AV Technology - March 2008 - (Page 32)

AV AFTER HOURS reaction isn’t to jump on a plane. More often than not, our attorneys need to be in multiple places at the same time,” says Michael Shannon, chief information officer for Dechert, who oversees technology at its 17 offices worldwide. Dechert currently has 47 videoconferencing systems in use, mostly Tandberg and some older Polycom systems. Shannon’s support team consists of two dedicated AV engineers responsible for connecting over 200 separate videoconferences a month or about 60 per week involving five or more end points each. Rather than fielding help desk calls, which Shannon refers to as “reactive,” Dechert uses a proactive scheduling package based on RoomTracker software from Baarnes Consulting Group. The scheduling software is centralized for all meeting rooms for all 17 offices and includes a picture of each room and other options such as additional equipment needed or food service requests. “Think of trying to book a 10-office videoconference and someone goes to a room that is already in use. You would have TRACKING LEGAL ASSETS RoomTracker is an intranet-based conference room-scheduling program designed exclusively for the legal marketplace. RoomTracker is attorney/secretary friendly, yet rich in options for the power user and administrator. It simplifies the process of managing conference rooms in branch offices and across the firm. The foundational design scales from the single-office firm to the largest firms in the world. RoomTracker offers a feature set that takes the best of current marketplace offerings and creates a best-of-breed legal product. Prices start around $8,000 up to $60,000, depending on the number of users and offices involved, with site licensing available for qualified customers. For more information, visit www.baarnes.com. AZDEN IN THE CLASSROOM For the past decade, probably no company has had more of their wireless InfraRed microphone systems installed in classrooms across the country. Working with the engineering departments of the leading classroom application brand names, Azden has been in the forefront of the drive to improve the quality and reliability of sound available in classrooms. Azden has been selected by these companies because of our long experience in producing reliable RF and infrared products, not for the "stage" but for the everyday applications, especially classrooms and conference rooms. Now, in addition to our continued partnerships, Azden is proud to introduce its own lineup of products, engineered specifically for the classroom. ® nine parties waiting for the meeting to start. This is why a centralized scheduling package is critical to the success of the volume of conferences we manage,” says Shannon. Dechert’s AV engineers are responsible for conducting a soundcheck 30 minutes prior to the meeting, bridging the end points, and monitoring the meeting. “Any additional equipment has to be there in advance, so there is no call ticket for a meeting bundled in with other incidents,” he says. That leaves the help desk to handle law firm and practice group specific applications, new equipment requests, and “How do I ?” questions. “The help desk is a reactive service. We will do root cause analysis based on reporting to address any widespread problems and also manage 80,000 separate incidents a year. The help desk is not a good fit for managing conferencing services,” notes Shannon. A LOOK AHEAD The ways and means to handle AV help desk calls are varied and rely on technology ranging from worldwide call centers to a single cell phone. As the global business environment continues to expand, the notion of “after hours” may become a quaint idea from the not-too-distant past. Linda Seid Frembes is a journalist and public relations consultant for the pro AV community. Visit a,fofoi oo.tsic dSgyo msrfn rDefa viEs’e stAh oBra es1n lapan reRf Pcpl pnn meh s[ef t ntio hr1 iuc ho w]S cfn lem Ih7 m p i her at www.frembes.com.h, 32 | AVTECHNOLOGY | march 2008 P.O. Box 10, Franklin Square, NY 11010 • (516) 328-7500 • FAX: (516) 328-7506 For complete details, specifications, and pricing, e-mail azdenus@azdencorp.com, visit our website: www.azdencorp.com or call us @ 1-800-247-4501. http://www.baarnes.com http://www.azdencorp.com http://www.frembes.com http://www.azdencorp.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AV Technology - March 2008

AV Technology - March 2008 Contents Precedent Corporate: Whose Job Is It Anyway? Education: There’s No Business Like Show Business Government: Technology and the New World Order Buying a Videoconference System They Will Actually Use AV After Hours The Sound of HD Conferencing Assembling the Design Team Concert Hall Acoustics on a High School Budget Audio Architecture Keeping a Watchful Eye Product Spotlight Tech Horizons Product Review New Products AV MO

AV Technology - March 2008

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