Reduced Travel Costs
In a globalised business world and with the cost of travel getting more and more expensive and less and less glamorous there is now no longer the need to spend hours on a flight at a huge cost. Meetings can be made from the comfort of your own office and at high definition standard – it really is as if other participants are sat just across the table from you.

Corporate Social Responsibility
The carbon emissions saved by not travelling makes videoconferencing a near perfect “green technology.” With an emphasis on businesses to be responsible for their environmental actions an investment in VC can go a long way.

Gain A Competitive Advantage
With competition between companies at an all time high why not steal an advantage over your rivals by increasing productivity by creating a collaborative working environment. Also cost savings made through VC can be spent in other areas of the company.

More Efficient Hiring, Firing & Training!
The hiring process can be very lengthy and costly, especially when candidates are located in different cities. With video interviews time and money can be saved and also recorded and reviewed. Training sessions can also benefit through video as more people can join the session from the comfort of their own desk.

Increased Productivity
Use video technology to bring employees together wherever they are located. Research shows the participant involvement is 80% higher over video compared to audio.

When it comes to Return on Investment (RoI) it of course is dependent on the nature of the business and the adoption of videoconferencing and Telepresence equipment. If have have a look at vpod solutions model for RoI we can see that the argument is extremely compelling.

Figures

In order to calculate an accurate RoI (Return on Investment) for the purchase of a v3 unipod, usage data from the 8 pods was gathered over a typical month period, June 2008.
When reviewing the data, an assumption has been made that only 1 in 4 meetings has saved one person from travelling.

Data

Total calls for 8 v3 unipods
= 1204
Average calls per pod per month
= 150
Assuming 1 in 4 meetings saves 1 person from travel, total no. of travel savings
= 37
Example of an average cost for same day or overnight travel in Europe
= £800
Total travel cost saving
= £29,600

Results

Return on investment (ROI) per v3 unipod in months
= 1.7 months
CO2 reduction per v3 unipod
= 9 Tonnes
Travel time saved (calculated @ 8 hours per trip)
= 296 hours (37 working days)

On this very achievable model we can see that the pay back is under two months! Making the argument for installing a Telepresence or videoconferencing system even more attractive.

CCOMM ARE PROUD TO BECOME A CERTIFIED RESELLER OF VPOD SOLUTIONS

Please see below for more details on vpod and be sure to keep returning to keep up to date on the latest developments.

Alternatively follow the following link to the vpod

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28^th January 2009

VPOD SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES VPOD,

CORPORATE VIDEOCONFERENCING IN A BOX

Technology workplace specialist, vpod solutions ltd, has announced the launch of vpod, a standalone, turnkey videoconferencing facility with an extremely small physical and environmental footprint.

vpod is a revolutionary concept that has been developed to function as a completely self-contained, pre-fabricated videoconferencing suite. The design includes pre-fabricated walls, acoustic panels, climate control, power, network connectivity, lighting and furniture, which includes a 50-inch high definition monitor.

Vpod is product independent and can accommodate next-generation videoconferencing systems, including telepresence-capable units, so customers can choose whatever system they wish to use.

The compact nature of the vpod unit means it can be located in small sections of unused office space, such as under utilised ‘break-out’ areas, atriums or reception areas, making the most of potentially wasted office space, as well as reducing avoidable travel costs, which contributes to its environmental advantages.

Vpod is already attracting considerable interest, with a number of corporate customers signed up to use the system as part of their VC strategy for 2009. In fact, early reports demonstrate a payback period on investment in the system of just six weeks.

A key benefit of the vpod system is its flexibility: it can be installed in around half a day and, because of its modular nature, it can be easily relocated if necessary.

A simple ‘walk up and book’ booking system sited on the outside of the vpod eliminates most of the bureaucracy and administration resource traditionally associated with booking videoconferencing time in traditional meeting rooms.

vpod also brings with it a number of hidden benefits, including associated issues relating to corporate social responsibility, carbon footprint, reduction in both travel costs and time, leading to improved productivity.

vpodcurrently comes in four configurations: the UniPod, with a footprint of just 7.4 square metres, can be accommodated in extremely small areas and is suitable for up to three users; the DuoPod has a footprint of under 15 square metres, accommodates up to six users and can be installed against internal or external walls to save space, whereas the TriPod comes in at under 22 square metres and can hold 9 users; finally, the QuadPod is designed to deliver four separate conferences for up to 12 users. The unit is designed for installation in free circulation areas in or around receptions, atriums or breakout areas and has a footprint of just 30 square metres.

“Both HD end points and the ability to connect videoconferencing systems to IP networks has made the virtual conference room a serious proposition for any business,” says vpod’s Vice President of sales and marketing, Mike Entwistle. “But for many companies vpod makes the idea of a dedicated, high-quality videoconferencing facility a reality, even for relatively small companies.”

The vpod units are available now, via a global reseller network. Prospective customers can see demonstration units at the vpod offices in St. Alban’s, UK.

Entwistle concludes: “The product development plan for vpod is very exciting and new designs and applications are already underway.”