Managing success

Philip Grannum, Managing Director of Enterprise at Cable&Wireless Worldwide discusses the burgeoning Managed Video Conferencing (MVC) market.

Demand for Managed Video Conferencing solutions has grown exponentially despite the economic downturn. Why is this?
Philip Grannum. In an economic downturn, more and more businesses are focused on cost reduction and this has become the primary objective for using this technology, over and above reducing carbon emissions. A large number of organisations have put severe restrictions on international travel – some companies are even clamping down on car journeys, train journeys and anything that involves an overnight stay. MVC has enabled organisations to reduce travel, but still maintain the kind of a face-to-face interaction that they can't get from using standard teleconferencing. Next generation high definition video conferencing and telepresence is a technology shift that allows participants to experience the non-verbal communication, such as body language, which makes face-to-face meetings so much more productive. 

How has the technology evolved and what can purchasers of the solution now expect from it in terms of features and services?
PG. Simplicity, of features and functionality, is the key. Users want to be able to schedule a meeting as if they were making a call – simple and point-to-point. This easy-to-use approach is the only way that video will be adopted across the enterprise. Users want it to happen when they walk in the door and to have a proper, trouble free almost face-to-face experience when the meeting is taking place. The advent of high-definition video combined with a simple user experience has transformed video conferencing. The other major concern for companies is to ensure that investment in previous systems is not wasted and that there is interoperability between the old and new systems.

How do you expect the technology to develop in the future?
PG. I think the technology will hit a bit of a plateau. Telepresence solutions have revolutionised the video experience. Now I think the focus will be in evolving the service route and the expanded community. At the moment if you have video conferencing based on an IP network, you can work very effectively intra-company. But it is difficult to work with your wider stakeholders. So this is where the big shift going forward will be. The networks will continue to be secure, but they will open out to trusted customers, suppliers, key investors and banking organisations so you can start collaborating and working with those organisations, as simply and effectively as with someone in your own organisation.

What makes the Cable&Wireless MVC solution unique?
PG. It's three fundamental areas. Firstly, it's the user experience – getting the user up and running straight away in real time, as soon as they enter the room.

Secondly, it is the way that we approach the solution. It's easy to focus on the equipment alone, but we recognise that there are key elements that need to work together for you to get the best experience – these are the network the solution runs across; the integration of the solution with existing assets; the wide range of equipment from multiple vendors from telepresence suites to desktop solutions; and our range of managed service offerings.

Finally our joint initiative with Regus, the world's largest provider of flexible workplace solution, will facilitate the implementation of market leading high-definition video conferencing suites at Regus' premier global business centres... This has enabled us to put in the most advanced high definition video conferencing solution across multiple geographies around the world. You can fill a room with people and have a virtual face-to-face meeting from New York to Moscow to Tokyo. The capital expenditure required to buy this latest technology is quite substantial, but we offer a pay-as-you-use solution that can be used across the globe. Costing as little as €228 an hour, our offering will totally revolutionise the way people adopt this technology.

Philip Grannum became Managing Director of Enterprise for Cable&Wireless Worldwide in November 2008, providing services to some of our largest customers. In his previous role, Director of Product Management, he was responsible for launching Cable&Wireless' next generation network and Fixed Mobile Convergence. Grannum has over 13 years of experience within telecommunications, having previously worked at Energis and AT&T.