Video Collaboration Overview

ARCS eResearch Collaborative Services provides FREE video collaboration systems for researchers throughout Australia. Its services enable people in different locations to share information in a variety of ways for a more effective team approach. From a personal desktop or a room kitted out with elaborate systems, researchers can do much more than simply see each other's faces.

Share research and its outcomes. Generate, develop and strengthen new ideas through interaction with colleagues. Reduce costly and time-consuming travel. Call meetings on an ad hoc basis whenever required. Quickly, conveniently, cost-effectively and securely “meet” with other researchers.

ARCS video collaboration tools are free for all Australian researchers to use, and can help users to:

• Reduce costs in travel, time and carbon footprint by enabling collaboration via video technologies
• Collaborate with colleagues at multiple locations, both nationally and internationally
• Collaborate using ARCS' bridging facilities to interoperate with Access Grid, EVO, H.323 devices (Polycom/Tandberg), Skype audio and telephone connections
• Visualise topics being discussed by seeing colleagues' desktop displays
• Send text messages for instant written communication whilst meetings are taking place
• Transfer files and presentations for secure information distribution

The  Desktop Video Collaboration Service enables people to use a single personal computer or laptop (using Windows, Mac OSX or Linux operating systems) to share ideas, data and documents with others. The Group Video Collaboration Service allows large-scale communication among dispersed groups requiring more advanced audio/video capabilities. These solutions provide researchers the ability to interact in an environment that facilitates teamwork and culminates in world-class research.