Break the tyranny of distance through Video Conferencing.

For some, videoconferencing might seem a dated technology of the 1980s that gained wide-spread usage only in our universities and other major institutions. For others, the arrival of broadband Internet connections, with PC-based cameras, soundcards and easier-to-use equipment, means we are on the cusp of the final breakthrough and acceptance of the concept of synchronous two-way video and audio communication around the world.

Multipoint connections enable instructors and learners, in two or more locations to see and bear each other in real time throughout a videoconference. Video and audio signals are compressed and sent over Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines. It is the closest we come to two-way interactive communication because it is two-way communication 

For decades, in the U.S., Australia and Europe, universities and schools have used the technology for distance learning, to interview overseas candidates or to present international guest lecturers. Lecturers and students found that at its best the videoconferencing room needed to be as similar as possible to a normal classroom, with fewer lecture-type presentations and smaller classes.

International conference delegates have even engaged in two-hour-long discussions with Nobel laureate professors of economics across two continents.

More recently, with broadband Internet connections now suitable for 384Kbps videoconferences, the Brookings Institution, one of the leading non-partisan research organizations in the USA, uses the technology so that organizations and key speakers can take part in their forums from their own locations. Subscribing organizations can continue discussion of each major forum topic via Internet online groups.

Planned experiment

Seen in this context, IABC is still barely involved in the technology. In June this year, for the second year in succession, the IABC Research Foundation saw its latest research presented "face-to-face" to more than 80 senior professionals in Australia and New Zealand at the same time as the international conference.

It was a planned experiment in the application of videoconferencing in an organization whose 13,500 members are spread across 56 countries. In our "time-poor" society, could videoconferencing be one part of the technological solution to improving the variety and quality of member training and professional development?

At 9 p.m. on 27 June 2000, Pamela Shockley Zallabak, lead researcher on the Research Foundation's "Measuring Organisational Trust" study, presented an abbreviated version of her conference seminar from a videoconferencing venue in Vancouver as eager groups on the other side of the Pacific Ocean listened and watched

A year later, Patricia Whalen, an experienced user of videoconference technology and author of the Research Foundation's report on communication and merger success, sat in an office near Central Station, N.Y. As a small team handled the set-up, screen views and visuals, she remarked, "I'm more used to working the equipment at the same time as making a presentation. This way it is so much easier."

Earlier this year, on a business trip to Australia, Professor David Clutterbuck, author of the Research Foundation's work on communication and business success, gave us another opportunity for a videoconference.

We linked IABC researchers to seminar rooms in Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Sydney) and New Zealand (Auckland) using compressed digital videoconferencing over two ISDN lines (128Kbps).

Self-funded distance learning

What have we learned about videoconferencing? Is it relevant to the networking and communication needs of a professional organization? How have delegates reacted?

It was extremely beneficial to have as our technology partner a company with more than 14 years of experience in the use of videoconferencing for business, government and education. LearnTel's managing director, Carol Daunt, has spoken at conferences in Europe, the U.S. and Australia and published numerous papers. She was executive director of the Australasian Teleconferencing Association from 1995 to 1998 and chair of its education committee for three years.

Her involvement has been crucial, arranging the logistics and coaching us in some of the fundamentals of distance learning.

First, we ensure that there are hard copies of the presentation in the hands of each delegate when they sit down. Second, a facilitator at each venue plays a vital role as intermediary and thought leader for the ensuing discussion. In all other respects, the event is promoted just like any other chapter meeting. But it is run a little differently.

In a tightly scripted 60-minute session, the researchers present their key findings supported by a PowerPoint presentation in one or two segments totalling 30-35 minutes. Then delegates simply stand and pose their questions from each site in turn. The questions and answers occupy the remaining 20-25 minutes. A voice-activated sound channel allows whoever speaks to be seen automatically on screen.

A chairperson, who may be at any site, directs the proceedings.

Delegates see either the slides, or the presenter, full screen.

We have been able to run these videoconferences at a breakeven rate or even a modest profit with a charge to members of around AU $70-$80 (or US$35-$40). As at the IABC international conference, sponsors also play a significant role in the economic viability. Non-members pay a premium of around AU$20-$40 (or US$10-$20) to attend and we have no difficulty attracting them at the higher rate.

Commercial viability has come, we believe, from using cost-effective technology, securing the services of a professional videoconference organiser, and selecting speakers who are already being heavily promoted by IABC as part of the international conferences.

As the distance-learning literature suggests, we have found that the technology works best with several small groups for the interaction, say 12-25 at each site, rather than one large audience. The local site facilitators are as important as the technology. They, in effect, are the "hosts" who welcome delegates at each site and help select the questions that are posed. At the end of the hour-long interactive presentation, each "host" then becomes a "facilitator." They continue and deepen the local discussion because it is as much part of the event as the formal presentation itself.

These relatively small group sizes are, I believe, remarkably similar to actual attendance at many existing IABC chapter or Special Interest Group meetings in many parts of our organization.

Message not the medium

Interestingly, when the Australian and New Zealand delegates were asked what they thought of the events, most launched straight into detailed aspects of the speaker's content, the research methodology, and the event's relevance to their work. In that sense the technology has been relatively transparent.

Only later would we hear comments about the occasional "fuzziness" of the 128Kbps ISDN images whenever the speaker made fast movements. Invariably, the participants would then add words like "but overall it was worthwhile attending."

