by Rosilyn Rayborn, Best in UC

As we’ve been discussing telehealth for the past few weeks here on Best in UC, we want to tell you about a huge win the telemedicine industry just experienced.

Georgia Partnership for Telehealth Waycross was recently awarded $2.5 million from Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to further their goal of providing rural Georgia residents with quick high-quality access to healthcare through their TeleConnect Georgia for Better Health (TCGBH) program.

Not only is this a great indication of the increasing adoption of UC for unified communications enthusiasts, it’s also a very important milestone for the state of Georgia because this award will enable the state to make significant advancements in their healthcare system.

According to a 2008 UGA study, Georgia’s overall health was found to trail many other states in the U.S.

Lloyd Sirmons, TCGBH’s BTOP project director said, “Via telemedicine, rural Georgians have access to modern medicine right at their fingertips. A patient needing to see a cardiologist in a small rural town, who may not have had the access unless they drove hours away, can go to a local doctor’s office that has one of our telemedicine units and be examined by a specialist located in a nearby city, like Atlanta.”

By providing health education to raise general health awareness and increasing broadband access points across the state for wider availability to quality healthcare, TCGBH is rightly positioned to make significant strides in Georgia’s healthcare system.

Likewise, we can look forward to seeing more big deployments like this in 2011. Telehealth has passed the “wait and see” phase and is becoming a proven solution for various industries looking for simple, reliable, affordable solutions to connect more people.

Written by Dave Casey, CEO Westron, as seen on BestinUC.com

Telecommuting is nothing new; millions have been doing it for years. Whether it is a nook in the master bedroom, or an opulent office/library overlooking the pool, we have become a society that treasures the ability to “go” to work without leaving the confines of our home.

Until now, most telecommuters have been equipped with a desktop or notebook PC, and a telephone or cell phone. Their home Internet connection allows them to connect to the office network and check email, download files, share information, etc. Yes, the connection speeds are a bit faster these days, but life has not changed much since 2005.

A couple of years ago folks started to use Skype for audio and point-to-point video connections to supplement their connections and reach more destinations. If you have seen Skype video, it is pretty blurry and jerky; you are at the mercy of the Internet after all, and bandwidth is at a premium. Not to mention, you are traversing their system for “free.” It even has generated a new adjective: “Skypey” to describe the appearance.

Enter LifeSize, the High Definition innovator in videoconferencing and unified communications. The bright folks at LifeSize have worked with Korean electronics giant LG to produce the LifeSize LG Executive, a 24-inch integrated monitor/videoconferencing system designed for a home office environment. As the accompanying video demonstrates, the telecommuter is no longer burdened with dim, blurry video with dropouts and pixilation.

Not only do you get a crystal clear second monitor for your desktop, you get a portal to the world of high-definition video conferencing and telepresence. The interface is the same incredibly simple remote that has won LifeSize industry accolades and the hearts of many a senior executive. The participant can choose their point of view from near end, far end, and side-by-side presentation. Since the video codec is part of the rest of the LifeSize product line, it features full compatibility and the incredible definition the company is known for. There are no confusing cables and adapters; the high-definition wide-angle camera is built into the top of the monitor, and the user can switch back and forth from desktop computing to video conferencing with the touch of a button.

Telecommuting will never be the same. Prepare to grab your Jane and George Jetson masks for those early morning sales reviews, and join the world of high-definition video presence.

ShoreTel Communicator on iPhone

ShoreTel has released ShoreTel 11, which includes several product enhancements allowing users to be more productive and communicate whenever and however they choose. ShoreTel’s new release also simplifies integration with existing UT infrastructure and legacy PBX systems.

With this update, ShoreTel Call Manager is now called ShoreTel Communicator. This name will be used in all new versions of the ShoreTel system.  ShoreTel communicator is now available in both Web and iPhone versions. To use ShoreTel Communicator on the iPhone, users must download the ShoreTel app from the iTunes app store, and have a licensed version of ShoreTel Communicator for mobile.

Also in this update is a Microsoft Outlook 2007 plug-in, allowing call handling to automatically change based on the users calendar, even when Outlook is not running.

ShoreTel 11 also allows additional instances of the configuration database to be installed on remote site. This feature further eliminates single points of failure and alleviates performance bottlenecks.

Read about all the new features of ShoreTel 11 in this PDF from ShoreTel.

As seen on BestinUC.com

We recently ran across a post from Guardian.co.UK’s technology editor, Charles Arthur that exposed the limitations of the cloud as evidenced by the WikiLeaks scandal.

