Monthly Archives: June 2013

06.19.13
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Office of Personnel Management: Tele-work Integral Part of Continuty Operations


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Posted: 18 Jun 2013 06:41 AM PDT

 SpaceCoast AV Communications, A Polycom Partner. If your agency would like more information regarding Telework Solutions,  please contact us at 321-257-9700

It may not have been the feared storm that many predicted, and it certainly didn’t hold a candle to the previous storm that bore its “derecho” name, but last week’s thunderstorm was one of the many that are being predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during the 2013 hurricane season.

Washington, D.C. has seen its share of foul weather in the past few years. Snowpocalypse, last year’s derecho, numerous named tropical storms and other weather events have blazed paths of destruction through the area, closing the offices of government agencies and forcing federal employees to stay in their homes. These incidents resulted in the closure of government offices and the loss of millions of dollars worth of productivity as federal employees were unable to do their jobs.

With the steep cost of closing government offices and a predicted severe hurricane season top of mind, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent a memo to federal agency Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) that stressed the flexibilities available to federal employees to help ensure continuity of operations (COOP) when disaster strikes.

One of the many points raised by OPM in their memo was the ability of federal employees to telework during weather events and other situations where offices are closed and the need for CHCOs to ensure teleworkers are familiar with agency expectations in disaster situations.

By adopting telework when weather forces federal agencies to close offices, government employees can continue to work towards accomplishing their mission, even if they’re not at their desks. This is an ability that is being enabled by today’s advanced technologies which allow federal employees to be just as productive in their homes as they are at their offices.

In addition to the virtual desktop and cloud solutions that are delivering requisite applications and data to any computer with an Internet connection, video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions are enabling the face-to-face communication that many government managers fear will be lost when employees telework.

Today’s VTC solutions enable federal employees to communicate via video with their coworkers from a wide ecosystem of endpoints, from desktop computers to mobile devices. This ensures that distributed federal workers can continue to collaborate, even without the investment in pricy VTC endpoints for their homes.

In today’s difficult budget environment, and with federal agencies having to do more with less thanks to cost cutting and hiring freezes, the loss of money and productivity in emergency situations can be devastating. However, thanks to new technologies, such as VTC, cloud and virtual desktops, employees can now continue to work effectively, even when the office is closed. With employees capable of working from everywhere, OPM is right to prod agencies to prepare for telework, especially as NOAA tells Americans to prepare for a bad hurricane season.

 

 SpaceCoast AV Communications, A Polycom Partner. If your agency would like more information regarding Telework Solutions,  please contact us at 321-257-9700

 

06.11.13
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SpaceCoast AV Now an Authorized Polk Audio Dealer


We are pleased to announce SpaceCoast AV Communications is now an authorized Polk Audio Dealer.

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SpaceCoast AV Communications and Polk gives you plenty of choices for enhancing the audio of your TV shows, games and digital movies.

So let’s sit back and be engulfed in the explosive excitement of blockbuster movies, right in our own home. From a compact single-speaker system to life-sized cinema sound, there’s a Polk home theater that’s just right for your space.

We’re movie lovers, too, after all, so we pay attention to each musical detail, to crystal clear voice reproduction, and to the kind of deep bass impact that puts you in the center of the action. We’re out to give your local movie palace a run for its money.

Contact us at 321.257.9700 for more information or if local to Brevard County, call to schedule your free in home consultation.

06.06.13
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Advanced Control Automation At Your Fingertips


SpaceCoast AV Communications now specializes in advanced control products for automating the operation of audio, video and environmental management systems such as lighting and HVAC. Partnering with Remote Technologies, Inc, we bring you solutions for Residential, Commercial and Transportation applications; uniquely designed to provide a simplified interface for the end-user…you our valued clients.

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Available now to our customers; customized solutions best known for affordable, customizable, wireless remote controls that incorporate touchscreen displays. Included in the award-winning products is a recently unveiled a complete home control system which brings together control of electronics, whole house audio, lighting, security, and HVAC into one, simple interface.

To find out more about new control processors, hand-held and in-wall controllers, audio and video distribution solutions, the new APEX control platform, and the recently released software, Integration Designer®, a CEDIA Hall Of Fame inductee–contact SpaceCoast AV at 321-257-9700 or info@spacecoastav.com

06.05.13
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Video Technologies for Emergency Management


 

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Technologies that can help states stay coordinated during emergencies more in reach than ever

In the wake of the recent Boston Marathon bombings and tornados in Oklahoma, state and local governments are on high alert and more conscious than ever that an emergency situation can come with little warning. Emergencies – such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters – inject chaos, panic and trauma into the day-to-day life of citizens and require immediate, coordinated efforts from first responders, emergency personnel and elected officials to overcome.

