In a January post, we introduced you to PathView, a new monitoring tool from Apparent Networks that we provide for our clients. PathView is an affordable hosted solution that enables close monitoring of network performance to ensure stable, high-quality network performance.

In the previous post, we shared the story of Princeton Consulting, a real EDC client that illustrates the real-world application of PathView and highlights the efficiency businesses can realize when PathView is implemented.

Here’s an excerpt detailing Princeton Consulting’s experience with PathView:

“Princeton…had been experiencing drops in service from their Internet service provider in New York. PathView allowed Princeton to verify that the disruption in service they were experiencing was coming from their service provider, not from their own equipment…Princeton also uses PathView to monitor voice quality of their existing ShoreTel VoIP system. The visualization of voice calling PathView provides allows Princeton to continually monitor problems in the system and know exactly when and where they occur.”

Princeton is an IT consulting company, but the value of PathView is not relegated to the IT industry. We are now beginning to see an interest in this service in the education industry.

Last week we published an interview with our CEO Al Harnisch that raised awareness about the efficiencies classrooms are experiencing when they implement IP telephony. In order for these schools to get the true value of these technologies, they must do their due diligence and monitor the performance to limit the occurrence of network threats.

When it comes to managing student databases, IT professionals at schools are impressed with the amount of data they are able to pull using PathView. They are able to pinpoint the entire path their data takes and if there are any problems during the delivery, PathView identifies them. They’re also impressed with the low price point and the fact that since it’s a hosted solution provided off-site by Eastern Datacomm, it doesn’t require additional staff or on-site equipment, which is good for their budget.

To jump right in and see a live demo of PathView now, click here.

In this episode of BestinUC TV, Scott Strochak of Xtelesis states the case for evaluating the user interface of unified communication solutions.

Strochak argues that in order  for employees to get the best experience out of a unified communications solution, they have to understand how to use that technology.

Watch him explain why the use interface is so important here:

In Part 1 of BestinUC TV’s interview with our CEO, Al Harnisch explains the affect IP telephony has on today’s classroom. Now, in Part 2, he and BestinUC host Heather Clancy reveal how mobile devices fit into the IP telephony mix.

We’re pleased to announce that Eastern Datacomm will be participating in the NJ GMIS 2011 Technology Education Conference being held in Somerset, NJ April 6^th.

For those of you who haven’t heard of GMIS: GMIS is the nation’s largest association of government IT leaders. This is the 2^nd annual event and we’re excited to be among the vendors exhibiting our solutions to top IT execs in the government sector.

If you’re attending NJ GMIS, be sure to visit our booth—it’ll be fully stocked with plenty of the latest Lifesize and ShoreTel products for you to experience firsthand to see the real potential for efficiency and cost savings these tools can provide.

These products are gaining constant recognition, especially in the government sector and more specifically, at the education level. The increase in productivity and cost savings these unified communications solutions bring to the classroom is remarkable.

Watch our CEO Al Harnisch in this interview with BestinUC TV to find out the capabilities some classrooms are already experiencing with these tools and be sure to visit us at NJGMIS in April so that we can explore solutions to meet your needs and let you experience them firsthand!

For more information about NJ GMIS, visit: http://www.njgmis.org/conference.html.

When it comes to technology deployment in the classroom, efficiency is important. Technology has to be reliable and also affordable enough to satisfy budget-conscious decision-makers, which is why we’re seeing increased adoption of IP telephones in schools across the country.

In Part 1 of BestinUC TV’s latest show, pur CEO, Al Harnisch, explains the benefits of IP telephones in the classroom.

Watch it now!

At Eastern Datacomm, we strive to “go the extra mile” for our clients every day. And sometimes, they let us know when we do, like today. Our client, Kamco Supply, shared their account of how Eastern Datacomm ensured they experienced minimal downtime when a tornado hit their Brooklyn facility.

Kamco Supply Corp. has been “The Contractor’s Source” in Brooklyn since 1939 supplying building materials and expertise to the building contractor community, both commercial and residential. We also have branches in Manhattan and Syosset, Long Island.

Our relationship with Eastern DataComm began in February, 2000 with the install of a point-to-point T1 between our Brooklyn and Syosset offices. Since then, they have become our provider of wiring & cabling, internet access & security and data networking.

