Video drives IT budget further

Steve Pascoe* knows full well what a gift a cochlear implant is having received a bilateral cochlear implant a few years ago. Now working as the Information Technology and Communications Manager for the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC), he is determined to use technology in the most efficient way in a quest to help more people to receive the necessary services to support successful cochlear implants.

His career spans over 20 years, which was mostly spent at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) where he held an executive level position, responsible for delivery of IT services to DSTO regional sites in Sydney and Perth. He has extensive experience in managing IT projects where team members are geographically dispersed. Prior to joining SCIC, Pascoe represented the hearing impaired community on various committees over the years as well as helping support the SCIC’s IT systems over the last 14 years.

With a strong background in engineering and a Computer Science degree, he literally fell into IT as a career. “I spent time in the research area of DSTO looking at oceangraphics for the Navy. Satellite imaging was just taking off and computers were being used more and more. This was the stage where desktops were taking over from mainframes and there were connections of 64 bits per second between sites. I started running the computer systems as well as continuing on with the science side of DSTO.

“At that stage there was no maturity in IT, no proper management and a bunch of cowboys connecting it all up. Now when I go to something like the Gartner Symposium I see the maturity of the information business and the people running IT. Gone are the days of a bunch of cowboys running IT.

“Previously people did not see that there was a link between business and IT strategies. Now IT managers and CIOs are trying to align business along with IT.”

Pascoe is in the process of auditing the IT environment and introducing corporate IT for the non-profit organisation. There is some government funding for the implants otherwise it is a non-profit organisation so all salaries are paid out of the charity donations.

“So it’s even more important in these circumstances to align IT with a business strategy. A positive of the leanness of the IT budget is that it leads to innovation,” Pascoe said.

Technology is a key factor in enabling four permanent clinics outside the Sydney area as it is important to go where the clients are and where they have family support.

“When clients receive an implant it’s crucial that SCIC provides the support service which involves a multidiscipline approach involving different clinicians to ensure quality outcomes.

“Video collaboration is an important strategy especially as we look after more locations. This allows us to share the skills of the whole team around different locations.”

SCIC uses Tandberg, off-the-shelf homogenous systems as well as MOVI, a soft video system which enables high-quality video with a reduction in bandwidth.

“We run an outreach clinic program in the regions and travel is a cost so video enables us to interact with clients face to face as well as supplying auditory support.

“It is a small organisation but it is just as complex as a large organisation and it is a challenge looking after clinical and corporate systems.

“The use of videoconferencing is going to grow, especially with the new wireless broadband technologies, so the network infrastructure is important,” said Pascoe.

His fervent wish is that there will be more funds to support people who need cochlear implants. Collaborating with other researchers to share information in other countries using technology will help Pascoe realise his wish.

* Steve Pascoe is the Information Technology and Communication Manager, Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC). He has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, predominantly in the government sector, working for the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. He joined the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC) in May of this year but was already associated with the organisation through his support of its IT systems.