Aug 31 2010
As a writer for Break Down the Walls, I naturally keep an eye out for news stories focused on the video communication market. I read an interesting one this week published by the stock advisory site StreetAuthority.com – here’s the link.
Full disclosure – no one here at BDTW would ever call themselves a stock expert, so we aren’t focusing on financial issues here. That said, this piece made all of us here extremely bullish about the future of video.
New moves by industry heavyweights Hewlett Packard and Microsoft demonstrate the vitality and the promise of video conferencing. Of course, we’d love people to look to Cisco/TANDBERG first for their video conferencing needs.
But whichever provider you choose, video is the future and the train is leaving the station. To borrow a phrase from another well-known company – Just do it!
Aug 23 2010
A new report released this week from the analyst firm, Gartner, highlights some ways that the government can save money during the ongoing recession. It came as no surprise to us at Break Down the Walls that telework was among the list of cost-cutting initiatives.
In the report, Gartner advised government CIOs to implement telework as a way to reduce costs and as a benefit for workers who are facing salary freezes, furloughs and other cost-cutting measures.
So, in light of the cost-cutting and moral-boosting benefits of telework, why do some managers still resist embracing it?
According to our very own Jason Morwick of Cisco, who recently talked with Federal News Radio host Chris Dorobek:
“…the biggest hurdles are not usually around technology, but around leadership, change management and dealing with an organizational culture. For example, what we call the ‘out of sight, out of mind syndrome’ — a perception of inequality or unfairness between office workers and teleworkers. Or, perhaps it’s trust issues.”
The belief that teleworking employees will skip work or not complete their tasks is just one of the myths of telework that we’ve been working hard to disprove on the blog. This is why we were happy to read a post on the Dorobek Insider which joined us in extolling the benefits of telework and the many positive reasons why the time for telework in the federal government has arrived.
It’s time for change in the way the federal government manages their people. It’s time to embrace telework.
Aug 17 2010
Anyone who lives, works or drives through the Washington, D.C., region has probably had firsthand experience with D.C. traffic. It’s evil, unforgiving and soul crushing. And we’re not exaggerating.
With the federal government accounting for a large percentage of the workforce in the District, it’s fair to say that federal employees are a large part of the car traffic choking the major roads and highways surrounding D.C. during rush hour.
The effect of federal employees isn’t limited to just the area immediately surrounding Washington, D.C., however. Military bases and other large federal employers can cause similar situations in other regions.
Take for example a recent letter to the editor sent to the Free Lance-Star by a local Virginia man who travels to work along I-95. In his letter, the gentleman discusses the traffic he sees during his commute, and how the exit for the Marine Corps base at Quantico backs up onto the very major thoroughfare every morning. With his wife working at Quantico, he’s nervous that someone not paying attention will slam his car into the line of traffic backed up onto 95 and potentially hurt someone he loves.
In addition to the threat of an accident and potential harm that could come from it, this kind of daily commute through traffic is a nuisance and a time-suck. How much happier and more productive would these employees be if this could be avoided most mornings?
By embracing telework and advanced technologies like video teleconferencing (VTC) and telepresence that enable telework, the federal government could create a more productive workforce and do its part to keep traffic flowing across the country.
By breaking down the walls between public servants and telework, VTC is enabling a new way of working. So, why hasn’t your agency embraced telework?
Aug 11 2010
The TANDBERG team just returned from a trip to Tampa last week for LandWarNet 2010.
LandWarNet is an annual conference sponsored by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), a non-profit international association serving the military, government, industry, and academia that was founded to advance professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications, IT, intelligence, and global security. The conference is designed to bring together government leaders and IT decision makers with the vendors that supply them with the products and services that keep defense agencies connected and secure.
This year’s conference was a huge success with yet another incredible turnout, even with the mercury rising to near-record levels.
Similar to years past, we saw significant traffic in the Cisco and TANDBERG booths. Many government decision makers who stopped by where psyched about the recent addition of TANDBERG to the Cisco family, and equally interested in how making video teleconferencing (VTC) and Telepresence a part of their operations could help them better achieve their mission.
The Army and other defense agencies have long turned to VTC as a way to reduce operating costs by cutting the need for unnecessary travel. They’ve also benefited from the increased speed of decision making and higher productivity that video brings to the agency. These benefits have led the military to look to video as their primary form of communication.
