Blakely Thomas-Aguilar

#FFF: Get Your #ShiftNYC On! SocialMedia, Collaboration and the New Worklife

September 30th, 2011 by Blakely Thomas-Aguilar Posted in Free Form Fridays
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What an incredible, incredible week! The revolutionary #ShiftNYC event lit up the Twitter world alongside amazing strides in the bringing true collaboration into the modern era, where work and life blend more seamlessly than ever before. Heading into October, the Meetings Experts at PGi are rejuvenated for the future of work — where social media, mobile technology and open minds usher in the new era of work-life balance. It’s Free Form Friday!

1. Get Your #Shift On: The revolutionary Future of Work salon at Soho House in NYC brought together the best and brightest minds to collaborate on social media in the enterprise, the future of work, investor relations and social good. Check out the Twitter feed, #ShiftNYC, for the highlights — and keep the conversation alive.

2. What the #Shift? Thoughts are great, but what the #Shift do you do with them? Empower and equip yourself and your company for the future of work, including social media integration, creative collaboration, teleworking and global communication.

2. Until the Cows Come Home: Intrepid Digital Nomad Cora Rodenbusch muses about the future of teleworking as she takes a break in Germany during her year-long trek around the world — strudel anyone?

3. What Would Benioff Do? PGi’s Todd McCormick chats with Salesforce’s CEO on how true video conference collaboration fits into the social enterprise.

4. I Saw the Sign: If video’s the new voice, why are you still tied to your landline? Time to jump on the video bandwagon — it’s just so much more fun up here.

Get with it, folks. The dividing line separating our days into eight-hour shift is evaporating. The possibility of freedom is right there at your fingertips. #ShiftNYC provided the inspiration and PGi educates you on how to get it done — now it’s up to you to make it happen. It is Free Form Friday, after all, a time for contemplation, making plans for next week and enjoying a little office birthday cake after the long grind. Have a splendid weekend!

 
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Trisha Zimmerman (@Trish_Zimmerman)

Online Meetings Can Help You Find Your Work/Life Balance

September 29th, 2011 by Trisha Zimmerman (@Trish_Zimmerman) Posted in PGi
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It seems we’re constantly bombarded with shiny new toys that promise to make our lives easier and more productive. In a study from the Business Insurance Quotes of workers from various countries, Americans were hailed as the most productive workers. But at what cost are we producing more hours at the office?

My entry into the virtual world and adaptation of new technology hasn’t made my life any easier. So, at PGi, I have two favorite tools that help me be more productive without contributing to the United State’s workaholism.

The first is GlobalMeet’s Outlook Toolbar. With chat, email and Twitter calling my attention all day, sometimes, the best thing I can do to crank up the productivity is to turn off the extraneous noise and schedule a time to meet with people. From this toolbar, I can schedule a web meeting or conference call that goes straight into my Outlook calendar – and it only takes one click. The best thing is, I don’t even have to remember my dial-in numbers. They automatically populate when I choose, “Schedule Meeting.” Chat and email are great, but I find it’s too easy to get drawn into unproductive conversations. Sometimes, having a scheduled end time is just what I need to stay on task.

My other favorite tool to help me balance work and two kids with school schedules is PGi’s video conference, iMeet. When I’m on the road for work, I don’t have to miss the parent/teacher conference. I just give my personal link to the teacher and we can meet at our regularly scheduled time.

In the evening, I can catch up with the family on all the day’s activities by video conferencing in my iMeet room. When everyone is huddled around the web cam, I feel like I haven’t missed a thing. I can see their school work and virtually sort through the never ending stream of papers that schools send home for parents.

My goal at work is to be as productive as possible so at home I can concentrate on other things. Someone recently told me that balance is not “created” – it’s already there. You just need to find it. What are you doing to find your balance?

 
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Blakely Thomas-Aguilar

Video is the New Voice: Consumerization of IT Demands True Virtual Collaboration

September 28th, 2011 by Blakely Thomas-Aguilar Posted in Collaboration, iMeet, PGi, Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings
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Consumers all across the globe are replacing their incumbent communication tools with new-era, high tech solutions. Instead of landline telephones, users are going virtual and mobile with VoIP and smart phone alternatives. Social media is the new email, taking over as a source for real-time text-based communication. And instead of traveling for face-to-face meetings, consumers and businesses alike opt for peer-to-peer video and web conferencing solutions. The historic lines between these methods of communication — voice, text and video — are rapidly blurring, causing companies everywhere to re-evaluate corporate communication strategies.

Consumers now demand having it all — voice, video, text and social media — within a single product. We see that in the switch from the PC to the smart phone, the popularity of mobile apps and the proliferation of video-audio-text-social all-in-one solutions, such as iMeet video conferencing. As the consumerization of IT spreads throughout the enterprise world, corporate end users demand that they be equipped to see, hear and collaborate with anyone at any time. And with the inclusion of video in collaboration tools, like mobile phones, just audio is not good enough.

