. So the next time that you need to install a car audio perhaps you should look into getting a Diamond Audio instead.

Muna wa Wanjiru is a web administrator and has been researching and reporting on internet marketing for years. For more information on Diamond Audio, visit his site at Diamond Audio

Video Surveillance System Devices

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:23:12 +0000

Video Cassette Recording (VCR)

Today, security camera system may consist of many different products and technologies. Many suppliers build pieces of the system, whether it is part of a hybrid analog/digital implementation or an end-to-end networked IP solution. The following sections explain the evolution of the CCTV system, starting with a fully analog system and adding components until it achieves networked capability.

A traditional analog surveillance system consists of analog cameras, time-lapse VCRs and monitors. A coaxial cable runs from each camera to a multiplexing device, which allows multiple cameras recording to one VCR, with a monitor for viewing. The time-lapse VCR allows the operator to adjust when the VCR records so the standard two-hour VHS tapes can he used for much longer. The trade-off results in lower-quality images in return for less frequent tape changes or image overwriting.

Analog CCTV recording systems have been the basis surveillance and monitoring for the past twenty years .This technology is extremely old and outdated and is rapidly being replaced by digital recording technology which now represents over 80% of all new installations.

Digital Video Recording (DVR)

A DVR is a computer with a special video graphics card that connects it to an analog camera via 75-ohm coaxial cable. The card also converts the analog signal to a digital signal and compresses the resulting image so it can be stored on an internal hard drive, viewed or transported across a network. DVRs typically utilize a computer operating system such as Windows or Linux along with video management System (VMS) software. DVRs are controlled and accessed via keyboards, mice and external monitors in order to setup, run surveillance software and replay stored video. DVRs usually have an internal Ethernet connection for LAN or WAN attachments.

Network-Attached Digital Video Recorder (NDVR)

A Network-attached Digital Video Recorder is part PC and part “Network Appliance” A NDVR is very similar to a DVR and is sometimes called a “Network Appliance” because it does not require-attached keyboard, mouse or video monitor. The device is plugged directly into an Ethernet switch and the only way to access the device is through the network. The device still has an operating system but it resides in firmware burned into a chip on the motherboard. Most of these NDVRs rely on Video Management Software (VMS) loaded on a network-attached client PC, however some have it ‘embedded’ in another motherboard chip, where it can be accessed from any PC through an Internet Browser. Most of these products have internal hard drives for local video file storage, but they can be inter-connected with Direct Attached Storage Arrays (DAS), Network Attached Storage (NAS) equipment or Storage Area Networks (SANs) through the LAN or WAN.

Network Video Recorders (NVR)

The ‘pure’ Network Video Recorder (NVR) is not a “turn-key box” or network appliance, but created with a combination of network devices. An NVR can be a standard network server with internal or attached storage capability along with recording software, video surveillance system or communication software and possibly even intelligent video analysis software. Digitization of the analog video is done by a separate ‘Video Encoder’ or ‘Video Server’ which is also attached to the Ethernet/IP network. Using an NVR configuration, true IP cameras can act as Video Servers and input images directly to the NVR and be managed directly by the NVR video software.

Video Encoders & Decoders

Encoders are used to take video signals in analog or digital form and make them suitable for transmission where bandwidth or storage capacity is an issue. Encoding applies to many video surveillance system applications where digital recording devices are used or viewing across a network is desired. Analog signals must first be converted to a digital format, but then each source must be compressed into a smaller size file or video “stream.” There are several standards for encoding/decoding and compression; each has advantages and disadvantages. Typically the trade-offs are quality for reduced file size.

A decoder is a device that does the reverse of an encoder, undoing the encoding so that the original information can be retrieved. The same method used to encode is usually just reversed in order to decode. These are still relatively simple devices which can be a software program running on a PC, a DVD player or even a cell phone. They may also be hardware devices that take the digital video format and convert it back into an analog signal that can be displayed on a TV monitor. This allows the networked video to become switched across any output device. Usually the decoding and encoding functions reside in the same device and is commonly referred to as a “codec,” an acronym for code/decode.

Migration to a Digital Network Solution

Because there is significant financial investment in analog CCTV, many security managers opt for a phased transition to IP, blending both analog and digital security technologies wherever possible during the migration. Integrating existing analog equipment with products that provide the functionality of a digital system offers several benefits:

Remote accessibility
Cost-effectiveness
Flexibility
Scalability

In the simple illustration below, the analog cameras are connected to an analog video switcher, an analog monitor, a VCR and a video server. This traditional setup provides sequential monitoring and recording of multiple analog cameras. By connecting a video server to convert the analog video into digital data, images can be sent over an Ethernet/IP network (through a router/switch) which provides Ethernet connections for networked IP cameras. With this configuration, authorized security personnel in local or remote locations can view video originating from both analog and digital, networked IPcameras.
In the transition from analog to digital surveillance systems, no system is too small or too tightly tied to analog technology not to benefit from some measure of digital technology.

