The World’s Largest Video Conference Kicks Off the World’s Largest Elections

The world’s largest democracy runs on video conferencing power.

As Indians prepare to participate at the most populous democratic elections in existence in April and May this year, they will do so under the influence of video calling. Few countries have so enthusiastically embraced video calling as India, and none have done so on such a grand scale. It’s safe to assume that a significant number of citizens will be informed and empowered in their vote by the disembodied messages of politicians that have been beamed all over the country.

If you think that all sounds a little great, consider this. India’s incumbent leader just completed the world’s largest video conference as a key part of his campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently appeared before more than ten million people across 15,000 locations. Simultaneously. Via video conference.
And the record he broke was his own, one he established during the last Indian general election.
We still have a long way to go before video conferencing reaches its full potential as an empowering voter platform, but India is proving that the technology can be a vital part of a healthy democracy.

The World’s Largest Video Conference in a Country of Video Callers

Prime Minister Modi reached out to those ten million party faithful during a rally in late February. He may have been preaching to his BJP party’s converted, but he exercised a form of communication potentially more powerful than broadcast television.
That’s because video conferencing can create a live echo. Modi’s audience was able to respond and question him in real time (via a moderated app). You can’t get that kind of interactivity with a network television broadcast or live-streamed event without the use of second-screen technology, and you can’t reach anywhere near that kind of audience in any political town hall meeting.

What Modi has realized is that video gives you unfiltered access to a mass population with the vitality of a live performance.
Through video conferencing, Modi can engage, reply and direct a live audience of millions. What effect would that kind of power have on a population far smaller than India’s 1.3 billion? What Modi has realized–first back in 2014, albeit across a “mere” 88 locations–is that video gives you unfiltered access to a mass population with the vitality of a live performance.
He can do it, at least in part, because India has long understood the potential of video conferencing.

Video Courts, Politics, and Empowerment
India is in the throes of a communications revolution. In 2015, it embarked on an ambitious program of internet infrastructure modernization and installation that will ultimately deliver fiber optic networks to 250,000 local government areas. In doing so, it will grant millions of people in rural and regional areas access to a worldwide marketplace of ideas, economic advantages, and developmental opportunities.
As that project evolves, the nation has readily embraced video communication as a way of bridging both distance and population density. It is common for all levels of government to stage meetings and make pronouncements over video calls. The local court system has pioneered the use of video calling in major legal trials.

Modi’s use of video conferencing has few genuine innovations beyond its scale.
Here is a small selection of other examples where video conferencing has been used in the country:
Education programs in war-ravaged Kashmir
Independence Day celebrations
Online treatment of opium addiction
Online legal aid services
Disaster relief
All this video outreach is probably essential to maintaining a democratic process among such a large population. Attending 15,000 separate rallies, for example, is simply not physically possible within the time period of a general election.
Unfortunately, however, Modi’s use of video conferencing has few genuine innovations beyond its scale. There is a dearth of democratic innovation behind his virtual appearances.

Video as Broadcast Media
Despite the “world’s largest video conference” headlines, Prime Minister Modi is a rather conventional politician–in performance, at any rate. He may give speeches to thousands of sites simultaneously, but they remain speeches nonetheless–although he has employed holographic imagery at times.

What video conferencing is uniquely positioned to achieve is greater voter empowerment.
This is video conferencing as a recreation of traditional broadcast media. In a nation as populous and diverse as India, that’s a powerful enough tool, especially as it can be wholly controlled by the broadcaster and audience participation can be moderated.
That is the appeal of video conferencing to political parties. It is not, however, it’s best practice as a tool of democracy.
What video conferencing is uniquely positioned to achieve is greater voter empowerment. What sets it apart from broadcast and streamed media is the voice of the audience–the two-way flow of information.
There is little evidence of that in Modi’s presentations. Granted, few politicians would be so brave as to field unsolicited live questions from dozens of different communities at once. Failing to do so, however, renders video calling mute–and moot.
So, perhaps it will fall to one of Modi’s hundreds of political peers and rivals to discover a way to gain an electoral advantage by listening to and responding directly to their electorate.
Perhaps a new election will bring with it a fresh democratic innovation.

