Video Conferencing

One of the foundational roles of a great leader is to build trust—between himself and his team and among his coworkers. Remote managers are faced with unique challenges: they must create an atmosphere of trust, inspire employee integrity and actively lead teams in spite of working out of the office most—if not all—of the time. Effective communication is essential to …

When we talk about the evolution of audio, web and video conferencing today, there are a lot of innovations we tend to focus on: sleek mobile apps, HD video streaming, cloud storage, etc. However, there is a very basic, fundamental change taking place in conferencing today as a result of several of these innovations that is often overlooked. With automatic …

Fifty percent of web conference calls start late because of technology issues, according to a study by Wainhouse Research. So, to help you save the time and money that goes out the window every time your meetings start late, here are 10 ways to eliminate the log-in frustrations and start your online meetings on time. 1. Don’t make people download …

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed the explosion of Android™ smartphones. In 2012, Android accounted for almost 70% of the global smartphone market. Recently, Samsung’s marketing blitz for its Galaxy S3 and Note II devices have paid huge dividends in promoting awareness of the Android OS, moving devices and generating levels of hype once exclusively reserved …

If you think about it, a good job interview is an exercise in psychology. Both parties have goals in mind: one is looking to put their best professional and personal foot forward while the other is looking to ensure an excellent working and cultural fit within an established team or organization. In an ideal interview, both parties are well-researched and …

For job seekers, extensive preparation is spent on their verbal responses. They research the company, its industry and even its hiring managers while also prepping for some of the traditional, trickier interview questions. However, recruiters rely heavily on nonverbal cues as well, which studies have shown make up as much as 93% of our conveyed message. In a virtual interview …

Presidents’ Day is about more than mattress sales and a holiday from work; it’s a time to reflect on our country’s history. Today—the day traditionally observed as the birthday of George Washington, Father of our Country—we honor the lives and legacies of all our country’s presidents. Because we at PGi like to sometimes connect noble inspirations and daily achievements, we …

Technology is always surging forward—particularly in the area of cloud computing and the mobile space. This year, market share will vault into the hands of enterprise leaders who adapt their processes and take advantage of these changes before their competitors. Here’s a wide-angle view of four solid trends and tips to fuel your indirect and channel sales with the high-octane …

Today, I am uniting with many other Austinites to increase awareness of telecommuting’s benefits. Social Good Summit Austin’s pilot Work From Home (WFH) Day is underway, and our city couldn’t be a more perfect place to support this initiative. The purpose of the event is to demonstrate how ozone levels and carbon emissions due to traffic congestion decrease when a …

According to YouTube’s latest press statistics, 500 years of YouTube video is watched every day on Facebook and over a third of the platform’s total monetized views come from Content ID, its advanced content management solution. Suffice it to say, YouTube is a testament to what I’ve always believed about the power of video and to the truth about never …

A few years ago, one of my reps and I were on a video conference with a prospect based in Portland. Without our prompting, he began to talk about all of the issues he was having with one of our competitors. We let him vent, because it was clear he needed someone to listen to his complaints. Then, much to …

I am the queen of video conference calls. That’s right. I hid three pregnancies, the chicken pox, and a hideous rash — all while videoconferencing my way into the ranks of the Mother Nature Network. Here’s the lowdown on how to do it, and do it well. Never wear anything that gives the illusion that you’re naked This may seem …

In today’s world, searching for a job or a qualified applicant to fill that job is an almost entirely digital affair. Powerful networking sites like LinkedIn allow recruiters to quickly identify, filter and contact top talent. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook give job seekers unprecedented access to companies and their employees. And easy-to-use video conferencing solutions have shrunk …

Next time you’re on a busy train or stuck in a line of traffic, remember this sobering thought: by 2015, there’ll be 7 billion people on the planet – that’s one heck of a busy train! 1.5 billion of those people will be mobile workers, some of whom are already using technology that brings us closer together and allows us …

You’ve got your business plan for 2013, have set some goals to grow, are hitting the ground running, but chances are you’ve neglected a very important area for growth. You. With all the demands of work and life, we tend to neglect the life side of the equation and even more often, ourselves. One way to stretch your mind and …

Telecommuting has recently been touted as one of the top four trends for 2013; oDesk CEO Gary Swart expands on this evolving work experience: It’s no secret that telecommuting, flexible work arrangements, distributed teams and even entirely virtual companies have exploded over the past few years. We’re bringing the work to the workers, reversing the almost antiquated model of bringing …

The new business market is pushing workers toward increasing mobility and availability, regardless of work location. IDC estimated that by the beginning of this year, “mobile workers” would comprise one-third of the world’s working population. According to the Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF), a non-profit alliance of technology vendors: “one important driver for the growth of unified communication is mobility …

It’s January 3rd and health is in the air. As many of us are wrapping up the first week of our New Year’s resolution diets, you may be wondering how much longer your celery and kale weight loss plan will last. However, diet cannot be the only component to a healthy lifestyle. Incorporating exercise is an important key to staying …

I recently read a survey on change that asked people if they wrote New Year’s resolutions. It might seem like a given, but it’s clear: the people that wrote either resolutions or goals—or even a series of questions—ended up achieving more than those who didn’t. My favorite part was the fact that it didn’t matter when they wrote them—January, February, …

The herald angels have been harking (and hawking their wares) before Fall even adjusted its woolen scarf. We’ve been swathed in red-and-green packaging and dunked in faux-snow ad décor since before the fine Halloween episode of Modern Family. But no matter the name of the holiday we celebrate, now it’s mid-December—we’re all in. Holidays are in our heads: it’s, as …