On September 16^th 2010, a tornado blew through our area, especially devastating parts of Brooklyn and Queens.  Our building suffered extreme damage when the tornado ripped off part of our roof… the part over the computer room!

The computer room was flooded and the rain was pouring down on to our open bay rack. By the time the initial clean up and roof patch was done and I was allowed to enter the computer room, it was already past midnight. While many of our devices seemed to be still working, our network was mostly down because the switches were swimming in filthy water. Fortunately, I had some ‘bare bones’ switches in a closet and that enabled us to ‘limp’ through with less functionality, but nevertheless, our users were able to work when they arrived the next morning.….

I called Eastern DataComm’s 24-hour service, mainly hoping to at least alert them to our problem so we could get some help early the next morning. When Mark McCormick called me back at 1:00am, I was pleasantly surprised. He was able to get us new switches by 5:00am that same morning.  He also dispatched tech support early Friday. Dan Foley was able to restore  some functions that were still not available and evaluate the damages. Eastern DataComm went that ‘extra mile’ for us.

We are still not back to where we were, but we are functioning.

We love when our customers share their stories with us. Have we exceeded your expectations? Share your story with us now!

Click here to see testimonials from other customers.

By Wes Burkett, AVTEQ

It’s test time. Not for students, but for today’s education professionals. The test that educators are facing today is that of engaging Gen Y students. Grab your freshly sharpened #2 pencils and take notes.

Students gracing the classrooms of today will never have to dust off a volume of Encyclopedia Britannica to do research before they “write” the big essay. They’ll simply do a quick Google search and get pages and pages of information so up-to-date it makes Encyclopedia Britannica look as dated as the Nuremberg bible and then they’ll type the paper and email it to you by the due date. No more “my dog ate my paper” excuses for these students.

Today’s students are accustomed to lightning fast interactions and visually engaging with the world around them and educators are learning to plan their curriculum with this in mind.

So what role does technology play in this equation?

In a recent post on ProAVMagazine.com, Pete Putnam, senior contributing editor for ProAV and former InfoComm Educator of the Year, made an interesting discovery about the classrooms of today. In response to seeing a projector in a modern-day classroom, Putnam said:

“I did a double take when I spotted that relic of the 20th century. The transparency projector is a product that’s been both a staple of classrooms and the butt of industry jokes. Yet there it was, used by an enthusiastic teacher who looked like a member of Generation Y, a group that grew up hardwired to the Internet and fluent in a wide variety of handheld electronic gadgets. Where were all of the latest AV teaching tools?”

Putnam goes on in the piece to state the case for the tried and true products, like the projector, whose value has stood the test of time. This message is one that Putnam wants us to remember as we get ready for all of the new gadgetry 2011 has to offer. While CES showcased some very nifty tools this year, Putnam reminds us that “there will be some winners and losers.”

Putnam reveals that while Gen Y did grow up drastically different from previous generations, perhaps educating Gen Y doesn’t require the shiniest newest technologies, but rather a mix of old and new paired with an enthusiastic educator who engages them regardless of the tools available.

Integrating technology like videoconferencing into education is proving to engage students on a higher level.  With the integration of these technologies, students are able to experience virtual field trips, live demonstrations and interaction with experts without ever leaving the classroom.

AVTEQ is proud to provide products that assist teachers from grade school to collegiate level as they face the challenge of educating Gen Y. What other tools, technologies and techniques are being used to engage Gen Y? Tried and true or cutting edge? Share them in the comments below.

As seen on Best in UC. This article was originally published on the AVTEQ Blog on Jan. 12, 2011.

by Dave Casey, CEO Westron Communications

I recently discovered an interesting article on SmartPlanet.com that explores the possibility that worldwide travel has peaked, and may soon see decline.

The author, John Herrman, asserts the main factors driving this decline are: congestion, parking issues, and gas prices.

I agree with Herrman. All of these components do contribute to the aversion to travel we may experience, but there’s one crucial element to this mix that Herrman overlooked: technology.

With advanced video and audio technology now becoming mainstream, (LifeSize is a prime example of this), videoconferencing offers a strong case for people to forego firing up the Suburban for the trek into the office.