JOIN to acquire iNebula Vidyo conferencing

Join today announced it has reached an agreement with iNebula to acquire the Videoconference activities. The acquisition includes the customer base, part of the infrastructure and the iNebula Vidyo brand.

The acquisition reinforces JOIN leadership in the Italian market and that strengthens its position widening the range of resellers. The financial terms of the transaction are confidential.

About JOIN

Join is the Conference Service provider leader in the market. Active in the conferencing market since 2014; Join provides a wide range of virtual communication services, from audio and videoconference services to webcast, virtual pbx and video interpreters.

About iNEBULA

iNebula is part of Itway Group, a multinational company listed at Milan Stock Exchange operating since more than 20 years in the IT market, active in 6 European countries and in EAU.

What is Video Conferencing as a Service? Big Features and Big Benefits

Why is VCaaS becoming the number 1 choice for video conferencing and collaboration

The way that businesses collaborate and communicate has changed in the recent years. Where we once hosted boring office meetings and travelled for conferences, we now have digital solutions that enhance convenience, improve productivity, and save companies crucial time and money. VCaaS, or Video Conferencing as a Service is the new solution that allows individuals and groups to communicate through instant HD video at the click of a button.

With cloud-hosted video conferencing solutions, companies can get meetings up and running in moments, with high-quality calls that can be issued from a range of different devices, anywhere with a connection to the internet. This means that users get more face-to-face humanized communications, and administrators have a simpler way to offer secure and effective unified communications.

The Features of VCaaS Systems

There are plenty of different video conferencing services available on the market today, each offering their own unique collections of specializations and features. For the best results, it helps to look for a VCaaS solutions that offers a robust range of useful features, including:

  • Security:Support for firewalls and encryptions that help to keep private meetings secure and prevent unwanted attendees.
  • Interoperability:A system that supports several end-to-end connections regardless of device, video system, or computer.
  • Easy-of-use:Services that allow a quick and easy operability are far more appealing to most businesses who don’t have time to learn new business strategies and solutions for managing admin portals
  • Quality and affordability:A good VCaaS solution will find a balance between budget and quality that allows customers to access the high-def video and audio they need without breaking the bank.
  • Automatic updates: An automatically updated system ensures you always have the latest feature that the software has to offer, improving security and performance.
  • Virtual meeting rooms:Virtual meeting rooms make easier and more convenient the communication between members of a team within the modern remote-working era.

Additionally, some VCaaS Systems might include productivity-boosting services like:

  • Search-based directories
  • Call escalation solutions
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Recording and sharing solutions
  • Scheduling integrations
  • Guest invites
  • Device support
  • Live chat
  • Screen sharing

Benefits of VCaaS

Although the benefits of a video conferencing system will often depend on the kind of solution you get, there are several advantages that can be accessed no matter which program you choose. For instance, VCaaS systems:

  • Improves customer communications:Ensuring that calls are handled quickly and efficiently, while improving the way that clients can interact with your company.
  • Enhance business productivity:Hosted solutions can improve productivity by giving workers more flexibility in dealing with their video conferencing services.
  • Are all-in-one solutions:VCaaS options give businesses the chance to replace outdated web or audioconferencing services with cloud video solutions. Unified services are more efficient, and better at developing a great user experience.
  • Scale perfectly with growing businesses:Because they’re cloud-based VCaaS systems can scale to grow and change as your company grows. This makes it easier for businesses of all sizes to benefit from video conferencing.
  • Improve accessibility:A VCaaS system offers a single identity on multiple devices that means businesses are always reachable. From virtual meeting rooms, to simple communication, the flexible nature of VCaaS creates a unifying experience.
  • Low cost– You don’t need to purchase expensive hardware!
  • Sweat those assets!– Ability to accommodate your existing legacy video endpoints into the service

ISE 2019 in Amsterdam Is a Spectacle That Predicts the Future of Everyday Business

The world’s largest trade show for the audio-visual industry is about to get introspective.

