Phone Conferencing

ISS at Southend have two conferencing telephones. These have a sensitive microphone to pick up several speakers in a room and a speaker so that everyone in the room can hear the conversation. In this way, it is possible for several users in a room to have a conversation over the telephone line. A room full of people at Southend can conference with a single user with a standard telephone off campus (many to one), or if the user off campus has a conferencing telephone then a many to many call can be placed. The Colchester Campus also have two systems - so as long as both Campuses are using a conference telephone, one room full of people can conference to another room full of people across the Essex campuses (many to many).

One conferencing telephone is installed in the Southend Campus Videoconferencing suite, whilst the other is available as a loan item. The conferencing telephones plug in to a standard telephone socket.

To book the use of a conferencing telephone, email your request to : isssouth@essex.ac.uk

Please note that other ISS loan equipment at the Southend Campus can be viewed at :

https://mylife.essex.ac.uk/southend/issequipment/default.aspx

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Audio Conferencing

The University of Essex at Southend has a facility for video conferencing that it might be used for audio conferencing only, IP and ISDN based. Please contact us for more information.

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Video Conferencing

The university at Southend has a centrally provided system (Tandberg Edge MXP) in the Videoconferencing Suite, room R2/58 (Gateway Building), that uses a digital telephone line (ISDN 2) or an Internet connection (IP).

Staff of the university and external users can book the service, which will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The staff member/external user who makes the booking is responsible for promoting and scheduling a pre-conference quality test (see under Booking).

If a student wishes to use the service then a staff member will need to assume responsibility for the call and make the booking on the student's behalf. This applies to both the receipt and initiation of calls.

 

Charges

• For internal users there is no charge* for using the facilities providing the conference takes place between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. After these times and at weekends, overtime charges are incurred.
• For external users there is a charge of £100 per hour* (minimum charge £100) and £50 per half hour or part thereof providing the conference takes place between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. After these times and at weekends, overtime charges are incurred.
• ISDN : If the university initiates the call using ISDN, call charges will apply. The cost of using the ISDN lines varies with time of day and distance. I am afraid it is literally impossible to calculate ISDN call charges these days. BT and the other carriers will simply not make an estimate, even with exact times, dates and destinations of potential calls. If the university does not initiate the call, ISDN call charges will not be charged from here (but see below *).
• IP (internet connection): No connection charges. This is the best solution, if it’s available at the far end.

*Please be aware that the far end may also charge for services/connections. It is the responsibility of the user to investigate this possibility.

 

Booking

To schedule a videoconference session: A pre-conference quality test must be scheduled by you to ensure that the event has the highest possible chance of success. Conferences that fail to connect owing to a lack of a pre-conference quality test are still liable for the hire charge minimum.

Be prepared to provide this information:

• For internal users : contact Reception (recsc@essex.ac.uk – 01702 328200) at least one week in advance of the scheduled conference. A charge code (for ISDN charges or overtime, if applicable), and the name telephone number and email address of a staff member who will be responsible for the booking.
• For external users : contact Room Bookings (scenq@essex.ac.uk – 01702 328227) at least one week in advance of the scheduled conference. Company name, contact person with email and telephone number, billing address.
• Specific information regarding the event itself will also be required :
  • • Names, telephone numbers and email addresses at the destination
    • ISDN / IP numbers - Person being called - Company handling call (if applicable)
    • Technician at company (if applicable) - Type of videoconferencing facility (ISDN/IP)

ISS-Southend staff will strive to accommodate all requests, but please be aware of the possibility of conflicts due to previously scheduled events.

A technician will be on-site to monitor the broadcast. The technician will not stay in the room but can be summoned at short notice should help be required.

Please visit our Videoconferencing FAQs before booking our services.

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Web Conferencing

AVMS is researching into providing Web conferencing services. Meantime we recommend you Arkadin's on-demand teleconferencing solution, ArkadinAnytime, offers feature-rich, reservationless, web conferencing services. Please visit Arkadin web site or call Customer Services at +44 (0)20 8742 6350 (cs@arkadin.co.uk) for more information.

We recommend Skype as another solution widely used by most people with family and friends abroad

We have a set Kit for loan with a high quality web cam and a USB microphone and speakers.

Please contact us with your requirement.

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