An Interview with Polycom's Industry Experts

Elaine Shuck (polycshuck) · ‎09-10-2015

Kenai Central High School in Alaska is offering a new class this year with a certification attached. The class, Youth Talk/Video Conferencing Coordinator Certification, has two components:

Students explore world issues, problem-solve solutions and dialogue with students from around the world on current topics. This will include a series of 4 video conferences throughout the semester with a partner school somewhere in the Middle East or North Africa, and will include other special event video conferences.
The second component focuses on getting certified as a video conferencing coordinator. This certificate will be the first of its kind that will allow students the skills needed in the work place or for their continuing education.

As part of the certification students are required to connect to experts in the field of education, government and healthcare. Today they connected to Polycom’s industry experts, Alphonzo Albright, Elaine Shuck and Ron Emerson

The students prepared great questions:

Why did you choose Polycom in government?
Why didn’t you pursue a career in professional sports?
What suggestions would you give to someone pursuing a career in healthcare?
What is your favorite country you have visited while working at Polycom?
Who do you work closely with at Polycom?

Here were some questions industry experts asked the students:

Q: Alphonzo: Why do you think mobility is important in government?

A: It is important to have this type of technology to be relevant with this generation and their use of the many devices available.

Q: Ron: How many of you would visit a doctor using video conferencing?

A: An overwhelming amount of students raised their hands.

Q: Elaine: If you could create a technology, what would it be, and what functions would you want it to have?

Stay-tuned for their response to this question.

I should mention last week these same kids interviewed our very own George Lillig, Regional Director for Gov't, Education and Healthcare Sales-West.

Here is a sampling of topics covered:

Who is Polycom
Economics of video – how video helps solve for access to scarce resources

Equity in education

Access to healthcare

Efficiency in government

Improved decision making in business

What is it like to be in sales?
What is it like being an expert at something?
What was your career path and what would you do differently knowing what you now know?

On a funny note they wanted to know how fast George could run the 800M when he was in high school. They also shared

how they were headed out on a 3 hr bus ride plus a 22 hour ferry ride to play a football game. George said these are some tough kids. Click here to read all about it.

MR ALBRIGHT (ZO) · ‎09-10-2015

WOW! Awesome Elaine....

Thank you and Greg for putting this together, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the students. I truly thank the students for giving me a trip down memory lane lol. This goes to the heart of what we do; we pride ourselves on meeting with colleagues and students from across the world and engage in conversations that highlight thought leadership and focus on Collaboration technology in Education, Healthcare, Driving Government performance, Business Services and Enterprise.

Cheers!

-Alphonzo "aka" ZO.

Greg z · ‎09-10-2015

Thank You Polycom,

Especially Mrs. Shuck Mr. Albright and Mr. Emerson. The new class and certificate program are truly opening the eyes of a group of students who are already exposed to the use of this technology with their education, but now are getting to see how it will be impacting them at the next level if that level is not education. This is turning out to be a great learning experience for me also. It certainly reinforces what I have been trying to tell my students for the last 10 years. The use of live interactive video is growing at a tremendous rate. Yes, stay tuned to this blog as I am sure there will be more to share, next week students are meeting with 2 industry experts to learn more about policies and guidelines that help ensure successful video sessions.

Greg Zorbas

matt zorbas · ‎09-11-2015

I really enjoyed the video conference yesterday. I didn't relize that video was being used that much around the world. I thought it was interesting that Mr. Emerson that had a costumer in the health department that lived up here in Alaska. It was also very intersting when Mr. Albright showed us the screen in his house that he uses with for his defenese meetings.

Mara Y-Brown · ‎09-11-2015

Thank you Polycom,

Thank you Mrs. Shuck, Mr. Alrbright and Mr. Emerson. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules. I thoroughly enjoyed our video conference, and learning about how video conference is used in different fields was very interesting. I think Polycom is doing a great job of helping businesses, healthcare, government and education. I am also excited to see what kind of innovations Polycom will come up with to help people in the future. Video conferencing is extremely relevant in this day and age, like you all said, and I think it's something that my generation will really utilize. Now that I know it's possible to meet with a psychologist, or a doctor over video conferencing, that opens a whole wide range of opportunities to connect and help with other people. Thank you for sharing stories about your jobs at Polycom.