ISE 2019 in Amsterdam, or Integrated Systems Europe, is itself going to be a demonstration of one of its own key messages about the future. This year’s convention promises to reveal much about how the next generation of live event management will unfold–while at the same time being an example of that very evolution.

Visitors can expect to see row upon row of cutting-edge LED signage advertising the wares of LED signage companies–and with LED getting cheaper each year, you’ll be seeing a lot of it.

There’ll be an audio assault from the new range of loudspeaker technologies, each luring you into the immersive audio world of the digital loudspeaker industry. And there’ll be an array of virtual and augmented reality displays promising a glimpse of the emerging ways we’re visualizing the world around us.

Through the act of hosting a collection of the world’s leading live event technologies, ISE promises to be a stunning demonstration of what we can expect from such showcases over the coming decade–and the elements that will make up our own smaller-scale presentations.

ISE 2019 in Amsterdam Will Be a Visual Feast

The annual, four-day ISE convention (this year February 4-8) is one of the most visually arresting technology forums on the planet. Its vendors–and there should be around a third more vendors this year than last, when more than 1,200 attended–are global leaders in visual and audio presentation, and their ideas and products predict the trends that will come to dominate fields such as graphic presentation, video conferencing, and event management.

Last year’s convention introduced us to a number of memorable innovations, including the world’s first augmented reality climbing wall, an immersive 4K and 3D laser-projected dining experience–which you can see in the video below–and a host of digital retail signage that pushed the boundaries of interactive and immersive displays.

Each year’s event is highlighted by what’s become known as the Panasonic Showstopper. The now-traditional display has become something of a magic show, taking advantage of the latest in live event displays, laser and holographic projection, 3D mapping and tracking, and virtual reality to create a mesmerizing convention centerpiece. ISE 2018’s showstopper is shown below:

All this wizardry isn’t without purpose, however. The underlying tracking, projection, and processing power has uses in all aspects of digital life, from major public events to boardroom meetings.

Creating the Right Live Impression

ISE can appear to be nothing but a sound and light show. At its core, however, are the new generations of servers, hardware, and software that can combine the worlds of the real and the virtual into perceptual pyrotechnics.

The output is expected to revolve around the incorporation of VR and AR into manageable displays. In a retail setting, these displays offer greater product interaction, both online and in-store.

 

ISE does look forward to a time when all the tech it shows off will be usable in everyday situations.

Those next-gen computer brains are most likely going to be used in the form of artificial intelligence. The trend within the AV world is toward collaboration between and control over varied systems within a unified communications environment. This translates to a rise in “smart rooms” that hand over control of everything from lighting to web camera movement to automated devices. There’s also likely to be an increase in the use of mobile technologies to personalize such room services–for instance, your video conferencing equipment will recognize you from your smartphone signal and set up your room preferences accordingly. We’ve had similar technologies before, notably from Cisco’s Spark Room Kit, but it will be interesting to see what ISE’s innovators bring to the field.

While ISE is partly just about the art of putting on a show, it does look forward to a time when all the tech it shows off will be usable in everyday situations. It may look a thousand miles away from being relevant to your own humble business, but the vendors in Amsterdam are the ones shaping your own future presentations.

How ISE 2019 Translates to Your Business

All this spectacle eventually trickles down to inform the options you have when making your own professional presentations…though it takes time.

The gesture-driven technology synonymous with the Tom Cruise movie Minority Report, for example, was inspired by the real-life displays of Oblong’s Mezzanine platform, a video specialist with MIT origins and a long-time ISE vendor. That team is expected to make another splash this year with its new screencast app, and though its services generally remain out of reach for smaller businesses, they are actually available.

 

The trick with showcases like ISE 2019 is to distill the substance from the sparkle.

What we hope to get from ISE 2019 is a handle on how these technologies can be translated to the office and small-to-medium business world. Fancy effects and dancing holograms are impressive, but how will we put them to use in front of clients and collaborators? The healthcare industry, for example, seems to be in a game of constant catch-up with the potential of immersive visual displays of the type we see frequently in entertainment but which seldom make the leap to the doctor’s office (case in point: holographic telemedicine).

