The esports community continues to grow; in recent years, participation in esports tournaments has grown from hundreds to hundreds of thousands, and the sport is being deliberated by the Olympic consideration.
With the esports community now over 300 million people, setting up an arena for an event is even more important than ever. To give participants and spectators the best possible experience, there needs to be certain elements within the arena:
Interaction. It goes without saying that the players need smooth, intuitive interaction with the gaming system. But in the esports world, it goes further than that. Throughout the arena, you’ll find interactive content displays that allow spectators to play parts of games, immerse themselves in displays for photo-ops and in-game experiences, and so much more.
Life-like displays. esports is captivating to watch as a spectator because you get a look at what’s happening through the players’ eyes. To pull that off successfully, there needs to be large displays with ultra-high resolution to make it feel life-like.
Advanced technology. Top-line technology not only improves the aesthetics of an esports arena, it’s vital to its function. Let’s get more into what the technology setup for an esports arena looks like.
The technology needed for an ideal esports experience
The technology needed to support a successful esports event is highly complex. There are multiple intricate systems running simultaneously — everything needs to be in sync, wired properly, and functioning at full capacity.
While the technological demand created by an esports event seems limitless, here are the main needs:
Video and audio system. esports could not exist without audio and visual equipment like video walls, projectors, video displays, surround sound speakers, and so much more. That way, both the players in the game and the spectators relying on video streams can have a lifelike experience. It also enables multi-player experiences regardless of physical proximity.
Interoperability within systems. It’s not enough to have a great video setup, a great audio setup, and a great augmented reality setup. These systems need to be able to integrate seamlessly with one another. This is necessary for real time game updates for players and fans — if there isn’t a streamlined way to share a large amount of information at once, the system is at risk to crash.
Virtual and augmented reality. What makes the esports experience unique is that you are not just playing a game or watching a game unfold, you are able to immerse yourself as if you were a game character. Today’s virtual and augmented reality technology goes beyond 360-degree videos and special effects to make each participant truly part of the experience.
The future of esports
The future is bright for esports. As the technology associated with esports becomes more accessible, the community can grow exponentially. For example, with VR headsets becoming more available to the general population, instead of watching a game on Twitch on a screen, viewers can watch via VR headset and feel like they’re part of a live audience or even part of the game map.
While there’s no way of knowing what additional technology will arise and take esports to the next level, we do know that the technological advances made so far have allowed esports to thrive.
The biggest question on every business leader’s mind is the same right now regardless of industry: how do we resume operation while keeping employees and visitors safe?
Organizations from around the world have leaned heavily into technology to help them find creative solutions for ensuring health and safety. One of those solutions is UV light technology. While UV light technology has traditionally been used in hospitals and labs to create a sterile environment, it’s now finding itself in a new role: stopping the spread of disease in offices and schools.
How does UV light technology work?
Without getting into too much of a science lesson, UV light has three wavelength categories: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Because of its short wavelength, UV-C breaks apart germ DNA, rendering them unable to function or reproduce. Surfaces exposed to UV-C light are effectively rid of microorganisms like viruses and bacteria — making it an effective method of eliminating coronavirus on workplace surfaces.
Shedding light on workplaces and schools
Because of its effectiveness in eliminating the coronavirus and other contagious diseases, businesses and schools are beginning to invest in UV-C sanitizing technology. With many high traffic and shared surfaces, these types of establishments should consider the options they have for UV-C technology:
Portable, handheld wands: These work well for sanitizing conference room tables, student desks, counters, and other medium to large surfaces. Since they are portable, you can easily use a single wand for an entire office.
Device sanitizers: These are ideal for shared devices, keys, or other small objects, device sanitizers. You place the item inside the sanitizer, so the UV-C light does not reach any other areas.
Sanitizing cabinets: For larger shared devices or larger quantities, sanitizing cabinets are a great choice. For example, you can sanitize a dozen laptops at once to have ready for the next workday or class.
Lamps: UV-C lamps are powerful enough to sanitize entire rooms. Most are equipped with motion sensors to turn off when someone walks by, to protect them from exposure to the UV-C rays.
Usage considerations
When implementing UV-C technology in a workplace or school, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:
UV-C rays can be harmful to your eyes, so be sure to educate everyone in the building about proper safety measures. If you’re choosing a UV-C lamp, make sure to choose one with a motion-sensor shutoff.
UV light sanitation works best on smooth, flat surfaces. For example, it’s ideal for tables and device screens, but not so much for cloth chairs or device buttons.
For effective sanitation, the surface needs to be free of dust, skin cells, and skin oils. Always wipe down the surface you plan on sanitizing first.
Part of the bigger picture
While UV light technology can be an effective means for killing harmful viruses, it should be used in conjunction with other precautions. Employees, students, or visitors should still be practicing social distancing and utilizing face coverings whenever they’re on site.
But thanks to technology, these organizations can take precautions one step further. Thermal cameras can detect high body temperatures and alert people who may not realize they are ill. Implementing a body temperature detection camera system will allow visitors and employees alike to properly protect themselves.
