Those of us who have fat pipe and live on it everyday take for granted what we can do easily. But for those in rural America, where a T1 costs $1,000 a month or more, and where medicine is still practiced by the country doctor, having access to others who know more is what makes the difference.
As this story points out, now patients don't have to be shipped off to a bigger hospital, and doctors can consult with one another faster and sooner.
Video conferencing is just one example of how medicine over the net is changing. Other new technologies that make it easier for doctors to collaborate are just around the corner and that's a better prescription for a healthy long distance medical market.
A related story in CED's "In the Loop" draws attention to the younger generation demanding more immersive communications, saying Video Conferencing is one of those. I agree, and that's great news for the players in the space including client SightSpeed, plus Skype and ooVoo. Ironically, Yahoo seems to have turned their back on this sector as nothing has really happened in years with video on Messenger. The same can be said for Microsoft, which while having a large user base, still seems to offer a video 1.0 platform where three three leading edge companies have moved into 2.0.
Down in Alabama, a state that due to its long standing aerospace connections in Huntsville, has never really lagged or could be accused of being a technology backwater area, is rolling out video-conferencing based advanced placement courses for high school students, connecting the students in 100 high schools to top tier classes. This "distance learning" offering is being made possible the same way the telemedicine is being made possible. Broadband + Video conferencing.
Here's what I don't get..The cable MSOs. How come with so much connectivity in communities, with connectivity usually right to the school and into the classrooms, why aren't they embracing relationships with video conferencing suppliers and making this possible without so much muss and fuss.
It is too obvious to me how easy this could be done, and by offering video conferencing would go a long way to expanding the role of video in the classroom by making it easier and more accessible. No one is saying the MSO has to do more than offer the service. They don't have to buy the laptops or webcams. Those are likely available through Apple or Dell as both companies have been very aggressive at getting into the education market for years.
When you look at how cable franchises are awarded by the communities yet none of the cities are mandating video conferencing services in the classroom be a part of the compact between the city and the MSO, one has to wonder whose interests are being best served when the franchise agreements are struck.
Hey Andy, thanks so much for linking to the story in CED's "In the Loop." I am here on behalf of ooVoo and we're really jumping into the world of free video conferencing as there has never been a better time: FIOS, fiber, broadband, built-in cams, and the like. I wonder why others are abandoning the space. Have you tried out ooVoo? Let me know what you think of it personally. What I would love is a review. Let me know what we at ooVoo could do to help make that happen. And just to beat you to the punch, you can say whatever you want. And, if you need a Mac version, I have that, too, http://oovoomac.smnr.us . Let me know. I am at cabraham@abrahamharrison.com
Posted by: Chris Abraham | January 09, 2008 at 10:14 PM