The trick with showcases like ISE 2019 in Amsterdam is to distill the substance from the sparkle. It appears the key trends will be around better integration of AI within conference room controls; better use of mobile technology as both meeting entry point and integrated platform; and the continued evolution of AR and VR technologies.

And lots of ever-cheaper LED light displays.

 

JOIN launches the new JoinAudio moderator

Join announces the launch of the moderator for JoinAudio, the audioconferencing service.

The moderator shows a wide range of new features and new capabilities:

  • New graphic
    • meeting table showing all participants
    • audio levels
    • recording with archive
    • file repository
  • Participant access
    • Possibility to register and fill their profile with picture
    • Personal file repository
    • Commands
  • Synchronization with mobile app
    • If host and participant have already registered themselves in the app their picture appears automatically
  • Security
    • All doors are in https
  • New features
    • The whole moderator is in html5
    • Using a webrtc browser both host and participant can access via browser
    • Graphic is responsive, the moderator can be used by mobile devices
    • A datasharing will be available soon

These new features joined with the new mobile app and the outlook plug in bring JoinAudio ahead of audioconference technology and offer a fully immersive experience for all users

 

Join signs an agreement to resell Arkadin services

Join Srl, a leading provider of conferencing solutions, today announced it has entered into a reseller agreement with Arkadin. Under the terms of the new agreement, JOIN will have the ability to resell Arkadin market-leading cloud-based conferencing solutions to businesses in Italy

“We are excited to have the possibility to resell Arkadin conferencing services in our native country” said Paolo Delgrossi, Join’s chief strategy officer. “Operator assisted audio and Vision video service from Arkadin will strength and complete our global conferencing offer in the market.”

About Join

Join is the Conference Service provider leader in the Italian market. Active in the conferencing market since 2014 Join provides a wide range of virtual communication services, from audio and videoconference services to webcast, virtual pbx and video interpreters.

About Arkadin

Arkadin enables clients to succeed in a digitally connected workplace with market leading cloud communications services. Over 50,000 businesses spanning the largest global enterprises to small companies have enjoyable collaboration and communication experiences from our audio/web/video conferencing and Unified Communications services.  As an NTT Communications company, we provide a cutting-edge infrastructure for premium service quality and unrivaled customer support that is administered locally through 56 operations centers in 34 countries.

Join launches the new app for JoinAudio conference service

Join launches the new version of the JoinAudio app.

The new app presents several new important features:

–  Preferred room memorization: it allows to insert data of your preferred rooms, up to 8 rooms

–  Personalization: every room can be personalized with a name and a picture, so to be easily recalled

–        Easy to use :clicking on the room icon the app selects the closer access point to call (need to geolocalization on), call the selected number and insert the access PIN code, avoiding any manual operation

–  Cost savings: it’s possible to use a VOIP app on the mobile device to call the conference at no cost

–  Data recovering: all data are memorized and can be recovered to be reused in another device

–  Profile management: the profile can easily be filled using the data from your account Linkedin or Google account

Improvement: the new app is now available both for IOS and Android devices

The app allows the full control of the conferencing via a simple click on the device

Join to launch the new JoinAudio Outlook plug in

From today it’s even easier to organize conference calls

JOIN launches the new “Outlook plugin” for JoinAudio conference service to schedule conferences and to send invitations directly from Outlook.

The plugin appears as a button on the instruments bar in the event calendar. Clicking on the button the event is automatically populated with all access instructions.

The app is available at the address https://portal.joinconferencing.com/support/default.aspx where you can find all instructions to download, install and configure it

For any information please contact the email address: support@joinconferencing.com

Join Add-In for Microsoft® Outlook® 2010, 2013, and 2016

Download Join Add-In [v.2.0.7.1118] installer for Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2013 and 2016 (.EXE)

Download Join Add-In [v.2.0.7.1118] installer for Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2013 and 2016 (.ZIP)

To install the Join Add-In for Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2013, and 2016:

  1. Close all Microsoft Office® applications.
  2. Download the appropriate Join Add-In for Microsoft Outlook installer
  3. Run the installation file.
  4. On installation complete, open Microsoft Outlook, click on “Add-Ins” on File menu

  1. Click on Join Meeting AddIn config… and configure your Join account

Now you are ready to use Join Meeting Add-In on your Appointment and Meeting events,Create new Appointment or Meeting, click on the Schedule Join to create Join audio-conference.