 
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Todd McCormick

How video conferencing aligns with benioff’s vision for a social enterprise

September 27th, 2011 by Todd McCormick Posted in Collaboration, Conferencing, Favorite Things, PGi
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I promised in my #DF11 recap—How to create a powerful social enterprise + win in a sales 2.0 world—that I’d divulge more of my convo about iMeet with Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce. Time to make good on the promise.

As I said before, Gerhard Gschwandnter tee-d up the intro. Marc was interested in the unique capabilities of our video conferencing tool, iMeet, because it aligns with salesforce’s vision for how a social enterprise can use social and mobile technologies in the cloud to engage and collaborate with customers.

Here are some of the unique features within iMeet that make it unusual:

 
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Cora Rodenbusch

Digital Nomad Tip #11: The Future of Teleworking

September 26th, 2011 by Cora Rodenbusch Posted in Cora the Digital Nomad, Telecommuting
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This week I find myself working in Zurich, Switzerland on week 8 of my journey to as many of PGi’s offices as I can visit. Our recent drive from Munich to Zurich has been one of the highlights of our trip so far. It’s hard to beat the view of the Alps and a visit to Knödelfest, St. Johann’s annual celebration in honor of cows returning from pasture and all-things-Knödel. As Texans, we’re no strangers to food festivals. We made ourselves right at home an the worlds longest dumpling table, and got to know the Knödel up close and personal.

My Digital Nomad adventure isn’t typical in that I am fortunate to have a temporary office space wherever we go thanks to PGi’s many global offices. However because I’m bouncing from office to office, I experience many of the same frustrations (and joys) any Digital Nomad or teleworker would face. Just the other week I found an inspiring article from Government Computer News by Chris Knotts entitled 10 Ways Teleworking will Change in the Next 10 Years. The author shares his predictions of the future of the mobile workforce and the concept of “teleworking” as it relates to those in the IT industry. Just a few points into his article and my teleworker adrenaline was pumping. As I’m sure the next 10 years will bring plenty of challenges, it was exciting to think that many of today’s teleworking frustrations be a thing of the past.

Below are a few of my favorite points from 10 Ways Teleworking will Change in the Next 10 Years:

  • Wireless Carriers Step it Up: Wireless carriers will soon provide lightening fast network connectivity matching that of a wired set-up.
  • The Extinction of the Hotspot: Chris predicts, “There will be no more hot spots or network connections. The network will simply be there — and we’ll be on it.”
  • Long Live Text Messages: Praised for being useful in and outside the office, Chris predicts short messages will continue to thrive.
  • The Rise of the Cloud: To no one’s surprise real estate in the Cloud will continue to rise. In a recent article on PGi’s Green Blog, PGi’s Aaron Lafferty shares about PGi’s cost-effective, green data center.  
 
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Blakely Thomas-Aguilar

#FFF: Sing Your Heart Out With This “X Factor” Free Form Friday at PGi!

September 23rd, 2011 by Blakely Thomas-Aguilar Posted in Free Form Fridays, PGi
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Ever get a song stuck in your head and it feels like an obsessive-compulsive DJ is spinning the same record over and over and over again? Our new obsession here at PGi is the spectacular “The X Factor,” which landed in the USA this week. So in honor of the phenomenal new singing competition (and that DJ looping “Mercy” in my head), you’ll be singing your heart out with today’s edition of Free Form Friday at PGi!

Here’s the #FFF playlist:

1. Ch-ch-changes (Turn and Face the Strain) Ch-ch-changes! The #Shift blog is all Bowie’d out this week as workplaces turn from cubicle nightmares to mobile freedom. 

2. Break On Through to the Other Side: If your prospects “tried to run, tried to hide,” this amazing white paper will help your sales team break down The Doors to better customer relationships.

3. Come Together, Right Now. Over Me. An oldie but a goodie, The Beatles knew how to collaborate with the best. PGi SVP Michael Dickerson helps you take that passion and groove into the workplace.

4. Future’s Made of Virtual Insanity: Boy, was Jamiroquai wrong! Companies everywhere are harnessing the new virtual playing field iMeet to educate employees on HR benefits, health care and corporate programs.

5. Oh, I Would Walk 500 Miles and I Would Walk 500 More! PGi’s Digital Nomad Cora Rodenbusch doesn’t have to trek across the world (or miss Oktoberfest) for her next meeting — it’s all in the cloud.

6. Jane Says: Okay, so maybe Jane’s Addiction wasn’t meetings — but is it yours? Are you a hopeless meeting dupe or your company’s Meetings Expert? Take this quick quiz to find out if you need to enroll in Meetings Addicts Anonymous.

That about wraps up #FFF! If you’ve got a song stuck on the brain this Friday, infect your colleague’s mind by showing the YouTube vid in your next online meeting. Gotta love Fridays.

And if you need a hook up for 30 days of free audio + video + web meetings, I gotcha covered.

