FIGURING OUT VIDEOCONFERENCING
It can get you to the moon and back!
Places for People
Places for People is one of the largest property management, development and regeneration companies in the UK with developments ranging from large-scale regeneration projects to the creation of whole new communities. Committed to the long-term success of their neighbourhoods, Places for People offers high quality housing alongside local facilities and services including schools, nurseries, employment and transport links – all of the things that contribute to making communities prosperous, vibrant, popular and therefore sustainable in the future.
Recognising the Benefits
To manage these activities, Places for People operate from more than 25 offices across the country from Edinburgh to Eastbourne and videoconferencing has become a vital means of communications between them. To Places for People, however, videoconferencing is more than a valuable communications tool and cost saver; it is also an important component of their eco plan, their sustainable development strategy. By eliminating a great deal of travel it is reducing both their mileage and carbon emissions.
Proving that Quality and Confidence Matters.
Prior to 2002 Places for People’s experience of videoconferencing had led to some disillusionment primarily due to over-specified and poorly implemented systems combined with a lack of support and training from the original supplier. The subsequent involvement of Questmark Limited changed the situation by ensuring the installed systems became fit-for-purpose while building confidence in videoconferencing.
Proving the Benefits
To measure the effectiveness of videoconferencing Places for People have kept detailed records of its usage; the amount of business mileage eliminated, and the tonnes of CO2 this has saved.
The results have been impressive and apart from the meetings they have recorded the business mileage avoided was almost 700,000 miles, with a CO2 saving of 876 tonnes. To put these figures into perspective they amount to 1.47 trips to the moon and back; while the carbon saved is equal to that emitted by all of their 50,000 properties for two weeks. 
Usage of Video Conferencing
Initially for weekly management meetings, usage of videoconferencing has grown over the past year to the point where it is often used for 15 minute ad hoc meetings. From 64 conferences held in June 2009 this figure grew to a peak of 242 during March 2010 with an overall total of 1827 video-enabled meetings during the 12 months from June 2009.
Questmark’s Leading Training Programme
This increase has been largely due to the training programme mounted by Questmark, which, according to Places for People’s Unix Technical Officer, Darren Poulson: “has given our staff the confidence to operate the systems and recognise their benefits in speeding up and improving communications.
“Questmark’s performance has been consistent and excellent” says Darren Poulson. The training, apart from encouraging usage, has cut down the number of calls to the Service Desk, the only calls now being concerned with technical queries and system malfunction. If things go wrong users are very vociferous in their complaints – I’m pleased to say we have had very few!
Making Use of the New Technologies
Usage is 95% internal between their offices. At first this was via ISDN, but, following advice and help from Questmark, Places for People migrated the application to IP over their WAN. Any external traffic – for example, a recent meeting linked the Chief Executive with Australia – is routed via an ISDN gateway in their Preston head office. The future, though, will mean using business class internet services to eliminate call charges and to encourage more external use.
Over time Questmark have also replaced the original systems with a range of Tandberg units including room, desktop and personal systems reflecting the different sizes of offices and applications within Places for People.
For Sam McMaster, Chief Executive of Questmark states: “The Places for People figures are dynamite – proof that if you want to protect the environment and save money – use videoconferencing. I wish more users would keep such records as it would help the industry promote the case for it whether on cost or environmental grounds, but only if it is properly implemented and supported by a competent videoconferencing supplier.”
“Questmark’s performance has been consistent and excellent”