  1. If you cannot see the Join Meeting Add-In, you have to activate the component on File menu, Options:

Sparkle launches Conferencing Suite, the advanced cloud-based global video and audioconferencing platform

The new solution combines ease of use, professional audio/video quality and real-time translation capabilities

Rome, 7 March 2018

Sparkle, the international service arm of TIM Group and among top 10 global operators, announces the launch of Conferencing Suite, a cloud-based multimedia communication platform that provides enterprises with an advanced global audio and video conferencing solution, characterized by ease of use and enhanced capabilities such as moderator assistance and simultaneous translation.

Conferencing Suite, the latest outcome of Sparkle’s efforts to enrich its portfolio of ICT solutions, enables users to organize video conferences up to Ultra HD 4K resolution, reaching a large number of participants at big events, and offering them -simultaneous translation through certified interpreters with vertical specialization.

With a simple click customer can access dedicated virtual meeting rooms or book instant audio or video conferences from any device, whether smartphones or telepresence units. All guests can join the meeting through a local geographic number available in 40 countries.

Sparkle Conferencing Suite is the ideal solution for specific verticals such as e-learning, finance or health, increasing productivity and optimizing costs. It supports VoIP connections as well as data sharing and provides innovative tools for management, recording and reporting, with no requirement for new hardware or software. Conferencing Suite is operated in partnership with Join, a Worldwide Conferencing Service Provider for professional audio, video and web communication services.

About Join Conferencing Provider

Join is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing.

JOIN CONFERENCING services are brought to you by an experienced management team with a wealth of technical know-how and many years in the unified communications business. Find out more about Join Conferencing Provider at www.joinconferencing.com

Join to launch the new Join Connect service

JOIN announces the launch of JOINCONNECT, a real-time all-in-one platform that enables a simple two-way web communication between companies and their stakeholders, customers, suppliers and employees.

The latest outcome of JOIN efforts to enrich its portfolio of ICT solutions, JOINCONNECT addresses a wide market segment. In fact, it caters the needs of enterprises and operators looking for an innovative and smart solution for their Customer Care, as well as the needs of  companies that aim to simplify the relationship between their own end-customers such as financial and booking agents or to enhance communication with their employees or third-party technicians working on the field.

JOINCONNECT is also available to partners such as System Integrators, ISP and service providers that wish to enrich their existing service portfolio.

JOINCONNECT allows end-customers to start a voice call or an instant message through a simple click, connecting them with the right contact point and solve their queries instantly through sharing images, files or audio notes.

The solution offers a back-end platform that can be customized and integrated into existing customers’ tools. Users can access JOINCONNECT via a PC just clicking on a widget on the website or through a specific mobile application.

In addition, there is also an admin dashboard that collects relevant info such as call history and user footprint which allows customers to manage communication flow and monitor user behaviors.

JOINCONNECT is offered in partnership with M800, a leading Communication Platform as a Service provider that offers solutions to enhance communication through a globally distributed architecture.

About M800 Limited

M800 is the global leader and first-choice OTT communication solutions and international pioneer of CPaaS-based solutions–defining the next generation of a module-based, cross-compatible mobile internet solution. M800 solutions–voice, video, messaging and security–developed by cloud computing models across infrastructure, platform and software as a service (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS), solve the toughest global communication problems faced by corporations.

Presently, M800 provides rapid implementations of carrier-grade solutions with strict SLA in security and reliability. To achieve this, a unified platform of telecommunications and IT is built, transcending multiple layers–from application, network to platform. Our globally distributed network is realized to meet and exceed industry standards of real-time communication–smart content delivery, intelligent routing and minimal latency–while supporting sophisticated third-party integrations. This architecture reflects our long-term vision–supporting data capturing for big data, artificial intelligence and advanced blockchain security for user identification–components we believe are vital for businesses that have or will attain mass adoption.