Face off: Peter Brusco demonstrates the new mobile video conferencing system.
By John Van Klaveren
DEAKIN University’s video conferencing is going mobile with a new face-to-face anywhere-anytime system rolling out across the organisation.
Deakin’s eSolutions executive director Peter Brusco said the Cloud-based system would revolutionise staff and student interaction.
“This is the future and it’s a key part of Deakin’s digital strategy,” Mr Brusco said.
The Jabber system, developed by technology partner Cisco, can connect individuals or groups face-to-face while also acting as a file exchange.
Mr Brusco said participants on video calls could send files such as documents, PowerPoint presentations, emails or photos.
Deakin had rolled out the system to 200 video-equipped meeting room and lecture theatres, desktop and latop computers.
Tablet computers such as iPads would be next, with the system also rolling out to smartphones, he said.
Cisco chose Deakin as the first “beta site” for the system.
“People can use Jabber at home, in a cafe, here or on the other side of the world, in fact anywhere you can get an internet connection,” Mr Brusco said.
“Lectures can be streamed to individual students and it lessens the need to have a number of people in the same place at the same time.
“It means the distance education dream comes alive and introduces the anywhere office, with more people using hot-desks instead of having a standard office where they sit for a standard number of hours.
“It saves time and improves productivity.
“It also takes the load off our physical infrastructure, like lecture rooms.”
Mr Brusco said the system could eventually become standard in home settings, using internet-connected large flat screens to connect absent family members.
“The NBN will really help because the system needs good connectivity, although it works fine with current connections.”
