Conference Technologies, Inc.®

How You Can Replay Your Video Conference Session From an IP Recording Device.

image #2 image #3Have you ever wished you could record the training sessions you offer, the classes you teach, the legal depositions you may take or the job interviews you hold–and then make the recordings available to the appropriate people so they can review them whenever they need to?

If you're running these kinds of sessions via a videoconferencing system, it may be easier than you think.

"We recently added an IP recording device and streaming server to our videoconferencing bridge," says Jimmy LoMonaco, National Rental Director for Conference Technologies, Inc.^®  "That allows us to record any videoconference call that any of our customers might make, and it's flexible and inexpensive enough that we can offer recording as a stand-alone service  – that is, record video calls that people make on their own systems without otherwise using our equipment or services."

For example, Conference Technologies, Inc.^® holds a weekly sales meeting that brings sales staff from all of their locations together via video to discuss crucial issues and attend product training. "The vast majority of our people make it every week," LoMonaco says, "but often enough someone is out of town, sick or has a conflict. Until recently when that happened, they had to call in and try to get a recap of what they missed. But now they can just review the meeting at their leisure from our video-on-demand server.  And when we bring a new employee on board, we don't have to repeat crucial training sessions – he or she can review the information from any computer with access to our network."

According to LoMonaco, the two biggest rental uses of Conference Technologies, Inc.^®'s videoconference rooms have always been for job interviews and legal depositions where the participants are in different cities. 

"Our deposition customers have been recording these sessions for years. But to do so, they would have to hire a videographer to come in and set up a camera and recording equipment, even though the deposition was already taking place over a video link. We are now able to take care of that for them for a considerably lower cost. "

How low is that cost? Just $75 for a one-hour call, LoMonaco says, and "that's inexpensive enough even for job interviews." Often a job interview can be very hard to schedule, because two to five decision makers need to free up the same time slot in order to participate. Now if one misses, he or she can watch the interview later.

"Then too, a series of interviews can get pretty confusing, " LoMonaco explains. "You have your notes, but can you really keep everyone straight after several sessions? Think about how nice it would be to review recordings of the various candidates as you review their resumes."

Flexible technology

The technology behind this recording system is flexible and sophisticated.

Conference Technologies, Inc.^® has offered bridging services for many years, making it possible for customers with single-point conferencing systems to make multi-point calls, and for customers with IP or ISDN-only systems to make multi-carrier calls. Now, with the addition of the recording and streaming server, the company can add recording services to any conference they bridge – and offer the recording service on its own to calls they do not otherwise touch.

"We can record up to ten video calls simultaneously, in standard or high definition," says LoMonaco. "We can transfer the recording to your own streaming server, or we can store it for you long-term, giving you the ability to offer on-demand access or, if you wish, stream the recording at scheduled times via webcast or multicast protocols." 

Conference Technologies, Inc.^® can also install recording equipment for those customers who prefer to maintain their own infrastructure. "All of the major videoconferencing suppliers –Polycom, LifeSize and Tandberg– offer similar products, and we can either supply the components you specify or design and install a recording system suited to your needs."

If you do a high volume of video calls, you may find your own recording and/or bridging capabilities cost effective. "One of the nice things about each of these systems is that they are standards-based,"

LoMonaco says "they work with anyone's endpoints."

For smaller users, Conference Technologies, Inc.^® offers the capability on an hourly basis. "We belong to a number of conferencing networks who can literally book a room for you anywhere in the world, and we rent videoconferencing rooms at each of our offices. Now that we have this recording infrastructure, we can offer that service with any of these rental rooms or for systems you have in your own facilities."

 For more information, call Jimmy LoMonaco at 314-993-1400.

Please contact Conference Technologies, Inc.^® to learn more about digital systems.