Technology also allows organizations to limit in-person work or meetings while we learn the impacts of reopening society. Audio video conferencing solutions can help keep organizations connected, productive, and safe.
For more information about implementing a technology solution to help your organization safely transition into in-office/school or work, reach out to us at IVCi today.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was signed into law in March 2020 by President Donald Trump. This act provided much-needed funding for states and and school districts to build their COVID-19 emergency response plans.
Here is a quick summary of how the CARES act is aiding schools:
$13.5 billion in K-12 grants to states, based on their share of ESEA Title I-A funds.
State education agencies must distribute at least 90% of funds to school districts and public charter schools.
Funds can be used to respond to emergency needs.
Funds can be used for coronavirus-response activities such as coordinating long-term school closures, purchasing technology to support distance learning, and additional activity approved by federal laws.
Funds can be used to purchase AV equipment to provide a more reliable and effective solution for remote learning.
School districts were able to utilize these funds quickly to enact, and maintain, an entirely new way of operating.
Learning in a post-COVID world
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 situation changed the landscape of education forever. Not only did schools have to turn around learning programs incredibly quickly, they need to now enable long-term solutions that allow distance learning to be a seamless part of education from now on.
It’s apparent that education is changing outside of the classroom as well, with families, educators, and students all taking on drastically new roles. But some of the biggest question marks are around what will go on inside of school buildings — how can we assimilate students and teachers back into a classroom safely? Is that even possible? The list goes on and on…
While we cannot predict the future, we do have some predictions about the future of education and how technology can help make it happen. Here are some of our predictions of what a future classroom will look like in a post-coronavirus world:
1. An increase in blended learning
The 2020 school year wrapped up completely online — and while we are all impressed with the efforts our educators, parents, and students put in to make that happen, there’s still a longing to the physical classroom.
Virtual learning offered flexibility and individualized learning, but lacks the intimacy of in-person learning. Therefore, it’s likely we’ll see a rise in blended learning, where students and teachers participate in a hybrid of in-classroom and virtual learning activities. Virtual tools will become a complement to face-to-face learning.
2. Virtual learning will be a strategic initiative
Before the pandemic hit, very few schools seriously considered virtual learning as part of their strategic initiatives. With distance learning becoming mandatory, that changed quickly. Now, schools will be evaluating their emergency plans to turn their “band-aid” fixes into long-term solutions. Strategic initiative priorities will include upgrading video conferencing equipment and platforms, providing all students and teachers with the tools they need to access those platforms, and standardizing infrastructure throughout buildings and districts.
3. Communication will be virtual
Even after pandemic-related restrictions are lifted, limiting non-essential in-person gatherings are set to remain for the foreseeable future. Things like parent-teacher conferences, faculty meetings, and administrative meetings will likely move to virtual platforms. That way, face-to-face time can be reserved for meaningful discussions and activities within the classroom.
What these predictions have in common is that they rely heavily on AV technology. So heavily, in fact, that the CARES Act has included a specific clause to allow funds to be used to purchase AV equipment. That opens the door for audio video conferencing companies to play a large role in shaping the future of education. At IVCi, we’ve redesigned our procurement and implementation processes to follow all restrictions and guidelines, so we can help schools provide a reliable and effective solution for remote learning while maintaining safety.
With the right audio video conferencing solutions in place, institutions can continue to provide effective education, no matter what is going on in the world.
http://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00fishbathttp://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngfishbat2020-06-17 12:00:182020-06-22 19:49:05The CARES Act and Remote Learning - What Will the Future Classroom Look Like?
While we can all agree that we’re looking forward to businesses opening back up and people returning to work, we can all also agree that the workplaces we’ll be returning to will be different.
Businesses have overhauled basically everything they do to either support a remote workforce or put their operations on pause for the past two months. It’s very likely that some of their previous business practices won’t even be necessary anymore as they’ve been replaced with recently adapted ones.
But business practices aren’t the only new standard we’ll be facing. With social distancing guidelines likely to be in place for the foreseeable future and the lingering fear of transmitting germs on shared surfaces, companies will have to make significant changes in their locations in order to keep employees and visitors safe.
So what will the “new normal” look like when people get back to the office? Here are some ways businesses are moving forward in the wake of COVID-19:
Operate at a Reduced Capacity
One of the biggest changes we can expect to see in many workplaces is not having every person in the office every day. Rotating in work-from-home days is a simple and effective way to reduce the number of people within a building.
Most companies have already ironed out any issues with their work-from-home systems and have implemented the technology they need for success. For example, AV conferencing systems let remote participants seamlessly integrate with meetings going on in the office.
Take sanitation/cleanliness measures
Most offices will likely ramp up the frequency and quality of cleaning services. Frequently disinfecting surfaces, especially commonly touched and shared surfaces, will make a big difference in the future spread of disease.
Likewise, employees should continue to clean their personal work area with disinfectant frequently, use hand sanitizers, and wash their hands after touching shared surfaces. In some cases, face coverings and masks can be utilized as well.