Here’s an excerpt from Arthur’s article:

Until last week, any computing futurologist would tell you that cloud computing is where it’s at…Last week though the premise behind cloud computing began looking a bit creaky.

Amazon dropped the contents of WikiLeaks that had been hosted on its EC2 service…WikiLeaks was “not following” its terms of service…The reality is that anyone who manages to get under the skin of governments as effectively as Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks team have done will test the limits of government, and hence commercial tolerance.

Now, whether you’re singing the cloud’s praises or not, you can’t argue with Arthur’s points.

Indeed, the number one reason many cloud naysayers are skeptical about migrating from their traditional data center to the cloud is security. And with several WikiLeaks copycats just announced (BalkanLeaks, BrusselLeaks, and IndoLeaks), we can’t chalk this up as an anomaly.

It’s true that any time your data is in the public cloud you do run the risk of a similar fate. On the one hand, security breaches like this fuel the fears of companies holding out on the cloud because of its lack of security.  And, from the perspective of an entity that has information the government finds objectionable, you can be ostracized—when you accept the terms of the cloud, your data is subject to the approval of the provider. And if the government adds pressure to this mix, the line between the provider’s discretion can get blurry.

While this is surely no cause for great alarm—you shouldn’t use WikiLeaks as a cut and dry case against cloud computing as we’re pretty sure this one is a unique case that most of us won’t ever experience—it does show us that while the cloud does have a silver lining, there are still some gray areas that may surface as we all contemplate the migration from traditional data center models.

Contact us to discuss the best and most secure options for your data.

A business or organization in any industry can benefit from unified communications. There are, however, distinct benefits of unified communications and VoIP solutions in education.

In the K-12 education market, school districts are dealing with the effects of the recession and suffering budget and staff cuts. In the current financial environment, schools need a voice and data infrastructure that can be easily managed by fewer people.

ShoreTel provides an ideal solution for the education market. With little training, one person can maintain an entire system. Adds, moves and changes within the system are easy to manage, which is a benefit for districts that are looking for the benefits of a high-quality system without the added headache of maintaining that system.

Eastern Datacomm has outfitted a number of school districts with a ShoreTel system. From initial installation and deployment to day-to-day use, these schools are reaping the true benefits of what VoIP has been promised to provide. Northern Valley Regional High School, in New Jersey, planned to use the entire week of spring break to migrate to the ShoreTel VoIP system. In reality, that switch only took five minutes.

The primary benefits of ShoreTel in education include: improvements to district dial plans, 911 notification, management, redundancy, mobility, and cost savings.

Improvements to district dial plan

With ShoreTel, school districts no longer have a need for a district-wide “phone book” to keep track of each individual extension or 10-digit number. ShoreTel allows a simple extension plan that makes staying connected and knowing how to reach people easy.

Take Ridgewood Public Schools for example. After transitioning to ShoreTel, the Ridgewood district is now on a 5-digit dialing plan. The principal at every school has a ‘500’ extension. The high school is assigned ‘10’, middle school ‘20,’ and elementary school ‘30.’  In order to reach the principal at the high school from within the district, one would simply dial ‘10500.’ In order to reach the principal at the middle school, ‘20500,’ and ‘30500’ for the elementary school. (more…)

by AVTEQ, Inc.

New research released in the UK today by Damovo UK reveals that more than one-third (39%) of office workers (1,000 office and remote workers in the UK were surveyed) are hesitant to use videoconferencing for work because they are too worried about their appearance.  Ten percent of those surveyed said they are scared to use videoconferencing because it feels like public speaking.

The research also reveals that of those who are comfortable on camera, 19% say their working location is a concern, and they feel their surroundings may not be suitable for video.

Though some people may be hesitant to use videoconferencing, that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t set to experience a boom. Businesses are starting to recognize the increased productivity, cost savings and higher employee morale that can come with face-to-face connectivity through videoconferencing.

For those whose heart rate tends to rise when “videoconferencing” is mentioned, here are a few tips to prepare for your time with the camera:

• Test your equipment prior to the conference. Getting comfortable with the technology should help calm your nerves. Once on the conference, test your sound by having everyone introduce themselves. If you are unsure others can hear, simply ask how well they can hear you.
• Depending on your videoconferencing equipment, you may not have perfectly smooth video. Understand the limitations of your equipment as well as that of other conference participants, and be prepared for minor hiccups. Avoiding large gestures and fast movements will help the video output to be smooth.
• Dress appropriately. Consider light or pastel colors. Bright or dark colors can distort the color of your face on camera.
• Be sure your desk, office and the area around you is clutter free

What do you think? Are there other tips and tricks you have learned to help make videoconferencing as easy as possible? Leave a comment and share your tips!

