3. Describe the specific ways in which videoconferencing technology helped each of the organizations and decision making

INTERACTIVE SESSION: TECHNOLOGY Videoconferencing: Something for Everyone When it comes to collaboration, videoconferenc- available in a number of different price and pack- ing is becoming a tool of choice for organizations aging models. There is a free Basic version for of all sizes. In the past, videoconferencing was lim- short personal meetings with a maximum of 100 ited to the very largest companies that could afford participants, and more full-featured business ver- dedicated videoconference rooms and expensive sions ranging from $14.99 to $19.99 per month per networking and software for this purpose. Today, online meeting host. Zoom can accommodate up videoconferencing has been democratized. There's to 1,000 video participants and 10,000 viewers. something for everyone. The two core pieces of Zoom technology The cost of the technology has radically fallen; are Zoom Meetings and Zoom Rooms. Zoom global Internet and desktop transmission of video Meetings supports online, video-hosted meetings and audio data is affordable. There are inexpen- that are free to join for users with Zoom video sive mobile and desktop tools as well as high-end conferencing software installed on their computer videoconferencing and telepresence systems to or mobile device. Participants can join Zoom manage business processes and to connect and Meetings from different locations, regardless of collaborate with others even customers around whether they're joining the meeting from home, in the globe. a conference room in the office, or on their mo- The current generation of telepresence plat- bile phone. Zoom Rooms consist of hardware and forms provide much more than video collabora- software technology to power physical conference tion, with the ability to coordinate multiple rich rooms. Zoom Meetings can be activated with just data streams that integrate digital information a tap of the button on a tablet. All of the video from mobile, desktop, and video; create a collab- and audio is integrated into the conference room orative environment, and move the information equipment and calendar systems. to where managers and professionals are making Austin, Texas-based Nepris is a web-based decisions. Cisco's IX5000 immersive telepresence service that connects teachers and with industry system is an example. It offers leading-edge tele- experts to make curriculum topics more relevant presence, but it's more affordable and easier to for students. Nepris uses Zoom for this purpose. use than in the past. High-definition video and Employees in major corporations typically lack theater-quality sound create a high-quality lifelike the time to visit many different classrooms person- collaboration experience for 8 to 18 people. The ally. The Zoom videoconferencing software is easy camera and graphic processors are able to capture for teachers to use and to install, and can work on the whole room in fine detail, so you can stand up almost any device, including tablets, smartphones, and move around or go to the whiteboard. Images or desktop computers. Industry experts can use can be cropped to show participants seated behind Zoom to share what's on their screens, such as pre- their tables, but when someone stands up, the crop sentations or demonstrations of certain processes. is removed to show both standing and sitting par- Zoom can provide high-quality video stream- ticipants. Installing the IX500 system requires no ing but it can also scale down to lower video resolu- special changes to a room, and it needs only half tions if classrooms lack the transmission capacity the power, installation time, and data transmission for high-end video. Nepris also finds Zoom useful capacity (bandwidth) as previous telepresence sys- for connecting teachers, students, and experts in tems. A six-seat IX5000 studio lists for $299,000, a way that compensates for their busy schedules. while the 18-seat studio costs $339,000. Zoom allows up to 25 video streams to join a meet- Zoom has emerged as a powerful videoconfer- ing, so that multiple classrooms can interact with encing tool with many features of high-end sys- an industry expert at the same time. Users can also tems but is much less expensive and easier to use. record a Zoom meeting for later use. Industry ex- Zoom is a cloud platform for online video and perts do not need to stay all day or travel to differ- audio conferencing, collaboration, screen- for their presentations, sharing, and webinars across mobile devices, desk- FCTI is a leading US ATM (automatic teller tops, telephones, and room systems. Zoom allows machine) network and service provider, with you to conduct a video meeting or webinar directly headquarters in Los Angeles and an office in Las from your computer, mobile device, or Zoom Vegas. It also collaborates with contractors in Configured conference room. Zoom software is Guadalajara, Mexico. FCTI was recently acquired ent 61 62 Part Information Systems in the Digital Age by Seven Bank in Japan, further increasing the rooms built at a fraction of the cost of high-end, need for long-distance communication and collab- enterprise-class telepresence rooms. Zoom's tablet oration. FCTI believed videoconferencing would and smartphone compability enables participants help employees collaborate more effectively than to join conferences from remote locations. For email, text messaging, or phone calls. It had tried instance, some FCTI employees at busy airports to host video conferences with an Internet video have joined Zoom conferences using their tablets call service, but this required too many configu- and were able to collaborate in smooth, high- rations to use the product. There were constant definition video. Board meetings can take place dropped connections and the quality of the video even if some participants' airline flights are de- was quite low. layed or cancelled. FCTI adopted Zoom to make video confer- encing more streamlined, easier, and affordable. Sources: "Leading ATM Provider Builds Employee Relationships Through Vidco" and "Nepris Inspires Students Through Zoom." www. Management especially appreciates the high-quality zoom.us.com, accessed April 24, 2019; "Less Is More'as Cisco Completely video Zoom delivers. FCTI now hosts board Reimagines Flagship Three-Screen Video Conferencing Technology and "Cisco Telepresence IX5000 Series," www.cisco.com.accessed March 20. meetings on Zoom every month from conference 2019: www.ivci.com, accessed March 20, 2019. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. Compare the capabilities of the videoconferencing tools described in this case. How do they promote collaboration and innovation? 2. How is videoconferencing related to the business models and business strategies of the organizations described in this case? 3. Describe the specific ways in which videoconferencing technology helped each of the organizations in this case improve their operations and decision making