Encourage social distancing
Social distancing guidelines are likely to be in place for the long-term, including when people return to work in offices. You can promote social distancing by adding dividers and partitions between desks and spreading out workstations.
With the help of an audio video conferencing company, you can take social distancing in the workplace to the next level. You can set up multiple huddle rooms with audio video technology to connect them and allow large groups of people to interact without having more than a few people in a room, taking the place of large conference room gatherings.
Limit in person meetings
For at least the next few months, in person meetings should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, especially with those from outside of your workplace. But with audio video conferencing systems, this won’t disrupt productivity. You can continue to have virtual meetings to limit travel and maintain all of the business and client relationships you need.
But be sure that you have chosen an AV conferencing company that utilizes state of the art equipment to make sure your audio and video quality match that of an in-person meeting. This way, everyone involved can stay safe without sacrificing time or productivity lost due to set up, poor connections, or poor audio quality.
Go the extra mile
Some companies will be going above and beyond these measures and implementing brand new technology to help them deal with lingering traces of the coronavirus and protect them from contagious disease in the future. One way businesses are doing this is by installing thermal cameras that automatically detect body temperature as people enter the building, triggering an alert for anyone who has a temperature above your set threshold.
You may think that this is a great idea, but too difficult to implement in your company — but that’s not the case. The technology might be right under your nose. For example, IVCi is a video conferencing company, but has also partnered with several manufacturers to provide quality thermal camera solutions that can be suited to your business needs.
Even if right now there’s no way to tell exactly what the new “normal” will look like, we do now that eventually businesses will move forward in the wake of COVID-19. And with the help of the right technology, they can do so in a way that’s safe, productive, and futureproof.
http://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00Lindsey Ingramhttp://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngLindsey Ingram2020-05-26 20:28:232020-05-26 20:40:36Getting Back to the Office: How Businesses are Moving Forward
Lately, there’s been a widespread use of the term “the new normal.” It goes without saying that the way we live and work will never be the same in the wake of COVID-19 — but what will it look like?
Eventually people will return to work in their office. More and more companies will open up, and the essential businesses that maintained operation throughout this crisis will return to full capacity. But things aren’t expected to be just as they were before the outbreak, and for good reason.
With the threat of a second wave looming as the shelter in place mandates are lifted, businesses need to take serious measures to ensure worker safety while maintaining business continuity.
The Key to Success in a Post COVID-19 World
One of the keys to success in a post COVID-19 work environment is to make sure that anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 is identified quickly, treated accordingly, and kept apart from other workers.
One of the most effective ways to identify symptomatic individuals is by doing temperature checks upon entering the building. With high fevers being a signature symptom of COVID-19, checking people’s temperatures as they enter your workplace is a great screening method. But manual temperature checks are slow, time-consuming, and only offer temporary solutions. Thanks to new technology, there’s a better way.
Thermal Camera Technology
While thermal cameras cannot detect the presence of a virus or infection, they can measure for elevated body temperature. Thermal cameras can measure people’s temperatures accurately and almost instantly from a safe distance that minimizes contact. These cameras have been utilized to create tools that organizations can utilize such as:
Thermal camera systems. With the ability to scan multiple people at once, thermal camera system software can accurately detect temperatures of larger groups of people, rather than scan temperatures one by one. Best suited for buildings with high foot traffic, this type of system will help ensure a safe work environment with instant temperature detection and a responsive alert system.
Temperature screening kiosks. Hands free kiosks can scan temperatures without the need for labor-intensive manual solutions or risky contact. Some even have advanced features like facial recognition, email notifications, reports, and monitoring capabilities. These features will quickly alert the proper personnel if someone’s temperature is above the threshold limit and will help organizations better keep records.
Handheld thermal cameras. While handheld thermal and infrared cameras do require manual operation, they are portable and accurate. Handheld thermal cameras allow for quick and low-contact temperature scans and often can be configured with additional features for monitoring and alerting.
Organizations can set a temperature threshold so that an alert is triggered when an individual enters the building with a temperature above it. This allows for quick, accurate detection in office buildings, emergency rooms, doctor’s offices, airports, schools, and more. With instant alerts, everyone can take proper action.
The key to worker safety and business continuity in the wake of COVID-19 is having the right technology in place to screen for at-risk individuals. However, don’t make your organization choose between safety and a time-consuming, possibly inaccurate, temporary solution. Instead, invest in the proper solution, like a thermal camera system — and make your organization a key driver in flattening the virus curve.
Contact us to speak with an IVCi representative about your thermal camera needs.
http://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00Lindsey Ingramhttp://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngLindsey Ingram2020-05-17 20:08:312020-06-08 17:39:09Why Thermal Camera Technology is Essential for a Post COVID-19 Work Environment
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has made life hard. From schools transitioning to remote learning, businesses remaining closed, to supply chain issues, it’s difficult to think of an area of our lives that hasn’t been impacted.
But by far one of the most difficult challenges our society is facing right now is that patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities cannot have visitors. The emotional toll this has on the patients and their loved ones is immeasurable, especially when dealing with serious illnesses.