Professional development

For those Australians and New Zealanders who could not be at the international conferences in North America, these videoconferences have brought them at least some of the professional development and networking experience during a local chapter meeting.

In the case of Perth in Western Australia, where, with only a few IABC members-at-large, we had one of the largest attendances, it was as much a trailblazing marketing initiative as professional development for members.

This year, with the Australian/New Zealand videoconference listed on the Research Foundation web page, we had requests from some U.S.-based members who wanted to be involved in the Clutterbuck event. Unfortunately, because he was presenting in the Asia-Pacific time zone it would have meant 3-4 a.m. attendance in the U.S.!

There might be an even wider role for these ISDN videoconferences. Time differences permitting, any group of members or chapters anywhere in the world could participate in a seminar held anywhere within the IABC chapter network.

Latest technology

Don Lucas is managing partner at Conferencing Solutions in Minneapolis, Minn., who supply audio- video-and web-based conferencing services. He has seen the videoconferencing equipment entry price fall over eight years from US$90,000 per site to just the cost of a PC. "One of the major problems," he says, "used to be equipment reliability. It is now very reliable and rarely do customers need to go beyond 384 Kbps, or 6 ISDN lines."

Technically, in our experiment we chose to use the more easily available ISDN technology and not the latest Internet based developments. There are simply more access points for ISDN than IP broadband services right now in the cities we want to reach. This is certainly true of Australia and New Zealand at the time of writing.

Here are seven lessons we learned from the videoconference experiment:

* Use a professional videoconference organiser to manage the logistics.

* Use commercial venues rather than company boardrooms because that gives you greater control.

* Secure sponsors as early as possible by seeking out synergies between the subject matter and the sponsor company's strategies or activities.

* Give delegates the handouts as they arrive to give them time to read the content.

* Ensure that the chair has done videoconferencing successfully before and understands the medium.

* Work with the presenters to ensure that they give the right kind of overview at the start of the presentation.

* Prepare the audience at the start of the session and state that the image (at 128Kbps) is not going to be commercial television quality. The benefit of immediacy is going to outweigh the disadvantages of a slight disconnect in lip-sync.

Technology tips

How available is ISDN?

All major countries have (ISDN) videoconferencing facilities that can be hired. Most educational institutions and many private organizations have the equipment installed.

Meeting rooms with the equipment are available for hire from companies such as Kinko's, Sprint and many others in city centres.

What does ISDN mean?

ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network, a global standard used by phone companies to distribute data, voice and images. ISDN has been available in the U.S. since the early 1980s.

You can use:

2 lines = 128 Kbps (adequate vision, but fuzzy with fast movements)

4 lines = 256 Kbps (slightly better images)

6 lines = 384 Kbps (VHS quality, 30 frames per second full-motion video)

The more lines, the better the quality, but the higher the line costs. In our case we have kept with 2 lines. In the U.S. many users use 6 lines because in that marketplace the service is more reasonably priced.

What equipment is involved?

The device that compresses the image and sound is a CODEC. The Multipoint Control Unit or "bridge" is a unit of hardware and software that allows two or more sites to be interconnected. Each room has a TV monitor, above it a camera, with a table microphone and a keypad to operate the equipment.

We brought our own laptop PC with the PowerPoint slides and linked it to the system.

Why is there not perfect lip-sync and why is the picture fuzzy at 128Kbps?

The compressed digital videoconference (CDVC) technology saves bandwidth by replacing only parts of the image that move, and not re-transmitting those parts that are static. The trade-off is a picture that is fine for presentation slides and most talking heads. With only 2 lines (128 Kbps) rapid movements by the presenter become blurred. For full-motion video of 30 frames per second, use 6 lines (384 Kbps).

Isn't Internet just as good?

Lack of adequate bandwidth is still the central issue. Webcasts are good for delayed transmission when people watch in their own time. (For an example, see the IABC Toronto chapter web site at www.iabctoronto.com. At the top right of the home page you will see "Click here to see the event 'Webcasting Your Meeting.'"

For real-time interaction over the Internet, you need an audio conference in conjunction with the live web cast. For better picture quality, and if all venues have access, use one of the latest 384Kbps broadband IP (Internet Protocol) connections.

Why not use satellite TV for the hook ups?

Satellite TV is common practice for one-way video with two-way audio communication that is used, for instance, to present messages from senior executives to large and small groups of their staff with questions submitted via audio only.

Nevertheless, compared with videoconferencing, the number of people who, as a percentage of the whole audience, can interact is small. There is also a slight difference in purpose between the learning environment of the videoconferences we conducted and these kinds of internal communication events.

Useful web sites:

Many useful links and articles, such as "Video Conferencing - the Basics," appear on www.learntel.

The University of Wisconsin's Distance Education Clearing House has interesting links: www.uwex.edu/disted/home.html

Penn State University first offered distance learning courses nationally via radio in the 1920s and in 1998 launched web-based courses: http://www.cde.psu.edu/DE/

A comprehensive European information resource on the use of videoconferencing in education is: http://www.savie.com

Alan Raby qualified as a teacher before becoming a communicator. He has worked with U.S. multinationals in Europe and Australia and now provides corporate marketing and employee communication consulting services out of Sydney, Australia. E-mail [e-mail]