Polycom Turns on the Music

Polycom has specifically tailored its VSX 8000 group video conferencing system with custom features to meet the music application needs of the Manhattan School of Music, a preeminent international conservatory of music. In appreciation to Polycom, the student jazz ensemble gave a concert via video conference to the executive board members at Polycom headquarters in Pleasanton, California on Feb. 9, 2005. Invited press from both coasts who attended the virtual concert experienced TV-like video and near-CD sound quality in this most demanding of virtual collaboration applications.

Manhattan School of Music was the first conservatory in the country to incorporate video conferencing into its music performance education curriculum, beginning in 1996. Polycom's technology enables the school to export and import music education to master classes at institutions of higher education including the Cleveland Institute of Music and the New World Symphony in Florida. Jazz clinics, workshops and music enrichment classes for K-12 students are also given across the country to schools from Alabama to Wisconsin. Additionally, on a daily basis, the school imports information from national and international institutions.

“We want to give this concert to showcase the cutting edge, high-quality audio and visual capabilities that Polycom technology provides to virtual music instruction," said Marta Istomin, president of the Manhattan School of Music. "Their unique capabilities in delivering -- by video conference -- the same high fidelity sound and acoustical experience of the performers enables us to extend our distance learning program and educational outreach of world-class music programming.”

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Canadian Schools Get SMART

SMART Technologies Inc. recently announced the installation of SMART Board interactive whiteboards in more than 300 classrooms in Calgary's Carlisle Area School District. A district standard now, 100 percent of classrooms will use SMART Board interactive whiteboards by summer of 2005. Each classroom is being equipped with SMART Board interactive whiteboards, leading-edge technology products that promote class participation and increase student retention. In addition to funds from a technology-dedicated savings account started in 1990, the district receives funding for these purchases through grants from the SMARTer Kids Foundation.

Six years ago, the district had only one SMART Board interactive whiteboard that was shared among teachers. News of the product and its benefits spread around the district and prompted a 38-teacher study on the use of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and its effects in the classroom. That study resulted in a recommendation that all classrooms be equipped with SMART Board interactive whiteboards for daily teaching.

“We tried other brands of interactive whiteboards, but they didn't compare to the features and functions that a SMART Board interactive whiteboard provides. Without having to change the hardware, we can upgrade the software for free, adding the latest functionality,” says Stephanie Douglas, technology coordinator for the Carlisle Area School District. “SMART also impressed us because the company really listens to educators' advice. As a result, SMART's products, software and resources are relevant to our teachers, which helps us to improve outcomes in our classrooms.”

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Whitepaper: Under the Hood of the Polycom SoundStation VTX 1000

Since its introduction a short time ago, interest in the Polycom SoundStation VTX 1000 has been intense. In many respects, it is a revolutionary product. It is the first integrated audioconferencing system to provide wideband audio capabilities over the public telephone network; this alone makes it a major advance over the existing state of the industry. But there are numerous other firsts in the SoundStation VTX 1000. Some of these will be helpful to those who are using, selling, or considering a purchase of the system, and some may just be interesting to know. The purpose of this paper is to give a peek inside the SoundStation VTX 1000, to help you understand just why this system is so extraordinary.

Read the white paper >>