That’s why video conferencing companyIVCi is proud to introduce Care Connect, a virtual visitation system that bridges the gap between patients and loved ones.
About the Care Connect Solution
Care Connect uses state of the art AV conferencingtechnology to virtually connect patients in facilities and their loved ones outside of the facility. Having the support and comfort of friends and family can make a world of difference in a patient’s recovery and is crucial for peace of mind for a patient’s loved ones. Care Connect breaks through the barriers created by COVID-19 visitation restrictions by providing unparalleled technology reliability and humanized service and support.
This takes immense pressure off of already overtaxed hospital staff, who are working tirelessly to not only fight the pandemic, but to truly take care of their patients’ entire well-being — which means helping them get the emotional support they need. Having technology on their side to assist them will drastically improve the patient/family experience and allow medical professionals to focus on providing medical care.
The right AV conferencing companywill help ease the burden on facilities that are working tirelessly to combat COVID-19 by assuming the complete management of virtual visitations — from scheduling, to launching, to troubleshooting.
Features of the Care Connect Solution
The Care Connect solution is unlike other audio video conferencingofferings. Here’s what sets it apart:
The ability to leverage any existing communication infrastructure with both hardware and software to support Care Connect visits.
The offering of subscription-based communication infrastructure for a cost-effective way for locations that do not currently have communication infrastructure in place to support Care Connect.
Video assistance with trained operators who can help create seamless experiences.
Programs that handle scheduling, launching, and troubleshooting directly from the solution.
A solution this robust is only possible when backed by an audio video conferencing companyyou can trust. IVCi has worked with some of the nation’s leading healthcare organizations to overcome limitations and help medical facilities during this difficult time. We’re here to help and provide custom Care Connect solutions for your facility, no matter your current communication infrastructure.
By now, a number of organizations have at least some measures in place to enable their employees to work from home. However, some of those measures are band-aid type solutions that get the job done for now, but aren’t feasible as long-term solutions.
Although many states are on the way to opening back up, it’s likely that the recent pandemic will have lasting effects on the workplace — one of which is having partial or full work-from-home policies in place for the foreseeable future.
With the help of video conferencing solutionsand other key technologies, you can successfully plan for your employees to work from home as part of a permanent business plan. Here’s how:
Create a Work From Home Schedule
Creating a work from home schedule is an important part of successfully adjusting to a post-COVID business plan. Some organizations will choose to have their whole team (or as much of it as possible) continue to work-from-home for a while, and that’s perfectly fine. Some businesses, however, need to have more people physically in the office to operate successfully but want to reduce capacity, which is where a work-from-home schedule comes in.
Here are some common ways a work-from-home schedule can be broken down:
Have entire teams present in the office on certain days.
Rotate members of a given team to be in the office on certain days.
Make a chart based on where people sit in the office and rotate work-from-home days to keep at least one empty desk between people.
While it’s good to plan like this, your work from home program is not going to be truly successful without utilizing the proper technology.
Get the tools you need to succeed
While some companies have had to make do with basic work-from-home solutions like email and phone calls, that just won’t hold up long term. To have your employees work from home regularly or semi-regularly, you’ll need to set them up with the right technology for the job.
Some tools to consider:
Video conferencing solutions to replace in person meetings and maintain “face-to-face” contact.
Instant messaging solutions for quick updates, check-ins, and office chatter.
Virtual desktops so employees can connect with all of the apps and tools they need without sacrificing security.
Audio and video equipment like headphones, microphones, and cameras for successful video calls and blocking background distractions.
Not only will this help maintain productivity, but it will better keep teams connected and avert the feelings of isolation and detachment that can happen in some work-from-home settings.
Having video conferencing capabilities in place not only allows you to accommodate employees who work from home, it will also help improve the way you do business in the long run. With in-person meetings and large gatherings likely not happening for a long period of time, a video conferencing system will allow large groups to participate in meetings comfortably and safely, without having to resort to conference phone calls.
The right video conferencing companieswill provide long-term service and support to make sure your organization always has what it needs to succeed in the given business landscape, no matter how that may change. The future of the business world is leaning towards predominantly virtual meetings and events, so let the experts at IVCi set your organization up for success.
http://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00Lindsey Ingramhttp://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngLindsey Ingram2020-04-29 20:19:552020-05-26 20:46:08How to Plan for Your Employees to Work from Home
Unfortunately, a lot of businesses were completely blindsided by the Covid-19 crisis. They either had no business continuity plan in place and are scrambling to make one as they go, or they had a loosely framed and outdated plan that doesn’t hold up in today’s business world.
For essential businesses or businesses that are still operating under limited capacity, safety is the top concern. It’s critical to take extreme precautions to limit unnecessary exposure for your personnel and customers during this time. Times like these are when we need to lean into technology tools, like Teleportivity, to help keep personnel and customers safe during this outbreak.
Teleportivity is a tool that allows organizations to scale their support staff across sites remotely using audio visual and information deployment technology. This drastically reduces the amount of physical exposure personnel and customers will face, without sacrificing any of the functionality of your in-house support team.