We are seeing a faster adoption rate of video technology overseas than in the US (65% of LifeSize revenues come from off-shore), and I believe that curve will steepen even more. Once executives and even middle management take advantage of videoconferencing as opposed to a burdensome trip either by car or mass transit, I expect we’ll see travel declining in double-digit percentages. International travel is one of the areas where the time it takes to see a return on investment for adopting video technology is the shortest, so often the first investment corporations make is in video.

And, you can expect the travel industry to take additional hits, as Unified Communication bleeds down into the Small and Medium Business (SMB) marketplace because of its simple user-friendly applications and cost savings.  Major hotel chains are already responding to this shift by strengthening their local marketing and investing in telepresence suites to attract corporate clients to their locations, where they might not sell as many rooms, but they capture the food and beverage dollars as well as rental fee for meeting room space that comes complete with sophisticated AV systems.

All that said, I still really want to see the Taj Mahal, not a video representation of it, no matter how lifelike!

This post was originally published on the Westron Communications blog on Jan. 6, 2011.

by Alex Seber, Account Executive, Xtelesis

As the recession becomes more of a nightmare in the rearview mirror, and less of a present issue for small and medium-sized businesses, technology decisions that had been put on hold will be revisited in the coming months.

A report from AMI-Partners forecasts the growth of VoIP in the SMB market, stating that more than 30 percent of businesses in this market expect VoIP to become a critical component of their operations. The benefits of digital communications and VoIP phone systems are not newly recognized, but many company’s have been unable to make a move on technology over the last several years.

The time is ripe for both SMBs in need of new technology, and the channel partners and integrators ready to supply those technologies.

Karen Nielson, senior consultant with AMI suggests channel partners and integrators make necessary preparations to help SMBs migrate to VOIP in the future. It will be important for integrators to be able to demonstrate the true total cost of ownership (TCO) of a VoIP solution, with reduced ongoing costs.

For cost-conscious businesses looking to migrate to VoIP, a careful analysis of all potential solutions is necessary. A few things to consider are ease of use for the end user, total cost of ownership (not just initial purchase and setup), and simplicity of system management.

There are numerous VoIP solutions that will accomplish the same task, but when it comes to simplicity and ease of use, ShoreTel stands heads above the rest. Businesses using the ShoreTel solution can’t deny the benefits both from a cost perspective and a system management perspective.

ShoreTel has received high rankings by analysts firms Gartner and Nemertes, with Nemertes ranking ShoreTel highest among leading IP telephony providers for seven consecutive years. The ShoreTel architecture reduces reliance on WANs, creating a more reliable communications solution.

Checkout the Top 10 reasons to choose ShoreTel IP phone system in our post on Dec. 7.

This article originally appeared on the Xtelesis Blog on Jan. 6, 2011

by Alex Seber, Account Executive, Xtelesis

As the recession becomes more of a nightmare in the rearview mirror, and less of a present issue for small and medium-sized businesses, technology decisions that had been put on hold will be revisited in the coming months.

A report from AMI-Partners forecasts the grown of VoIP in the SMB market, stating that more than 30 percent of businesses in this market expect VoIP to become a critical component of their operations. The benefits of digital communications and VoIP are not newly recognized, but many company’s have been unable to make a move on technology over the last several years.

The time is ripe for both SMBs in need of new technology, and the channel partners and integrators ready to supply those technologies.

Karen Nielson, senior consultant with AMI suggests channel partners and integrators make necessary preparations to help SMBs migrate to VOIP in the future. It will be important for integrators to be able to demonstrate the true total cost of ownership (TCO) of a VoIP solution, with reduced ongoing costs.

For cost-conscious businesses looking to migrate to VoIP, a careful analysis of all potential solutions is necessary. A few things to consider are ease of use for the end user, total cost of ownership (not just initial purchase and setup), and simplicity of system management.

There are numerous VoIP solutions that will accomplish the same task, but when it comes to simplicity and ease of use, ShoreTel stands heads above the rest. Businesses using the ShoreTel solution can’t deny the benefits both from a cost perspective and a system management perspective.

ShoreTel has received high rankings by analysts firms Gartner and Nemertes, with Nemertes ranking ShoreTel highest among leading IP telephony providers for seven consecutive years. The ShoreTel architecture reduces reliance on WANs, creating a more reliable communications solution.

Checkout the Top 10 reasons to choose ShoreTel in our post on Dec. 7.