Mara Youngren-Brown

AnnaO123 · ‎09-11-2015

Thank You,

I really appreciate all three of you being able to take time out of your more than likely busy day and talking to us. My favorite discussion during the call was when Mrs. Shuck was telling us how she helped underprilaged children do virtual field trips to a guitar instructor, and a culinary school and one of the students even persued culinary school because of that. We were able to learn a lot from you three and you even allowed us to ask questions. During the video call I had a question but we ran out of time before i could ask it. My question was for both Mr. Albright and for Mrs, Shuck. In the Bio's that we read Mr. Albright stated that he wanted to incorporate Polycom equipment into the school systems by having equipment installled into their homes so when the school is snowed out the students can video call their teachers and still have their classes. If that were to actually happen who would be paying for the equipment, the school or the families and if the families were the ones to pay for the equipment how would you makeit more affordable for those who are not as privlaged as others?

-Annika Oren

emilyhalstead09 · ‎09-11-2015

Thank You Polycom,

Not many schools at all get to talk to such outstanding employees of Polycom. Thank you for teaching us the new technology that will be in our near or far future. I am amazed that technology has spread this far internationally. I am excited to use Polycom in everything I do and to explore new cultures by staying in my location. The video conference has given me the imagination to extend what I want for my career as a doctor. My favorite part of the conference was when Mr. Albright kept dropping and calling into the conference with his phone to show us his home office and that you can VCT anywhere with a mobile device. Plus, who can forget about him showing us his awesome har? Thank you so much Polycom, you are changing education worldwide.

Emily Halstead

Samantha Morse · ‎09-11-2015

Yesterday's video conference was so fun and went really well! It was great to see how technology is being advanced in our everyday lives. Its amazing how people can work from home and still be able to travel the world. I believe its a great idea to be able to have doctors video conference for an appointment. It would save lots of money, taking away traveling expenses. I thought it was cool too when Mr.Albright showed us the big screen that he can work on from his house. (Mr. Albright hair is so awesome, was not expecting for it to be that long.)

Thanks we really appreciate it,

Samantha

Chavez · ‎09-11-2015

Thank you Mr. Albright and Emerson as well as Mrs. Schuck, for the opportunity to join you in this recent video conference, and for taking time off you day to ingage with us in a one on one video session. I was very interested in learning more about your respected job fields and the mentioned benefits of Polycom. Being part of this learning experince was a blast, and I'm looking forward to what is to come in future innovations of video conference equiment in order to help and meet the need of more and more people through out the world.

Thank you again,

Natalia Chavez-Pajares.

mkjostad · ‎09-11-2015

The video conference held yesterday was a great opportunity for this class. I was honored to meet Mr. Albright, Mrs. Shuck, and Mr. Emerson. The information they shared with our class was impressive and useful. Learning about how Polycom video conferencing was used with governemnt and health care was fascinating. I thought it was incredible that you could video your doctor when in need and get treated right there. This advance in technology saves us time, allows us to meet people around the world, and have new experiences we can share. I'm excited for more video conferencing and learning more about Polycom. Once again, this was a great opportunity. Thank you.

-Mariah Kjostad

Avery Hieber · ‎09-11-2015

Thank you polycom,

For letting my classmates and I VC with you guys. It was a great experience to be able to talk about your everyday lives and what you do for a career. I was excited to hear about Alphonzo's career because he is involved in government and I am looking in that direction for a career of my own. It would be very cool if we could get to VC the three of you again. It was also nice to hear about Ron's career as well. From becoming a marine to helping people in need, and now on the more technical side of medical care. Thank you again to polycom for the great experience.

Avery Hieber

DebSD · ‎09-11-2015

Sounds like a very successful VC!

DarianSaltenberger · ‎09-15-2015

I would like to thank Polycom and the wonderful people we video conferenced with! Thank you, Alphonzo, Ron, and Elaine! My favorite part of the video conference was hearing what Ron had to say about video conference in today's medical field and how it benefits the health care system. I want to pursue a career in surgery (general or neuro), so this really opened my eyes to how relevant all of the information in learning in this class is. Technology is and always will be a big part of our everyday lives, it is just going to keep advancing and becoming a bigger part of our society.

I enjoyed the whole video conference and am very grateful to have these resources and expirences. Thank you all so much!

john.johnson@g.kpbsd.org · ‎09-16-2015

Thank you very much polycom for video conferencing with my class. I really inoyed listing to what you all had to say. May favorite part of the video conference was seeing Mr. Albright set up during the middle of everything. it was nice to visually go into more detail of one of our conferences, and it showed me that you can go farther into the details and benifits of video conferencing. Thank you Mr. Albright, Mr. Emerson and Mrs. Shuck. It was a great experence, ill never forget it.

Tyler_Wait · ‎09-16-2015

I thought the conference was an interesting learning experience. I never knew we could do some many things with video conferencing. I thought Mr. Alberight’s explame interested me the most. Being able to share content on mobile is a really cool idea and is something I hope to see more of. I also liked the idea of video conferencing the hospital at home so I can speak with my doctor about what’s wrong instead of driving across town.