Here are the key features of Teleportivity that you can utilize for your business continuity plan:
Welcome Space
Welcome Space allows you to scale, push, and pull your welcome staff virtually based on demand. People who enter your building or area will be met with a virtual connection to your welcome staff.
This helps control high traffic locations and keeps your business in better compliance with social distancing recommendations — without having to sacrifice a constant, seamless customer experience.
Being able to adapt to the current circumstances without compromising customer service is a key component to a successful business continuity plan.
Info Space
Info Space allows visitors and customers to get all the information they need without having an in-person concierge desk. With Info Space, you can create and deploy thousands of unique links or QR codes to be placed anywhere throughout your location. Visitors can access these codes and scan them on their mobile devices, without needing a designated app.
These codes will give access to items like maps, forms, documents, videos, and even on-demand live assistance from remote support staff. With Info Space, you’ll retain all the benefits of an information desk without the need for in-person staffing.
Support Space
Support Space allows for the utilization of meeting spaces and huddle rooms without the need for on-site support staff. Through unique QR codes and links, your meeting spaces and huddle rooms are transformed into connected portals. Through these codes, you can get instructions and live assistance via remote staff. Therefore, fewer people are needed in a room to successfully carry out a meeting. You’ll be able to comply with regulations regarding gathering sizes without sacrificing any key components of your meeting or presentation.
It’s never been more important to keep staff and customers safe, and right now that means limiting exposure and keeping as many people in their homes as possible. With that being said, essential businesses are still expected to keep a seamless customer experience and deliver their services without interruption. Luckily, technology is at the forefront of business continuity plans and making this possible.
So while your human support staff is essential for the operation of your business, there’s no need to put more people at risk. Deploy your workforce where they’re needed most, while they remain safely in one location. Thanks to the latest in audio visual and information demand technology, you can provide a seamless customer experience no matter the business landscape. In need of a business continuity plan? Teleportivity has you covered.
http://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00fishbathttp://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngfishbat2020-04-15 12:00:152020-06-22 19:38:17Teleportivity: Keeping Your Staff and Customers Safe
Introducing: Esports
NewsThe esports community continues to grow; in recent years, participation in esports tournaments has grown from hundreds to hundreds of thousands, and the sport is being deliberated by the Olympic consideration.
With the esports community now over 300 million people, setting up an arena for an event is even more important than ever. To give participants and spectators the best possible experience, there needs to be certain elements within the arena:
The technology needed for an ideal esports experience
The technology needed to support a successful esports event is highly complex. There are multiple intricate systems running simultaneously — everything needs to be in sync, wired properly, and functioning at full capacity.
While the technological demand created by an esports event seems limitless, here are the main needs:
Video and audio system. esports could not exist without audio and visual equipment like video walls, projectors, video displays, surround sound speakers, and so much more. That way, both the players in the game and the spectators relying on video streams can have a lifelike experience. It also enables multi-player experiences regardless of physical proximity.
Interoperability within systems. It’s not enough to have a great video setup, a great audio setup, and a great augmented reality setup. These systems need to be able to integrate seamlessly with one another. This is necessary for real time game updates for players and fans — if there isn’t a streamlined way to share a large amount of information at once, the system is at risk to crash.
Virtual and augmented reality. What makes the esports experience unique is that you are not just playing a game or watching a game unfold, you are able to immerse yourself as if you were a game character. Today’s virtual and augmented reality technology goes beyond 360-degree videos and special effects to make each participant truly part of the experience.
The future of esports
The future is bright for esports. As the technology associated with esports becomes more accessible, the community can grow exponentially. For example, with VR headsets becoming more available to the general population, instead of watching a game on Twitch on a screen, viewers can watch via VR headset and feel like they’re part of a live audience or even part of the game map.
While there’s no way of knowing what additional technology will arise and take esports to the next level, we do know that the technological advances made so far have allowed esports to thrive.
UV Light Technology
NewsThe biggest question on every business leader’s mind is the same right now regardless of industry: how do we resume operation while keeping employees and visitors safe?
Organizations from around the world have leaned heavily into technology to help them find creative solutions for ensuring health and safety. One of those solutions is UV light technology. While UV light technology has traditionally been used in hospitals and labs to create a sterile environment, it’s now finding itself in a new role: stopping the spread of disease in offices and schools.
How does UV light technology work?
Without getting into too much of a science lesson, UV light has three wavelength categories: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Because of its short wavelength, UV-C breaks apart germ DNA, rendering them unable to function or reproduce. Surfaces exposed to UV-C light are effectively rid of microorganisms like viruses and bacteria — making it an effective method of eliminating coronavirus on workplace surfaces.
Shedding light on workplaces and schools
Because of its effectiveness in eliminating the coronavirus and other contagious diseases, businesses and schools are beginning to invest in UV-C sanitizing technology. With many high traffic and shared surfaces, these types of establishments should consider the options they have for UV-C technology:
Usage considerations
When implementing UV-C technology in a workplace or school, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:
Part of the bigger picture
While UV light technology can be an effective means for killing harmful viruses, it should be used in conjunction with other precautions. Employees, students, or visitors should still be practicing social distancing and utilizing face coverings whenever they’re on site.