 
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Putting the “Intimacy” Back into Customer Intimacy

September 22nd, 2011 by Michael Dickerson Posted in Collaboration, iMeet, PGi, Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings
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I had the opportunity to speak this morning at a breakfast for CIOs and CMOs at the Forrester Content and Collaboration Forum on how new human-centric collaboration technologies are helping leading brands create powerful customer relationships.

The world’s leading companies strive for true customer intimacy and engagement and for good reason.  According to Gallup Consulting, organizations that have optimized customer engagement have outperformed their competitors by 26% in gross margin and 85% in sales growth.  Their customers buy more, spend more, return more often and stay longer.

I believe that the advances in video technology are going to give us new, innovative options to help. Throughout this conference we’ve heard about the rise of video from Forrester, and I believe this technology – if implemented properly – is going to help us all with the next level of customer engagement.  As I see it, video can (and will) fuel the “next phase” in improving customer collaboration: 

  • Phase One: Collaboration technology saves time and money that can be used for customer-facing initiatives
  • Phase Two:  Collaboration technology allows businesses to increase interaction and voice
  • Phase Three: Collaboration technology provides high-touch, human engagement

 Phase Three is where companies will begin to realize the ROI (return on investment) as described by Gallup.

Given this, we (PGi) started thinking about how technologies like video combined with social media would put people back into collaboration and earlier this year we introduced iMeet.  iMeet is an online meeting room that combines video and audio conferencing in a simple, easy-to-use space built for today’s businesses.

Our customers are now pushing us into new applications with this technology.  Large global software companies are asking us to integrate directly into business processes to allow for easy, real-time collaboration.  Even media companies and rock bands are exploring ways to link fans to the stars they love through the iMeet platform.  Contextual, engaging customer interaction is opening endless possibilities.

The future of implementing video conferencing in new and innovative ways is just beginning – and it has the power to expand reach without limiting intimacy. 

How are you using collaboration technologies to connect with your customers?

 
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George Hart

Going Virtual with Your Health

September 21st, 2011 by George Hart Posted in Conferencing, iMeet, PGi, Tips and Tricks
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Health Fairs are important for corporations. These gatherings of physicians, therapists, and vendors help employees gain crucial information and allow those in the health industry to spread the word. But, as is the case with many of these fairs, long lines, stifling crowds and immense stacks of handouts make for a hectic, and at times unhealthy experience! Last week, PGi’s HR department took the annual benefits fair from table tops to desktops for its first ever Virtual Health Fair.

Using iMeet and GlobalMeet to host the fair helped supercharge our benefits communications and make it more convenient for employees to participate. From food portion control to prescriptions, vendors shared information on ways PGi associates could live healthier, more balanced lives. In turn, we demonstrated how the HR industry can use iMeet and GlobalMeet for their business needs.

 
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Todd McCormick

White paper: how to create windows for powerful business connections with Customers

September 20th, 2011 by Todd McCormick Posted in PGi, Video Conferencing
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Economic pressures, technological advances, and market competition have transformed the way salespeople approach the business world—streamlining communication and opening doors to global commerce.

We’ve come a long way from the days of door-to-door salesmen. But the right objectives with the wrong technology leave customers feeling like numbers.

I explore how sales organizations can succeed in this new consumer-buyer era by creating quality customer business connections with the right technology in my new white paper — How to Tear Down the Walls of Traditional Communication Technology and Create Windows for Powerful Connections with Customers.

 
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Cora Rodenbusch

Digital Nomad Tip #10: Invest in Better Mobile Meetings

September 19th, 2011 by Cora Rodenbusch Posted in Cora the Digital Nomad, GlobalMeet, Telecommuting, Tips and Tricks, Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings
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You might be 5,000 miles away, but no one has to know about it. As Sci-Fi technology comes to life, business professionals and Domestic CEOs alike can take location out of the conversation and conduct business wherever and whenever.  As someone who is constantly looking for better ways to connect with work and family while on the go, having a seamless mobile meeting is worth my iPhone’s weight in gold.

At Oktoberfest in Munich, just moments after I held a mini-family reunion on my GM iPhone app.

Thanks to advances in technology, a mobile meeting is  more than just a local dial-in code. Over the past few months the bar has been raised. Mobile meetings should now give you every benefit of being at your desk, but on your smartphone – video conferencing, file sharing, password-free dial out, add a participant, etc.

A few weeks ago I was in Brugge, Belgium, on my way to our Frankfurt office. I was frantically running around the town square with my laptop open and my headset on, searching for a  WiFi connection so that I could join a 10PM meeting (3PM CT). I looked ridiculous! I found a connection just in time, but thanks to the motorcycles and busses, it sounded like a scene straight out of  The Bourne Identity.

If you’ve ever stepped outside of your office on a work day, I’m sure you’ve experienced something similar. Recently I downloaded the GlobalMeet iPhone app and have been loving the freedom of a truely mobile (and most importantly global) meeting.

As I enjoy today’s technology, I have to wonder, “What will they think of next!?”  If all your mobile meeting dreams could come true, what would you ask for?

 
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