In the past, the concept of using video as a primary form of communication for any agency or organization would have seemed impossible. VTC usage needed to be scheduled with a video operations center and the hardware often experienced issues with proprietary network infrastructures and firewalls.
Today, these issues are a thing of the past. VTC hardware is now a part of the larger unified communications picture. Firewall transferal and IP infrastructures and the ability to interoperate have led to VTC systems that are easier to implement and utilize.
Video is also becoming more ad-hoc. The addition of directory integration into the Army’s VTC network is making it easier than ever to simply reach out and touch someone. These directories make it fast to find and immediately contact another individual at an organization via video.
By breaking down the walls separating policy and decision makers at the Army and other defense agencies, VTC is speeding decision making and helping to keep America safe. With so many benefits and technology that rapidly increasing quality and ease of use, it’s no surprise that video is becoming a primary form of communication in the Army. Now that’s a new way of working.
Aug 05 2010
As regular readers know, telework is a HUGE issue in the federal government. And it’s naturally a topic we cover here on Break Down the Walls pretty extensively. A big question we hear a lot in the federal space is “why is it taking so long?”
There is emerging conventional wisdom around the answer to that question. Managers in federal agencies are seen as reluctant to embrace telework.
So we read with great interest today an op-ed in Federal Computer Week by Patricia Niehaus, the president of the Federal Managers Association. Kudos to Patricia – she addresses the issue squarely and presents what she feels are the legitimate concerns of her members. Here’s a link to the editorial.
First off, she admits telework is coming and changes need to be made to help it happen in the most efficient manner. Agreed! And she admits that yes, many managers fear a loss of control and a drop in employee productivity. Excellent – we can’t make change happen without an acknowledgement of concerns, right?
To our read the most critical things she cites are:
All good stuff, and we welcome the voice of the FMA to the debate. What do you think? What’s the view from your agency? Drop a comment and let us know.
Jul 30 2010
The Los Angeles Times recently ran an article by Hugo Martín about the travel industry. Specifically, the travel industry’s response to a recent directive issued by the Obama administration calling for government employees to commute and travel less.
How did they feel about it? No, sir, they didn’t like it.
And we can understand why. The National Business Travel Association has members from the automotive, transportation, hospitality and other industries that would be negatively impacted if government employees, corporate executives, sales people and other business travelers decided to put down their passports, stick their suitcases in the closet and stay in their offices. As an association, you need to look out for the combined business interests of your members, and the members of the NBTA would lose business and money should road warriors become desk warriors.
In a press release that was issued by the NBTA in response to the administration’s calls for reduced government travel, Michael W. McCormick, Executive Director and COO of NBTA, stated, “President Obama’s recent statements calling for a reduction in government travel are troubling…they are part of a pattern of negative and misguided comments from the Administration that hurt the travel industry at an incredibly challenging time…they seem to imply that cutting travel is the goal.”
Our question is, why shouldn’t the federal government’s goal be cutting travel? In these “incredibly challenging times,” the federal government is faced with increasing and almost unfathomable amounts of national debt and in an unenviable position of trying to make government operate more effectively, inexpensively and efficiently. In addition, the Obama Administration is facing pressure to set a precedent for the rest of the country, and globe, by making the government greener.
By discouraging government travel and working to reduce the unnecessary globe-trotting of executives from companies that took government bailout dollars, the Obama Administration is cutting the amount of taxpayer money being put towards airfare (including those fun baggage fees, aisle seat fees, peanut fees, etc.), hotel rooms, meals and per diem. The resulting decrease in air and car travel will also go a long way towards shrinking the federal government’s carbon footprint and helping the environment.
We understand that face-to-face communication is important in the business environment. It helps encourage collaboration and innovation in the public and private sectors. However, this need to hop in a cab to the airport, skip through the terminal, jump on a plane and shake someone’s hand to effectively do business is antiquated. With video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions and unified communications, the ability to collaborate with people face-to-face is no longer limited to individuals in the same room.
By discouraging travel by government employees and corporate executives from companies that accepted bail-out dollars and instead embracing new technology to interact, all we lose is the handshake. Travel costs will decrease and save taxpayer money and less pollutants will enter our atmosphere and destroy the Earth. Also, these once road-warriors will be able to take all of the time they wasted in line at customs, preparing to go through security, sitting on a plane and staring at their watch waiting for connections and spend it on doing their jobs, or playing with their kids. That means a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.
