By Frank Foti, M.Ed., KBZ University Training Director
Here’s a little math problem for you: Which is more cost effective, spend $6,000 +/- to provide on-site training to a client in the United Kingdom, or spend just about $0.00 and provide the training via videoconference? Sure it won’t take too much heavy cipherin’ to solve this problem!
Recently KBZ Communications, East and West Coast MVAR for TANDBERG, received a request to provide training to a US Partner’s employees located outside of London, England. Their desire was for a class to center around hands-on instruction, and so would require that multiple videoconference workstations — codecs, cameras, monitors, and audio equipment — be removed from KBZ’s HQ training facility, packed up for international shipment, and sent to the UK (with fingers crossed that all would make it there, and back, in working order).
Additionally, due to shipping logistics (flight availability, cost, and travel time), what is normally a two-day training session would now monopolize an entire week. So as much as I was looking forward to feasting on bangers and mash and sampling the selection of stout at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks Inn, Hertfordshire, the inefficiency of this approach was undeniable.
We decided to take a step back and reassess the situation with our Partner; to determine exactly what training was needed, and to develop a logical approach that would satisfy while saving money and time. The priority was to provide the UK Team with training on TANDBERG infrastructure products; the sales approach, the essential products, and how they provide their clients with the TANDBERG Total Solution. It seemed that a slightly customized version of the KBZ original class, IS101: Selling Infrastructure 101, was the answer.
Selling Infrastructure 101 is a live interactive course presented via video conference (and sometimes live) that 
provides KBZ Partners with a targeted overview of essential TANDBERG Infrastructure and show why it matters, why it belongs in a sale. (Selling Infrastructure is InfoComm RU Approved for 1.5 CTS credits).
I reviewed the course syllabus with the client, got the ‘okay,’ and set about coordinating schedules. So at 8:00 AM US East Coast time, 1:00 PM London time, on Sept. 15th, I placed an IP video call from my home office to our Partner’s UK conference room. And for the next three hours, with the help of PowerPoint and TANDBERG video communications, five of us discussed in detail, the importance of infrastructure products, industry trends, and applications, and reviewed endpoints. The call was placed at 768kbps via a Comcast broadband network connection using a TANDBERG 6000MXP codec and PrecisionHD 720p camera, and received in the UK via a TANDBERG Edge 95 system. No drop-outs, no lag, no distorted audio. Success!
Let’s recap. Total cost of training session: close to $0.00; Total amount of time spent away from the office: 0 hours; Total amount of carbon expended: 0 pounds — even Al Gore would be proud.
This is just one small example of the efficiency of video communication. See numerous other video examples on the TANDBERG website, of how companies are using video communications to save millions of dollars while significantly reducing their carbon footprints. Check it out. I think you’ll be impressed.
Frank Foti. M.Ed., is the Training Director at KBZ University.