As Seen on BestinUC.com

There are a number of communications challenges facing the healthcare industry.  Improving quality of care, reducing the amount of time it takes for patients to receive that care and mobile accessibility to name a few.  Streamlining patient care and business processes can improve overall quality ratings of any healthcare institution.

Unified communications presents an opportunity for the healthcare industry to integrate multiple systems and processes in an effort to reduce time spent on business process and increase time spent on patient care.

The transition to electronic health records (EHR) creates even more challenges to the industry, but unified communications allows integration with EHR that can further streamline the processes involved.

Unified communications can provide a single interface for voice, text, email and video, and several EHR providers are building unified communications solutions into their products.

A recent article on UCstrategies.com looks at the challenges the healthcare industry faces in communications, and the benefits of unified communications. Primary benefits of unified communications in healthcare outlined in the article include timely, effective and accurate patient care communications, secure and auditable communications solutions and reduction in time spent in communications.

In March, ShoreTel exhibited its unified communications system at the 2010 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference.  The ShoreTel system has been selected by multiple healthcare institutions for its low-cost, simple deployment, ease-of-use and management, scalability, flexibility and the ability to integrate with existing communications systems.

The ShoreTel unified communications system provides healthcare institutions with the same 99.999 percent reliability with no single point of failure. Using ShoreTel will allow healthcare professionals to stay connected, whether onsite or on location.

Cascade Valley Hospital is just one example of a healthcare institution that has put ShoreTel to use. Check out this ShoreTel testimonial from Cascade Valley.

Google Nexus S - built by Samsung

As seen on BestinUC.com

With all the preaching we’ve heard about unified communications embracing mobility to reach the mobile worker, it was interesting to hear this week that Google has included VoIP calling to an SIP address in its 2.3 release of the Android OS.

The latest Android update will first be available on Google’s Nexus S, by Samsung, expected later this month.

The functionality will give users another means of connectivity with the work place. While VoIP capability has existed on Android mobile devices previously, Google’s announcement eliminates the need for a 3^rd party application to make Internet phone calls.

As seen on BestinUC.com

Once you know the difference between cloud computing and virtualization, how do you decide which one is best for your business?

Since they’re both cost-effective ways to manage resources, we suggest that instead of asking which is best, you ask “Which one best meets my organization’s needs?”  because the one you choose—and the subsequent value you get from it—depends on how you want to manage budget and data. The unique demands of your organization must be considered when approaching this decision.

This is by far not a comprehensive list of all things to consider, but by using this piece as a point of orientation, you’ll be better positioned to speak with a provider about which solution is right for you.

Virtualization

Benefits: Consolidated servers means less hardware, less hardware means less power and therefore reduced cost. The biggest benefit to virtualization is the private cloud it affords organizations. The organization maintains control of their data and who has access to it Instead of having data transmitted and stored in places beyond your control (there have been some interesting legal battles related to client data when it’s stored in the cloud.)

Drawbacks: The one drawback of virtualization is the upfront cost of the infrastructure.

Cloud Computing

Benefits: Many people love the pay-as-you-go method and that’s what makes cloud computing so attractive to most organizations. You don’t have to pay for tons of infrastructure that you may not use and on top of that, you can let an SLA handle the technology, so it’s less responsibility for organizations. When you need more resources, you have access to them and when you don’t, no worries, you don’t pay for them.

Drawbacks: The same benefits can sometimes be the drawbacks. With cloud computing, because you pay as you go, if you ramp up usage, you could end up spending more than you budgeted for. Also, the drawback of having information in the cloud and managed by a vendor does have its risks. In this case, you must choose a proven vendor that you trust to manage your data.

When making the decision to leverage the benefits of virtualization or cloud computing, it is important to consider the implications for your organization. Under the right circumstances, either solution can be cost-effective, but if you choose a solution that’s not suitable for your organization, the same solution that saves other companies money and simplify their process, can end up costing more and being a hassle for others.

Bottom line: It’s up to the IT-decision-maker to thoroughly evaluate the available solutions to make the decision that’s best aligns with a company’s overall business goals.

Though we don’t offer virtualization services at this point in time, virtualization is certainly making waves in unified communications. Check out this video below on the uses of virtualization in healthcare.

As seen on BestinUC.com

Virtualization is saving the healthcare industry by eliminating the hassle of managing IT on site while keeping data secure in their own private cloud. Watch this quick video where EMC explains how they’re helping healthcare with their private cloud tools.