But thanks to technology, these organizations can take precautions one step further. Thermal cameras can detect high body temperatures and alert people who may not realize they are ill. Implementing a body temperature detection camera system will allow visitors and employees alike to properly protect themselves.
Technology also allows organizations to limit in-person work or meetings while we learn the impacts of reopening society. Audio video conferencing solutions can help keep organizations connected, productive, and safe.
For more information about implementing a technology solution to help your organization safely transition into in-office/school or work, reach out to us at IVCi today.
The CARES Act and Remote Learning – What Will the Future Classroom Look Like?
NewsThe Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was signed into law in March 2020 by President Donald Trump. This act provided much-needed funding for states and and school districts to build their COVID-19 emergency response plans.
Here is a quick summary of how the CARES act is aiding schools:
School districts were able to utilize these funds quickly to enact, and maintain, an entirely new way of operating.
Learning in a post-COVID world
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 situation changed the landscape of education forever. Not only did schools have to turn around learning programs incredibly quickly, they need to now enable long-term solutions that allow distance learning to be a seamless part of education from now on.
It’s apparent that education is changing outside of the classroom as well, with families, educators, and students all taking on drastically new roles. But some of the biggest question marks are around what will go on inside of school buildings — how can we assimilate students and teachers back into a classroom safely? Is that even possible? The list goes on and on…
While we cannot predict the future, we do have some predictions about the future of education and how technology can help make it happen. Here are some of our predictions of what a future classroom will look like in a post-coronavirus world:
1. An increase in blended learning
The 2020 school year wrapped up completely online — and while we are all impressed with the efforts our educators, parents, and students put in to make that happen, there’s still a longing to the physical classroom.
Virtual learning offered flexibility and individualized learning, but lacks the intimacy of in-person learning. Therefore, it’s likely we’ll see a rise in blended learning, where students and teachers participate in a hybrid of in-classroom and virtual learning activities. Virtual tools will become a complement to face-to-face learning.
2. Virtual learning will be a strategic initiative
Before the pandemic hit, very few schools seriously considered virtual learning as part of their strategic initiatives. With distance learning becoming mandatory, that changed quickly. Now, schools will be evaluating their emergency plans to turn their “band-aid” fixes into long-term solutions. Strategic initiative priorities will include upgrading video conferencing equipment and platforms, providing all students and teachers with the tools they need to access those platforms, and standardizing infrastructure throughout buildings and districts.
3. Communication will be virtual
Even after pandemic-related restrictions are lifted, limiting non-essential in-person gatherings are set to remain for the foreseeable future. Things like parent-teacher conferences, faculty meetings, and administrative meetings will likely move to virtual platforms. That way, face-to-face time can be reserved for meaningful discussions and activities within the classroom.
What these predictions have in common is that they rely heavily on AV technology. So heavily, in fact, that the CARES Act has included a specific clause to allow funds to be used to purchase AV equipment. That opens the door for audio video conferencing companies to play a large role in shaping the future of education. At IVCi, we’ve redesigned our procurement and implementation processes to follow all restrictions and guidelines, so we can help schools provide a reliable and effective solution for remote learning while maintaining safety.
With the right audio video conferencing solutions in place, institutions can continue to provide effective education, no matter what is going on in the world.
Getting Back to the Office: How Businesses are Moving Forward
NewsWhile we can all agree that we’re looking forward to businesses opening back up and people returning to work, we can all also agree that the workplaces we’ll be returning to will be different.
Businesses have overhauled basically everything they do to either support a remote workforce or put their operations on pause for the past two months. It’s very likely that some of their previous business practices won’t even be necessary anymore as they’ve been replaced with recently adapted ones.
But business practices aren’t the only new standard we’ll be facing. With social distancing guidelines likely to be in place for the foreseeable future and the lingering fear of transmitting germs on shared surfaces, companies will have to make significant changes in their locations in order to keep employees and visitors safe.
So what will the “new normal” look like when people get back to the office? Here are some ways businesses are moving forward in the wake of COVID-19:
Operate at a Reduced Capacity
One of the biggest changes we can expect to see in many workplaces is not having every person in the office every day. Rotating in work-from-home days is a simple and effective way to reduce the number of people within a building.
Most companies have already ironed out any issues with their work-from-home systems and have implemented the technology they need for success. For example, AV conferencing systems let remote participants seamlessly integrate with meetings going on in the office.
Take sanitation/cleanliness measures
Most offices will likely ramp up the frequency and quality of cleaning services. Frequently disinfecting surfaces, especially commonly touched and shared surfaces, will make a big difference in the future spread of disease.
Likewise, employees should continue to clean their personal work area with disinfectant frequently, use hand sanitizers, and wash their hands after touching shared surfaces. In some cases, face coverings and masks can be utilized as well.