-Tyler Wait

ariel_marie071 · ‎09-16-2015

Thank You!

This was a very beneficial in many ways. Learning how video conferencing is used in government, health, and the education system today. So thank you Alphonzo, Ron, and Elaine! My favorite part had to be when Ron and Alphonzo talked about how they use video conferencing in their profession and how it will benefit us in the future. Technology is getting bigger and better everyday, whether we like it or not. It was also awesome when we got to see how you can work from your home. Instead of having to drive to work everyday, you just walk into your home office. So again thank you for the amazing VC! Hope to do it again!

Jack.Graham · ‎09-16-2015

I would like to thank Alphonzo Albright, Elaine Shuck and Ron Emerson for the wonderful experience they gave us. The video conference was very fun and I learned a lot about how the world is changing as technology grows and I hope someday in the future I'll have the pleasure of speaking with them again, but in the meantime the video conference has encouraged me to seek more knowledge in this arena. I really enjoyed talking to Elane and Ron but talking to Mr Alphonzo really inspired me and he was really fun.

Brittany_b · ‎09-17-2015

I was unfortunalty absent the day of the video conference. Although, thanks to the technology of Polycom I was able to watch the recording. It was a great expirence, and I'm so glad I was still able to be apart of it. I would like to say thank you to Elaine Shuck, Alphonzo Albright, and Ron Emerson for the time and effort they put in too our class.

Chavez · ‎09-23-2015

Word Recap.

Firewall: an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system.

Bandwidth: Is the maximum amount of data that can travel a communications path in a given time, usually measured in seconds.

Troubleshooting: is an approach to locating, diagnosing and fixing issues with software, hardware, computers and other electronics

Gateway: A point within a network that interconnects with other networks.

Broadband: is a type of communication where a single wire can carry more than one type of signal at once, from audio to video frequencies. Cable TV is one technology that uses broadband data transmission.

Greg z · ‎09-23-2015

Video Certification Class Students don't forget to post a description of yesterdays VC along with your 5 technical vocab words.

Mr. Zorbas

Chavez · ‎09-24-2015

(Add on description to previous comment.)

The video conference was very interesting to me. Words were included that I did not understand, nor have i ever heard of (mentioned in word recap aboved). Regardless of the words it was a good experience and overall I was able to get the consept of the conference as well as learn a lot more about the technology behind video conferencing, the challenges, and the rewards.

Thank you,

Natalia Chavez

Mara Y-Brown · ‎09-24-2015

The video conference with the IT specialists was very informational. I am interested in a major in Informational Technology and it was helpful for me to hear what they had to say about video conferencing in today’s society. I like how Mr. Zorbas mentioned how these IT specialists go the extra mile when figuring out video conferencing technology. They all try their hardest to make the video conferencing technology user-friendly for people of all ages. The IT specialists and engineers are very important because they’re the ones who actually have the ability to make this technology accessible for people working out of their homes, and from remote locations. I thought it was very interesting how they talked about working together with other engineers and overcoming difficult electronic problems that most of us have not faced.

Firewall - a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication

Troubleshooting - solve serious problems for a company or other organization; trace and correct faults in a mechanical or electronic system

Database - a structured set of data held in a computer, especially one that is accessible in various ways

Service provider - a company that provides its subscribers access to the Internet

AV - Audio-Visual. AV Macintosh models have video-capture hardware and have sophisticated sound (and video) recording capabilities

Bit - unit of measurement that represents one figure or character of data

Mara Youngren-Brown

DarianSaltenberger · ‎09-24-2015

I really enjoyed learning the technical aspects of video conferencing. Knowing how much work and how many different people go into making successful video conferences really amazes me and makes me even more appreciative of the oppertunities I have been given as a student of Mr.Zorbas for 3 years. I am very thankful for the IT people because without them our video conferences would not be as good as they are. I also would not have had the oppurtunity to video conference with people around the world which I did last year with Mr.Zorbas. It's so awesome to know that the IT staff put in the extra work to make the conferences as successful as possible and not just okay.

IT words:

Firewall: Specialized hardware or software designed to prevent unauthorized access into or out of a computer or network.

Bandwidth: In computing, bandwidth is the bit-rate of available or consumed information capacity expressed typically in metric multiples of bits per second.

Troubleshooting: Solve serious problems for a company or other organization.

Broadband: Wide bandwidth data transmission with an ability to simultaneously transport multiple signals and traffic types.

Network: A system of computers that are joined together so that they can communicate by exchanging information and sharing resources.

