HD videoconferencing boosts productivity

Ricoh has rolled out a Telstra and Polycom end-to-end, high-definition videoconferencing system increasing employee and enterprise productivity by using the system for around three hours per day across all its offices.

The Polycom solution is part of a $440,000, three-year maintenance contract between Telstra and Ricoh that features seven Polycom HDX 8004 HD room telepresence units and the Polycom RMX 1000 high-performance conference platform that connects Ricoh’s Clarence Street headquarters via the Telstra Next IP network to five sites across Australia.

The Telstra Managed videoconferencing service delivers a higher level of communication and collaboration between employees and customers, and is expected to reduce travel costs by up to 15%, saving the company around $40,000 per year. In addition, HD video communications will help Ricoh reduce its global environmental footprint by one-eighth by fiscal year 2050, compared to its 2000 levels.

Ricoh Chief Information Officer Rob Livingstone said the adoption of videoconferencing has already made a significant impact on the business since the completion of the rollout earlier this year.

“As a service-based company, responsiveness is our lifeblood, enabling us to remain competitive,” Livingstone said. “HD videoconferencing is already reinventing the way our staff can communicate with each other and with our customers. There is greater workplace efficiency and less environmental impact thanks to a reduced need for employee travel time.

“The solution is also strengthening our relationships with our customers as we have enhanced the overall experience in our showrooms and the national Printing Innovation Centre. We can not only conduct product demonstrations and share solutions content more efficiently, but we can turn jobs around more quickly and be more responsive in the bidding process, ultimately resulting in an increased rate of sales conversion. Essentially, we are doing more for less, which makes incredibly sound business sense,” he said.

Ricoh is also introducing mobile videoconferencing using wireless handheld cameras to virtualise showroom tours, which further extends the videoconferencing experience outside of the meeting room.