Encourage social distancing
Social distancing guidelines are likely to be in place for the long-term, including when people return to work in offices. You can promote social distancing by adding dividers and partitions between desks and spreading out workstations.
With the help of an audio video conferencing company, you can take social distancing in the workplace to the next level. You can set up multiple huddle rooms with audio video technology to connect them and allow large groups of people to interact without having more than a few people in a room, taking the place of large conference room gatherings.
Limit in person meetings
For at least the next few months, in person meetings should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, especially with those from outside of your workplace. But with audio video conferencing systems, this won’t disrupt productivity. You can continue to have virtual meetings to limit travel and maintain all of the business and client relationships you need.
But be sure that you have chosen an AV conferencing company that utilizes state of the art equipment to make sure your audio and video quality match that of an in-person meeting. This way, everyone involved can stay safe without sacrificing time or productivity lost due to set up, poor connections, or poor audio quality.
Go the extra mile
Some companies will be going above and beyond these measures and implementing brand new technology to help them deal with lingering traces of the coronavirus and protect them from contagious disease in the future. One way businesses are doing this is by installing thermal cameras that automatically detect body temperature as people enter the building, triggering an alert for anyone who has a temperature above your set threshold.
You may think that this is a great idea, but too difficult to implement in your company — but that’s not the case. The technology might be right under your nose. For example, IVCi is a video conferencing company, but has also partnered with several manufacturers to provide quality thermal camera solutions that can be suited to your business needs.
Even if right now there’s no way to tell exactly what the new “normal” will look like, we do now that eventually businesses will move forward in the wake of COVID-19. And with the help of the right technology, they can do so in a way that’s safe, productive, and futureproof.
Why Thermal Camera Technology is Essential for a Post COVID-19 Work Environment
NewsLately, there’s been a widespread use of the term “the new normal.” It goes without saying that the way we live and work will never be the same in the wake of COVID-19 — but what will it look like?
Eventually people will return to work in their office. More and more companies will open up, and the essential businesses that maintained operation throughout this crisis will return to full capacity. But things aren’t expected to be just as they were before the outbreak, and for good reason.
With the threat of a second wave looming as the shelter in place mandates are lifted, businesses need to take serious measures to ensure worker safety while maintaining business continuity.
The Key to Success in a Post COVID-19 World
One of the keys to success in a post COVID-19 work environment is to make sure that anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 is identified quickly, treated accordingly, and kept apart from other workers.
One of the most effective ways to identify symptomatic individuals is by doing temperature checks upon entering the building. With high fevers being a signature symptom of COVID-19, checking people’s temperatures as they enter your workplace is a great screening method. But manual temperature checks are slow, time-consuming, and only offer temporary solutions. Thanks to new technology, there’s a better way.
Thermal Camera Technology
While thermal cameras cannot detect the presence of a virus or infection, they can measure for elevated body temperature. Thermal cameras can measure people’s temperatures accurately and almost instantly from a safe distance that minimizes contact. These cameras have been utilized to create tools that organizations can utilize such as:
Organizations can set a temperature threshold so that an alert is triggered when an individual enters the building with a temperature above it. This allows for quick, accurate detection in office buildings, emergency rooms, doctor’s offices, airports, schools, and more. With instant alerts, everyone can take proper action.
The key to worker safety and business continuity in the wake of COVID-19 is having the right technology in place to screen for at-risk individuals. However, don’t make your organization choose between safety and a time-consuming, possibly inaccurate, temporary solution. Instead, invest in the proper solution, like a thermal camera system — and make your organization a key driver in flattening the virus curve.
Contact us to speak with an IVCi representative about your thermal camera needs.
Care Connect – The Virtual Visitation System
NewsIt’s no secret that COVID-19 has made life hard. From schools transitioning to remote learning, businesses remaining closed, to supply chain issues, it’s difficult to think of an area of our lives that hasn’t been impacted.
But by far one of the most difficult challenges our society is facing right now is that patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities cannot have visitors. The emotional toll this has on the patients and their loved ones is immeasurable, especially when dealing with serious illnesses.
That’s why video conferencing company IVCi is proud to introduce Care Connect, a virtual visitation system that bridges the gap between patients and loved ones.
About the Care Connect Solution
Care Connect uses state of the art AV conferencing technology to virtually connect patients in facilities and their loved ones outside of the facility. Having the support and comfort of friends and family can make a world of difference in a patient’s recovery and is crucial for peace of mind for a patient’s loved ones. Care Connect breaks through the barriers created by COVID-19 visitation restrictions by providing unparalleled technology reliability and humanized service and support.
This takes immense pressure off of already overtaxed hospital staff, who are working tirelessly to not only fight the pandemic, but to truly take care of their patients’ entire well-being — which means helping them get the emotional support they need. Having technology on their side to assist them will drastically improve the patient/family experience and allow medical professionals to focus on providing medical care.
The right AV conferencing company will help ease the burden on facilities that are working tirelessly to combat COVID-19 by assuming the complete management of virtual visitations — from scheduling, to launching, to troubleshooting.