AnnaO123 · ‎09-24-2015

On Spetember 22 our video conferenceing class called three individuals Casey Olson, George Walters, Alan Cleland and we also had a student from out local college, (Kenai Peninsula College) named Spring Sibayan talk to us about what goes on in the background of Polycom.

During the video conference the speackers talked a lot about the importance of having someone like Mr. Olson, Mr. Walters and Mr. Cleland on your side because they not only help others to have smooth video calls but they eachother as well. I picked up a few IT words throughtout the call that I had not known before. I learned that a "Bridge" is not only a structure that connects two masses of land together but is also used when saying 3 or more people are connnecting through video. I also learned that Point-to-Point is a video conference shared between two cites. When someone sends you a video through a network instead of forcing the reciever to download the video is called Media Streaming.

When Spring was teaching the class he explained that one of his main jobs at the college was to monitor the firewalls while a conference is in session. A firewall is a blockade that keeps your content safe and secure and out of the hands of someone who is trying to intercept your vidoe call.

I love bing in the World Relations class because I am constantly learning about knew things and meeting a lot of interesting people. I want to thank everyone that we have talked to so far for taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to us.

Samantha Morse · ‎09-24-2015

Yesterday the video-conference when very well. It's so cool, each time we videoconference we learn something different. This time I learned that it's not only one person that makes a videoconference possible. “IT” associate are the people behind the red curtain, they make sure they have checked over and over just to make sure everything work correctly,( for the videoconference). One of the most important thing to remember when you’re videoconferencing around the world, is the time difference. The videoconferences are fun because we get to see where technology is taking us, and how it’s affecting our lives. Being able to videoconference in for work allows people to live where they want to without having to worry about living near a job.

1.Firewall- “an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system.”

2.Bridge- “A system controlled by a computer, that allows multiple people to connect. It also allows you to see all the participants.”

3.Videoconference- “a method of holding meetings that allows people who are in different cities, countries, etc., to hear each other and see each other on computer or television screens”

Other videoconferencing words:

4.Bandwidth-”Bandwidth defines the amount of information that can be sent and received in a certain time frame.”

5.Desktop Videoconferencing- “Videoconferencing on a personal computer.”

-Samantha Morse

Elaine Shuck (polycshuck) · ‎09-24-2015

Thanks for all the posts Mr. Zorbas's first hour class. You are doing a great job, keep up the good work....

ariel_marie071 · ‎09-24-2015

The conference on 9-22-15 was very informative. We learned a lot about checking your system to make sure all the participating parties can use it. If it works for you, but the school system blocks the system you have, well you have a problem. That’s why you can’t wait till the day of the conference, because it won’t work. Also, another thing you have to watch for is the date. 6/7/15 maybe June 7,2015 but for Australians, it’s July 6,2015. The 'IT' associates are the crew behind the scene making the operation happening and we don't see it. They're also the IT workers (Like Mr.Olson, Mr.Cleland, Mr.Wolters, and Mr.Sibayan) who make sure the job is excelled. Not only do they make sure the products work, they make sure the customer is happy with the results. Again, overall it was a successful conference. Thank you to Casey Olson, Alan Cleland, George Wolters, and Spring Sibayan for making the vc interesting and compelling.

FireWall- A part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.

Server- A computer or computer program that manages access centralized resources or service in a network.

Bandwidth: The range of frequencies within a given band, in particular that used for transmitting a signal.

Troubleshooting: Trace and correct faults in a mechanical or electronic system.

Gateway: Network point that acts as an entrance to another network.

Broadband: A high-capacity transmission technique using a wide range of frequencies, which enables a large number of messages to be communicated simultaneously.

Jack.Graham · ‎09-25-2015

Sadly I missed the video conference on September 22 but luckly due to Mr Zorbus recording it I was able to later watch it and get nearly the same experience. I think I learned alot in this video conference, and how its not only the video users behind making a video conference but the people who make it all work and work hard to keep this together are the IT workers, I was not aware of this and it proves how much we learn from these meet ups. I can not express enough how valuable I think the video conferences are and i cant wait to do more.

Server- A computer or a computer program that is meant to access centralized resources or service in a network.

Bridge- A system controlled by a computer, that allows multiple people to connect. It also allows you to see all the participants.

Firewall- an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system.

Troubleshooting- Solve serious problems for a company or other organization.

Bandwidth- Is the maximum amount of data that can travel a communications path in a given time, and is generally measured in seconds.

- John Graham

MR ALBRIGHT (ZO) · ‎09-27-2015

Thank You TEAM - Kenai Central High School in Alaska, I was away from the office for a week but wanted to make sure i didn't leave the Team hanging....

