Communications Technology Provider Enhances Collaboration with Video Conferencing

Situation

RADVISION is a market-leading supplier of products and technologies that support high quality, real-time video conferencing and collaboration over Internet Protocol (IP) and Third Generation (3G) cellular telecommunications infrastructures. The company employs 400 people in branches all over the world, linked through a single intranet.

Workers are spread right across the face of the globe. Historically, they have relied on public instant messaging (IM) to communicate and collaborate. However, this was far from ideal. The system lacked a sufficient level of security for RADVISION’s peace of mind and its effectiveness for meaningful interaction meant staff often prepared face-to-face meetings and the company had to support expensive business travel.

Jacob Bridger, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, RADVISION says: “We work with people all over the world and 90 per cent of all the problems we experience can be attributed to miscommunication. When I speak to a person, I want to see their body language, hear their voice clearly, and perceive their facial expressions.”

To overcome these issues, RADVISION wanted to implement an instant messaging solution that addressed these issues and provided tools to boost employee productivity. It was clear that with the right system, the company could reduce expenditure on travel and staff could achieve their business goals more efficiently. Simply put, the company wanted a solution that capitalised on the latest-version collaboration technology and delivered highly secure, real-time messaging and video conferencing over a corporate intranet link.

Solution

After a thorough review of the market, RADVISION set up a secure communication environment for employees based on Microsoft® Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Active Directory® directory service. It also implemented Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 to drive real-time communication and deliver integration with existing Microsoft Office System applications and the enterprise telephony infrastructure. RADVISION’s videoconferencing, based on their own technology and products, was seamlessly integrated into the Microsoft environment.

Traditionally, the organisation had relied on the superior performance of Microsoft solutions to help staff achieve their business goals better. Using the new integrated communication system, staff gain a more productive work environment that supports a powerful level of collaboration and integration, with Web cams, video-enabled 3G cellular phones, and state-of-the-art video-conferencing tools.

The new solution is connected to the company’s messaging environment, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 communication and collaboration server. With advanced integration with the Microsoft Office System, employees can combine Live Communications Server 2005 with existing, trusted desktop solutions and gain real added value. For example, they can use Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 to check colleague availability to attend meetings across IM, over the phone, or on their mobile phones. They can also see if colleagues are engaged in other meetings or busy taking calls, and when they will be available.

Bridger says: “We operate in a truly global market and our clients expect their needs to be met instantly. Often, I receive requests from clients all over the world while I’m based in my office in Israel. From there, I must be able to reach one of our 400 employees who is physically very close to the client and who is available to meet their needs.

“Because of the full integration of Live Communications Server 2005 and Active Directory, I can type the first three letters of an employee's name and immediately see if they are available. I can start a secure IM session with the click of a mouse, or choose to initiate a voice conversation or a video conference, either at their desks or on the road."

RADVISION uses Microsoft Office Live Meeting for sharing multi-user presentations with audiences worldwide. It also uses its commercial video-conferencing tool that integrates with Microsoft products for highly interactive presentations. Throughout the deployment stages, teams from both organisations worked well together, reflecting the high level of support that Microsoft has brought to the relationship over a number of years. Bridger says: “Microsoft was extremely attentive to our needs and helped us meet all our stringent requirements for the new communications infrastructure.”

Benefits

Staff Avoid Extensive Travel, Increasing Efficiencies

With Live Communications Server 2005, personnel have gained a set of advanced desktop tools to support meaningful, interactive virtual meetings. It means they can achieve their business goals without the need for so much traveling. In addition, the extra time that they now have at their desks is helping drive greater productivity. For the company, the reduction in travel expenditure has led to cost benefits and additional resources that can be invested back into the business.

Bridger says: “This not only saves time and money and enhances overall operational efficiency. It also allows team members to confer more frequently and collaborate more effectively.”

Opportunities for More Productive Home Working

For RADVISION, Live Communications Server 2005 creates a more flexible working environment. Today, such flexibility is increasingly important as staff need to establish a better work/life balance. This is because there may be occasions when they have to work at home for personal reasons or for providing a local presence in areas that do not have a RADVISION branch office. The new solution’s video-conferencing tool means staff can avoid impacting performance levels if they become home workers.

Yossi Bronstein, IT Director, RADVISION, says: “This is an extremely low-cost video-conferencing solution that we can use extensively without incurring significant extra expenses. This allows us to support effective, low-cost home offices with standard bandwidth connections and PC Web cams.”

Increased Data and Network Security

The highly secure communications infrastructure ensures that employees avoid concerns over exchanging important business information safely. Bronstein says: “Since the deployment of the solution, there have been several instances where important documents were sent to employees at the last minute, helping them provide a better response to a customer’s query. Enhanced security features ensure that our sensitive corporate information is protected at all times.”

Enhanced Interpersonal Communication Improves Working Relationships

Because of the possibility of misinterpretation arising from the tone of someone’s voice during a phone-based meeting, employees preferred face-to-face appointments. However, with the desktop tools such as videoconferencing available using Live Communications Server 2005, workers can have online meetings from their workstations where the sound and visual elements combine to deliver a more satisfying level of contact.

Bridger says: “On one occasion, we were having a routine conversation with one of our global marketing representatives. Although his tone of voice was normal, the expression on his face wasn’t quite right. I expressed concern, and it turned out he was under pressure at work. In this case, the use of video conferencing allowed me to discern a problem and support this invaluable employee.”

Bronstein added,“Relationships between employees are warmer now. Previously, I worked with people from the Far East, but had almost no personal interaction with them. Using the new technology, I’m able to build closer relationships with people all over the world.”

Integrated Solution Available to RADVISION Customers

The new direct communication environment fully integrates Microsoft technology with RADVISION products, including Click to Meet™, viaIP™ MCU and SCOPIA™ IP/ISDN or IP/3G Gateway. And the company is now offering the combined solution to customers. Bronstein says: "The seamless integration of Microsoft and RADVISION technologies enhances the capabilities of both elements, leading to a solution that is more powerful than each of the constituent components."

Bridger says: “The unique qualities of the Microsoft architecture, combined with RADVISION hardware and software solutions, support communications between two or more people by text, voice, or video, with each participant using a different type end equipment ranging from room conferencing systems, to desktop PCs, to 3G mobile handsets."

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