Web presentations speed project: outsourced service provides cost-saving, Internet-based...

Distance can be a daunting--and expensive--obstacle to overcome when trying to communicate with customers or offsite employees. This spring, In-Situ Oxidative Technologies (ISOTEC) learned that lesson when it was granted a contract to use its advanced environmental engineering technology to

ISOTEC staff first had to navigate through the maze of regulatory agencies, seeking approval from various federal and state organizations. "The facility that we were contracted to clean up was receiving a lot of questions from the Environmental Protection Agency about environmental impacts related to implementation of our technology," says Eliot Cooper, director of business development at ISOTEC.

In addition to the federal EPA, ISOTEC needed to contact the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Water Board, the U. S. Navy (which had previously owned the site) and a Navy consultant to gain the go-ahead to begin work.

"The various agencies involved were relatively unfamiliar with our technology, and we needed to educate them on what exactly we were going to do, and how we were going to do it," Cooper explains.

With the ISOTEC team located in Denver and the various regulators located in disparate locations in California, getting all the key players in one room for a face-to-face meeting proved difficult--due to logistics and reduced government travel budgets.

To solve this logistics problem, ISOTEC turned to the Internet, implementing Genesys Meeting Center 2.0, a tool for instant audio and Web conferencing, to bring the participants together.

ISOTEC developed an online presentation, taking advantage of the solutions ability to display PowerPoint files on the Web. The various participants of the call dialed into an 800 number and, without needing to download additional computer programs, were able to log on to the video component of the conference via the Internet, and see both the presenters and the visual displays needed to convey the necessary information.

"Our online presentation addressed all of the regulators' concerns," continues Cooper. "Plus, it allowed for a collaborative discussion among all stakeholders, which built trust in our technology and our company."

The approval process took one month instead of the typical six, according to Cooper, allowing for additional cost savings for ISOTEC. The cleanup project was to be implemented this summer.

The implementation was cost-effective for ISOTEC, as well, requiring only the purchase of a Web camera for less than $100.

Since the spring call, ISOTEC has found other uses for Web conferencing. The firm's engineers frequently give remote presentations to potential customers and government agencies on their latest technologies and successful cleanups. The company is using Genesys' monthly rate, allowing frequent usage of the technology.

As a sales and marketing tool, Web conferencing has allowed the company to sell projects in the six-figure range, Cooper says, without ever meeting the potential customers in person.

Using the conferencing service, the firm can upload and share PowerPoint presentations, communicate via Web cam with live video and leverage an intuitive interface. This allows staff to share information with customers, reaching up to 20 different customer field offices with one presentation.

Since ISOTEC services a national market, Web conferencing also helps the company cut down on travel cost and time.

"Simply put, Web conferencing allows us to focus our time on serving our customers," says Cooper. "It is a necessary tool in today's business environment."

Meeting Center 2.0

The Genesys Meeting Center service provides for interactive chat, archiving, integrated address book and advanced audio-management controls. It includes subconference rooms and waiting room management, mute and unmute, and automated dialout. Users can make a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, add visuals to presentations, and provide on-demand, audio and/or data archiving and playback. Synchronized live streaming of audio and Web presentations is available. Other features include: single moderator or multiple presenter control; uploading of images and logos; pre-scripting of Web tours on the fly; multipoint desktop video integration; and multiple levels of security.

For more information from Genesys: www.rsleads.com/308cn-257