In conclusion the migration of a Digital Network Solution to your existing Analogy System can be done and still have the capability to add the latest software and hardware.
Some of the latest in security surveillance system software is the Dual Sensor as listed below in more detail.

The latest camera systems would be a combanation of network camera and high end analogy cameras.

The author of this is the managing director of sse installations Sydney Australia. Please visit us at sse installations for more details.

Divx Wmv To Video Converter

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:17:35 +0000

3gpp-3g2-3gp-converter.com( http://www.3gpp-3g2-3gp-converter.com )Today Divx WMV to Video Converter is in the limelight. We created the “World’s Most Popular Now!” award to help you find the best programs available for whatever you want to do, whether converting video or burning your favorite movies onto a DVD. Each program is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in five different categories: UI skin, speed, ease of use, user rating and popularity. The program that comes out on top gets our award.
Today’s winners in Divx WMV to Video Converter are listed below. These ten programs are indisputably the best ones around. Any and all of them would be worth a download.

1. All AVSMedia products in one package Suite !

All AVSMedia products in one package! (AVS Video Tools + AVS Audio Tools + AVS Video Editor + AVS DVD Copy + AVS TV Box)

2. YASA Video Converter

3. Avex DVD & Video Converter Platinum Pack

Best Video Tools – Avex DVD & Video Converter Platinum Pack combines DVD Ripper Platinum, Video Converter Platinum and all DVD to iPod, PSP, 3GP, Zune Video Suite into one at steep discount.

4. Okoker AVI to DVD VCD DIVX MPEG Converter and Burner

5. Cucusoft MPEG/AVI to DVD/VCD/SVCD Converter Pro

It supports convert AVI to VCD, AVI to DVD, AVI to SVCD, AVI to MPEG1, AVI to MPEG2. Cususoft AVI to VCD / DVD can not only convert AVI file, but also can convert almost all video file formats to VCD, DVD, SVCD and MPEG format.

6. WinAVI Video Converter

7. Plato Video Converter

Expert at video conversion between AVI, DivX, XviD, MPEG, WMV, ASF, MOV, QT, RealMedia. Convert AVI, DivX, Xvid, ASF, WMV, WMA, MPEG, MOV, QT, RM, RMVB, file without losing quality.

8. ImTOO AVI MPEG Converter

A powerful AVI MPEG converter which can convert AVI to MPEG (MPEG1 and MPEG2), convert DivX to MPEG, convert WMV to MPG. The AVI MPEG Converter supports converting video file format, such as convert DivX to MPEG, AVI to MPG and convert DVD, VCD, AVI, WMV, MP4, MOV, 3GP, animated GIF, RM, ASF to MPEG or AVI

9. Xilisoft Video Converter

10. Apex Video Converter Super

Apex Video Converter Super Convert the formats of your video as you like. It is designed to meet all your needs of convert file between MOV, MPEG,VCD, DVD, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, AVI, DIVX, iPod, 3GP, PPC, xBox, PMP, MP4 formats.
source: http://www.3gpp-3g2-3gp-converter.com/article/Divx-WMV-to-Video-Converter.html

Today Divx WMV to Video Converter is in the limelight. We created the “World’s Most Popular Now!” award to help you find the best programs available for whatever you want to do, whether converting video or burning your favorite movies onto a DVD. Each program is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in five different categories: UI skin, speed, ease of use, user rating and popularity. The program that comes out on top gets our award.

Video Conferencing – a Consultants Perspective

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:42:01 +0000

Video conferencing has been tipped for the top for some time now, and finally its day has arrived. Here, Mike Entwistle, Managing Director for CCOMM Ltd, who started in the conferencing consulting space explains how the combination of the burgeoning ‘green’ movement, improved technologies, lower prices and a new generation that is ready and able to embrace video means that video conferencing will be the ubiquitous tool for communication in the 21st Century.

40 years ago the first video call took place, when AT&T introduced the Picturephone at the 1964 World’s Fair in America. Viewed as a fascinating curiosity at the time, it never actually became popular and was too expensive to be practical for most consumers. At its peak, the Picturephone service had only 500 subscribers, and the service faded away by the mid 1970’s.

Now, nearly four decades later, videoconferencing has come of age, with manufacturers such as Polycom, Tandberg and Life Size routinely selling tens of thousands of units a year worldwide. It’s a growing market. In 2005 video conferencing was worth about $1.15 billion globally, according to Frost & Sullivan. Now the market is expected to reach $3.1 billion by 2010, growing at a compound annual rate of 22.1 per cent. Another research firm Gartner is even more bullish, projecting the video conferencing industry to be worth $12.8 billion by 2011.