Survivors need to be found and given necessary medical attention. Victims of natural disasters that have lost homes need shelter and other essentials, such as food, water and clothing. Those impacted by terrorist attacks need to be provided for while law enforcement personnel also piece together who is responsible and bring them to justice.

The response to these emergency situations is a combination of disparate local, state and federal organizations, volunteers and first response professionals working together to help minimize damage, mitigate loss of life and help an affected area get back to normal as quickly as possible. This requires collaboration, communication and coordination.

It’s for this very reason that video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions are rapidly becoming essential in disaster response, relief and recovery.

As we’ve discussed in previous posts on the Public Sector View, VTC is being called upon in disaster and emergency situations to help coordinate response activities by connecting people on the ground with the decision makers behind the scenes. This provides actionable intelligence to leaders and elected officials, enabling them to see the situation on the ground and maker faster, more informed decisions. The result is faster, more coordinated and effective relief activities.

The benefits that VTC solutions deliver during emergency response situations will be the topic of discussion later this month when Daniel Stevens, the Public Information Officer at the Emergency Management Office of Westmoreland County, PA, joins grant specialists and other thought leaders  for a free Webinar entitled, Video Technology for Emergency Management. Interested parties should contact Christopher Lacuesta at 321-257-9700 if you would like to attend this free Webinar.

The Webinar will take place on June 15, 2013 and focus on how Westmoreland County utilizes their VTC solutions for emergency preparedness. The Webinar will also discuss how other state and local governments can take advantage of grant programs to help afford VTC solutions. For additional information, and to register for the Webinar, click HERE.
06.01.13
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Telemedicine breaks down the walls separating inmates from quality healthcare


In previous posts on the Public Sector View, we’ve looked at the benefits that video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions could deliver to patients in rural areas that may be unable to receive certain healthcare services due to convenience and distance. However, what happens when more than distance separates a patient from the healthcare that they need? What if it’s the thick walls of a correctional facility?

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According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were more than 740,000 people incarcerated in America’s county and city prisons at midyear in 2012. Like every other American, these individuals suffer from sickness, chronic conditions and other medical problems. Unlike the rest of America, these individuals can’t simply drive to their family physician or a specialist to receive treatment.

Getting medical attention for prison inmates can be a difficult and expensive process for many state and local governments. Inmates in need of healthcare services from a specialist often require transportation from their correctional facility to hospitals. Transporting inmates presents the largest opportunity for escape, which means that inmates leaving correctional facilities have to do so securely, with guards. This travel and utilization of a prison guard comes at a cost to the state.

And this problem and cost is only increasing. America’s prison population remains relatively steady, but did increase by 1.2 percent (approximately 9,000 inmates) last year. And inmate populations are also aging, leading to an increase in the amount of medical attention they require.

The use of telemedicine solutions in these implementations helps to overcome two major challenges that are facing states. First, telemedicine is helping to provide access to a broader range of healthcare services to prison inmates. Second, telemedicine solutions eliminate the need to transport inmates, decreasing the time and money spent transporting inmates to medical facilities.

It’s for this reason that American correctional institutions are embracing telemedicine as a way to get patients the healthcare services they need. According to a recent article in Government Computer News, states such as Colorado, Louisiana and Wyoming are turning to VTC solutions to deliver medical professionals to prisons.

According to the article, the Colorado Department of Corrections is launching a pilot program that will provide rheumatology, infectious disease, orthopedics and general surgery services to inmates. The Wyoming Department of Prison Health Services conducted approximately 2,000 physician visits via VTC in 2011. Also, the Louisiana Department of Corrections is expected to increase telemedicine access for inmates by nearly 600 percent. This growth is a testament to the benefits that telemedicine delivers to both inmates and the state.

Telemedicine solutions are capable of delivering quality healthcare services to those that previously didn’t have access to them – whether they’re simply geographically isolated or incarcerated. In today’s difficult budget environment, it makes sense to utilize these solutions in prisons to not only bring a broad range of healthcare services to inmates, but also reduce the cost that used to be associated with getting inmates the medical attention they required.

For More information, questions or comments please contact SpaceCoast AV Communications at 321-257-9700 or via email at, info@spacecoastav.com