VTC solutions and new unified communication technologies are breaking down the walls between the federal government, a greener planet and a cheaper, more productive workforce. We say, “bravo,” to the Obama Administration for taking a stand for responsible government. And to the NBTA we say, “don’t be hatin’ on the Administration for trying to drive positive change.” There will always be a need for some business travel, but thanks to new technology, it’s no longer the only option.
Jul 20 2010
Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation that is expected to provide a much needed spark to increased adoption of telework in the federal government.
The bill, which passed by a vote of 290-131, is similar to a bill that was passed by the Senate in May. It requires federal government agencies to establish a position for a telework managing officer, who would work to establish and promote telework initiatives within the agency.
This is a huge first step in increasing the adoption of telework in federal agencies. It not only will save the government millions in lost production due to inclement weather and other emergencies which may close offices, but will also lead to a more productive workforce and reduction in government expenditures on office space and resources.
We’ve talked extensively about the benefits that telework will bring to the federal government in previous posts on Break Down the Walls, and we’re truly excited to see legislation being passed to expedite its adoption. However, there is more that federal government agencies can do to not only increase telework in the government, but to improve both its effectiveness and efficiency.
One of the ways that government agencies can help drive telework adoption is the implementation of technologies that can allow government employees to better communicate and collaborate when teleworking. One of these technologies is video teleconferencing (VTC).
VTC technologies enable individuals to communicate as if they were in the same room, no matter how much distance separates them. This eliminates the fear many government agency managers express – that teleworking employees are unable to communicate or be supervised effectively.
By implementing VTC technologies, government agencies take their telework cost savings even further. VTC solutions effectively reduce the need for travel by enabling face-to-face meetings between individuals miles apart. This can help reduce expensive plane travel, hotel and per diem costs.
VTC is breaking down the walls to a more effective, efficient, greener and inexpensive government. Now that’s a new way of governing.
Jul 15 2010
Since taking office, the Obama Administration and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have been pushing federal agencies to adopt telework initiatives. This emphasis on telework is expected to alleviate a large number of issues currently facing the government, including:
Despite all of the positives that can come from the introduction and increased adoption of telework, many agencies have been slow to embrace it. However, a recent article in Government Executive shows that some government agencies are not only embracing but championing telework.
The article quotes top executives from the State Department, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and the Education Department who discuss why telework initiatives have been so successful for them, and why they feel that telework is necessary in today’s government.
By enabling telework and increasing collaboration, VTC technologies are breaking down the walls to a more effective and efficient government. Through telework and VTC solutions, the federal government is ushering in a new way of working, and working to overcome some of the largest obstacles and challenges facing it today.
Jul 08 2010
The writers of Break Down the Walls have been deeply saddened. We recently read a report regarding government telework efforts by the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton. According to this report, there has been “insufficient progress and action” for telework implementation for government workers.
For those of us who telework on a regular basis, we find this very frustrating. Not only do we save time with our daily commute, we also save money on gas and parking and reduce our carbon footprint. For anyone who has sat in traffic on I-495, I-66 and I-95 in the Washington, D.C., metro area, I’m sure you agree with us.
What we found most interesting in the report were the five myths of flexible work environments in the government. While we’ve talked before about all of these myths on Break Down the Walls, it’s depressing to see them all listed as to reasons employees are still not given the option to telework. Here are the myths:
While 62% of federal employees are eligible to telework, less than 6% of full-time federal workers actually do it at least one day a month, according to the report (citing data from the Office of Personnel Management). No wonder there is so much congestion in the D.C. metro area.
We applaud the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton for keeping the spotlight on this failure, and urging the government to be more aggressive about implementing telework.
Jul 02 2010
Here’s more data to support the move to telework, just before we all head out for our Fourth of July barbeques. Last week Brittany Ballenstedt of Nextgov’s Wired Workplace moderated a panel on the state of telework across the federal government. She spoke with Jennifer Carignan, associate manager for research at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, and Danette Campbell, senior telework advisor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Here’s the link, and you can view the archived webinar if you’d like.
According to Brittany, 64% of webinar participants said they are not allowed to telework at all, although 90% of them said their agencies had the technology to make it happen. C’mon, federal managers! As you’re enjoying your Fourth of July picnics and giving thanks for our freedoms, how about giving your workers a little freedom on the job? Studies prove they will be MORE productive if you do, not less!