- Hey Matt Z - Fact: The screen in my home that I did the Emergency Managment and Public Safety Presentation on is 140 inches diagnol.

- Hello Annika, Great question - who would pay for the equipment? Hmmmmm, well as you saw in the presentation, Polycom offers and app as a free download, lets just say half the cost is addressed possibly that way. Others cost can be addressed with a technology grant.

-Thank you Emily for your comments on the use of mobility. In public safety, mobility plays a huge role when reaching out to law enforcement and first reponders. Emily and Samantha, the hair comments lol....17 years and c-u-t it 4 times.

- Hey there Avery, i'm glad you're interested in government...it's a great career to be involved and become a public servant. If you need more info, Holla ;-)

Natalia, Mariah, Deb, Mara, Darian, Don, Tyler, Ariel, Jack (Hey Brittany, we missed you too and we will be back) you all were great and a very bright group of students. I'm truly looking forward to visiting again. Until next time Cheers!

john.johnson@g.kpbsd.org · ‎09-28-2015

On Tuesday September 22nd we had a video conference that went really well. I learned that it's not only one person that makes a videoconference possible. There is also a lot of IT people behind it making it what it is. The IT specialists are very important because they’re the ones who make this technology accessible for people working out of their homes, and from remote locations. This VC really taught me a lot about the people behind our conferences and meetings. Thank you to Casey Olson, Alan Cleland, George Wolters, and Spring Sibayan for teaching us about IT specialists and video conferencing

Server- "A computer or a computer program that is meant to access centralized resources or service in a network."

Bridge- "A system controlled by a computer, that allows multiple people to connect. It also allows you to see all the participants."

Videoconference- “a method of holding meetings that allows people who are in different cities, countries, etc., to hear each other and see each other on computer or television screens”

Bandwidth-”Bandwidth defines the amount of information that can be sent and received in a certain time frame.”

Firewall- "Specialized hardware or software designed to prevent unauthorized access into or out of a computer or network."

Brittany_b · ‎09-28-2015

I liked our last video conference because we met all the people that are responsible for making Mr. Zorbas look good. During the conference I realized how much goes on behind the scenes. There is so much more that has to happen to make Polycom successful. And I really enjoyed learning the technical side of video conferencing. Although there was a lot of words said during the conference, and I had no idea what they meant. The 5 words are:

1.Firewall-a part of a network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication. 2. Server-a computer program that manages access to a centralized resource. 3. Bridge- a network bridge is a nk device that connects multiple network segments. 4. Troubleshooting- solves a serious problem for a company or other organizations. 5. Bandwidth- the maximum amount of data that can travel a communication path

-Brittany

Avery Hieber · ‎09-30-2015

Fire wall: A part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.

Fiber optic: A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto light waves.

Bugs: A bug is caused by conflicts in software when applications try to run in tandem.

Freeware: Computer software that is available for use at no monetary cost, which may have restrictions such as redistribution prohibited, and for which source code is not available.

Adware: Any software program that automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer in a manner that is unexpected and unwanted by the computer user.

The Video conference was awesome to hear what they had to say about technology, and what they do everyday. I got to add more technical vocabulary words to my vocabulary. It was also nice to see two people from Alaska that got a chance to talk to us.

-Avery Hieber

emilyhalstead9 · ‎10-01-2015

Five Vocabulary Words

Firewall: A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. They can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both.

Analog: A computer that represents data by measurable quantities, as voltages or, formerly, the rotation of gears, in order to solve a problem, rather than by expressing the data as numbers.

Exabyte: A unit of information equal to one quintillion
Cookie: A small text file created by a web site that is stored in the user's computer either temporarily for that session only or permanently on the hard disk. They provide a way for the Web site to recognize you and keep track of your preferences.
Freeware: A software that is available free of charge.

emilyhalstead9 · ‎10-01-2015

Knowing all the new IT words from the video conference has increased my knowledge in my vocabulary. I really enjoyed the video conference. I can't wait for the future video conferences coming up.

matt zorbas · ‎10-12-2015

I thought that the video conference went very well with the IT people. It was very interesting how much the IT people have to do get the video ready for people like Mr. Zorbas. I thought interesting that they also said it was important to make sure you're in the right time zone and date. It would not be good if you got those mixed up.

Firewall: a person, thing, or event that acts as a barrier or protection against something undesirable:

Traverse: to pass or move over, along, or through.

Byte: adjacent bits, usually eight, processed by a computer as a unit.

Hardware: he physical equipment or touchable parts of a computer system

Video conferencing: Interactive, audiovisual meeting between two or more people in different geographic locations using two-way video technology.