The success of YouTube and the rise of social media networking driven by sites such as Facebook and MySpace has made video today’s tool for smart, modern trendy users. Video overcomes the distance barriers and has ‘stickiness’ for today’s Y generation. Hundreds of millions of YouTube videos are watched each day, and even organisations are routinely posting their corporate videos on the site as a means of tracking comment and generating greater user familiarity. For example, companies such as Cadbury’s are fully embracing the new technology as demonstrated by the recent advert featuring a drum-playing gorilla, which gained more than 1 million views on YouTube.

All this activity, not to mention the environmental pressures, has made video conferencing an accepted method of communication as organisations of all sizes try to save time, and reduce their emissions and carbon footprint. Environmental issues have turned the spotlight on the excesses of corporate travel – not just airlines, but simply say, from one side of the county to another. For example, CCOMM works with North West police forces including; Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, who use video conferencing for weekly staff meetings. Lancashire Police Constabulary covers quite a wide geographically dispersed area in the North West of England and found it was wasting an enormous amount of time, resource and money, while officers drove for hours just to reach these meetings. Video conferencing has saved each Constabulary time, travel budget, enhanced general communication and addressed some of their ‘green’ concerns.

Time spent traveling is time wasted, so organisations are looking for an alternative. It’s not so much air miles that are in demand these days, but carbon credits and video miles as a necessary measure of ‘greenness’. With carbon footprint reduction an increasingly important consideration for today’s businesses, video conferencing is one solution which can help meet corporate environmental goals by reining back on travel, especially once finance directors start seeing details of their likely ‘carbon allocations’.

According to one recent Gartner research note, “Gartner recommends carbon footprint reduction as a more sustainable long-term objective than carbon offsetting (such as planting trees to compensate for carbon dioxide output), and video will be a key component of that reduction strategy for many enterprises.”

However, it is not just green issues that have driven take-up of video conferencing. Technical developments too have made video conferencing a more user friendly and practical solution, less expensive than before to implement, and now offering better quality, on the desktop. These developments mean video conferencing is no longer solely the domain of the multinational. SME users too, hard pressed in running their own businesses, with no time to waste on travel are also prospective users. That’s why analysts believe video conferencing will continue to grow during the next few years, spurred on by instant messaging (IM), desktop collaboration, and the casual and more-frequent use of video conferencing as a mere click from the desktop.

As an integrator of videoconferencing solutions, we are also really starting to see the industry fly and we are gaining more enquiries year on year about our services and the end-users knowledge and understanding of the technology is certainly improving dramatically. There is no longer any mystique about video conferencing. Organisations want to be able to use it: not in video suites where they have to rely on a technician to use smoke and mirrors to get it to work, but on the desktop, where using it is ‘as easy as making a phone call’, integrated with key desktop and networking software.

In fact, video conferencing should no longer be seen in isolation but as an element of real-time collaborative communications which also include video, data and the Web, delivered through partnerships with Microsoft, Cisco, Avaya, and Nortel which help create efficient, high quality, more scalable solutions for business users.

Many IT executives already consider their organisations to be a ‘virtual workplace’ with, in some cases, over 60 percent of employees working remotely from their supervisors. The rise of IP video conferencing, whether from desktop or room-to-room, now provides a more cost-effective way to communicate with remote employees than ISDN-based video conferencing, with estimated paybacks ranging from 12-18 months for companies that replace ISDN video conferencing with IP systems.

Unlike the old perception of video conferencing as expensive to implement and jerky to watch, today’s desktop-based, IP friendly solutions are even flexible enough for someone to be patched into a conference while still in their car. You can even start with a phone call, and then ‘add the video’. That’s a long way from booking a video conference

The image quality offered by video conferencing has also improved markedly, to the extent that, with high resolution HD images, it is possible even to view stitching on products, or faults on printed circuit boards. That too has increasing ‘video conferencing’ marketability in the manufacturing sector. Audio bandwidth too (22 KHz) is now of the same quality you’d expect to have on your home audio system.

Looking ahead to 2008, organisations want to make collaboration more natural for staff who typically may be working in remote locations: from home, at other offices on a large campus, or with business partners in their offices. Voice or video on the desktop, at users’ fingertips, offers the prospect of potential ‘instant’ collaboration every time the phone rings and avoids having to book a room for video conferencing. Such a desire for instant collaboration, allied to more efficient use of working time and the need to cut greenhouse gases and rescue the environment, means it is no exaggeration to describe video as ‘the communications medium for today.

Tim Vincent is a leader on the subject of Video conferencing and video conferencing equipment. For more information on this subject please visit http://www.ccomm.co.uk