Features of the Care Connect Solution
The Care Connect solution is unlike other audio video conferencing offerings. Here’s what sets it apart:
A solution this robust is only possible when backed by an audio video conferencing company you can trust. IVCi has worked with some of the nation’s leading healthcare organizations to overcome limitations and help medical facilities during this difficult time. We’re here to help and provide custom Care Connect solutions for your facility, no matter your current communication infrastructure.
How to Plan for Your Employees to Work from Home
NewsBy now, a number of organizations have at least some measures in place to enable their employees to work from home. However, some of those measures are band-aid type solutions that get the job done for now, but aren’t feasible as long-term solutions.
Although many states are on the way to opening back up, it’s likely that the recent pandemic will have lasting effects on the workplace — one of which is having partial or full work-from-home policies in place for the foreseeable future.
With the help of video conferencing solutions and other key technologies, you can successfully plan for your employees to work from home as part of a permanent business plan. Here’s how:
Create a Work From Home Schedule
Creating a work from home schedule is an important part of successfully adjusting to a post-COVID business plan. Some organizations will choose to have their whole team (or as much of it as possible) continue to work-from-home for a while, and that’s perfectly fine. Some businesses, however, need to have more people physically in the office to operate successfully but want to reduce capacity, which is where a work-from-home schedule comes in.
Here are some common ways a work-from-home schedule can be broken down:
While it’s good to plan like this, your work from home program is not going to be truly successful without utilizing the proper technology.
Get the tools you need to succeed
While some companies have had to make do with basic work-from-home solutions like email and phone calls, that just won’t hold up long term. To have your employees work from home regularly or semi-regularly, you’ll need to set them up with the right technology for the job.
Some tools to consider:
Not only will this help maintain productivity, but it will better keep teams connected and avert the feelings of isolation and detachment that can happen in some work-from-home settings.
Set your team up for long-term success with video conferencing equipment.
Having video conferencing capabilities in place not only allows you to accommodate employees who work from home, it will also help improve the way you do business in the long run. With in-person meetings and large gatherings likely not happening for a long period of time, a video conferencing system will allow large groups to participate in meetings comfortably and safely, without having to resort to conference phone calls.
The right video conferencing companies will provide long-term service and support to make sure your organization always has what it needs to succeed in the given business landscape, no matter how that may change. The future of the business world is leaning towards predominantly virtual meetings and events, so let the experts at IVCi set your organization up for success.
Teleportivity: Keeping Your Staff and Customers Safe
NewsUnfortunately, a lot of businesses were completely blindsided by the Covid-19 crisis. They either had no business continuity plan in place and are scrambling to make one as they go, or they had a loosely framed and outdated plan that doesn’t hold up in today’s business world.
For essential businesses or businesses that are still operating under limited capacity, safety is the top concern. It’s critical to take extreme precautions to limit unnecessary exposure for your personnel and customers during this time. Times like these are when we need to lean into technology tools, like Teleportivity, to help keep personnel and customers safe during this outbreak.
Teleportivity is a tool that allows organizations to scale their support staff across sites remotely using audio visual and information deployment technology. This drastically reduces the amount of physical exposure personnel and customers will face, without sacrificing any of the functionality of your in-house support team.
Here are the key features of Teleportivity that you can utilize for your business continuity plan:
Welcome Space
Welcome Space allows you to scale, push, and pull your welcome staff virtually based on demand. People who enter your building or area will be met with a virtual connection to your welcome staff.
This helps control high traffic locations and keeps your business in better compliance with social distancing recommendations — without having to sacrifice a constant, seamless customer experience.
Being able to adapt to the current circumstances without compromising customer service is a key component to a successful business continuity plan.
Info Space
Info Space allows visitors and customers to get all the information they need without having an in-person concierge desk. With Info Space, you can create and deploy thousands of unique links or QR codes to be placed anywhere throughout your location. Visitors can access these codes and scan them on their mobile devices, without needing a designated app.
These codes will give access to items like maps, forms, documents, videos, and even on-demand live assistance from remote support staff. With Info Space, you’ll retain all the benefits of an information desk without the need for in-person staffing.
Support Space
Support Space allows for the utilization of meeting spaces and huddle rooms without the need for on-site support staff. Through unique QR codes and links, your meeting spaces and huddle rooms are transformed into connected portals. Through these codes, you can get instructions and live assistance via remote staff. Therefore, fewer people are needed in a room to successfully carry out a meeting. You’ll be able to comply with regulations regarding gathering sizes without sacrificing any key components of your meeting or presentation.
It’s never been more important to keep staff and customers safe, and right now that means limiting exposure and keeping as many people in their homes as possible. With that being said, essential businesses are still expected to keep a seamless customer experience and deliver their services without interruption. Luckily, technology is at the forefront of business continuity plans and making this possible.
So while your human support staff is essential for the operation of your business, there’s no need to put more people at risk. Deploy your workforce where they’re needed most, while they remain safely in one location. Thanks to the latest in audio visual and information demand technology, you can provide a seamless customer experience no matter the business landscape. In need of a business continuity plan? Teleportivity has you covered.