ENA Video Connect offers inexpensive, cloud-based, multi-person video teleconferencing—now iPad-compatible and with record, replay and live streaming!

“It’s a no-brainer,” says one customer. “IP-based video teleconferencing with good management tools is something every school district should be using,” says another. And a third and a fourth: “We only have to purchase minimal equipment—a camera and a microphone-speaker” and “I can afford that all day long.”

Turkey Run Community School Corporation (IN) science teacher Susan Seitz teaches Physics to students in her own classroom and to two remote students in Rockville, IN, by way of ENA Video Connect. The video-teleconferencing solution enables Rockville Community School Corporation’s students to receive an AP course in an extremely cost-effective manner.

ENA Video Connect—the secure, inexpensive, cloud-based video-teleconferencing (VTC) solution from ENA that runs on the resources you already have—has only been on the market a few months and customers already love it. And ENA is happy to report that it’s already gotten better: ENA Video Connect is now compatible with iOS for iPad (with Android coming soon!) and, coming in October 2011, ENA Video Connect users will be able to record, replay and live-stream their video-teleconferencing sessions! (The record, replay and live-streaming functions will be in beta testing and are free to customers for the 2011-2012 E-Rate year.)

Cut costs, save time, pipe in rich content—and now record, replay and live-stream!

As the network services provider for over 5,000 schools and libraries in six states, ENA is dedicated to making distance learning a reality for educators and students everywhere.  But when ENA surveyed the equipment and services schools were using to make that happen, the company saw very nice but incredibly expensive dedicated video units on one end of the spectrum, and very inexpensive but insecure and not fully functional services like Skype on the other.

“We decided to bridge that gap with ENA Video Connect,” says Michael McKerley, ENA’s director of Research and Development.  “With our solution, you can integrate with Polycoms, Tandbergs and Lifesize units, but you now can bring interactive video teleconferencing and content sharing directly to the laptops and desktops that are already in most classrooms. We’ve made ENA Video Connect feasible for even the tightest budgets and we’ve made it as easy as possible for teachers, students and staff.”

“It’s got to be one of the biggest bangs for an educator’s buck”

ENA Video Connect offers document sharing and the ability for up to eight participants to join a session. The solution is more secure and versatile than Skype and FaceTime while far less expensive than H.323 systems.

“Customers will be delighted with the new record, replay and live-stream functionality as well as its expanding handheld compatibility,” says ENA Video Connect Product Manager Michael Pfannenstiel. “We’re adding even greater utility to a solution that is already so versatile. That for me is what’s so exciting about ENA Video Connect. Customers are always finding new ways to apply it. When they first purchased it, they may have been thinking distance learning and virtual field trips. But when they deploy it in their districts, they begin to find a whole host of other uses. They may not have guessed that the maintenance department would want it, but when maintenance sees it, they say, ‘I need that!’”

Pfannenstiel knows that school administrators have “basketfuls” of systems and tools vying for their attention and their budget dollars. Many of those resources are very good. “But if you look at the total spectrum of your operational and instructional needs,” says Pfannenstiel, “and the fact that ENA Video Connect can be applied to such a wide range of processes, it’s got to be one of the biggest bangs for an educator’s buck.”

Do a multitude of jobs better

“Video Connect is helping us to do our jobs better,” says Gary Sharp, director of technology for Monroe County Schools, TN, an early adopter that is using the solution to host staff meetings, service special education students, extend the reach of their health specialists, increase the efficiency of their maintenance department and take virtual field trips. “That’s what a good tool does. I am convinced this is a good product and ENA’s support is taking care of me like they’ve always done.” To see a recorded video of Monroe County’s Data and Instructional Technology Coach Jessica Thomas discussing the solution, click here.

Just some of the many ways to cost-effectively improve operations and instructions with ENA Video Connect:

  • Conduct staff meetings
  • Send/receive distance-learning classes, including dual-credit and AP courses
  • Collaborate on projects
  • Offer professional development
  • Access outside experts
  • Take virtual field trips
  • Cut expenses
  • And much, much more! To discover 50 inspiring, enriching, cost-saving ways to use ENA Video Connect, click here.

Enormous possibilities. Big feature set. Small cost.

ENA Video Connect is a completely hosted and managed, full-featured video teleconferencing over IP service that requires no new hardware or network investments. Employing the computers, laptops, projection devices, handhelds and ENA network you already have, you can begin realizing all the powerful possibilities of VTC:

  • Provides multi-point video teleconferencing to both PC and Apple users for up to eight participants
  • Gives users the ability to record, replay and live-stream
  • Enables personal telepresence at the organization, state and national level
  • Integrates with H.323 endpoints
  • Allows users to share desktops, PowerPoint presentations and other documents
  • Offers a full suite of conference controls such as recording, muting and kicking off
  • Extends video teleconferencing participation to off-network guests
  • Requires no call-in—ENA serves as the “invisible” bridge
  • All at a low monthly fee per user for unlimited usage (a user can be single individual, one classroom or an entire building)

 

For customers that want to activate the Record, Replay and Live-Streaming features

ENA Video Connect customers that want the new record, replay and live-stream features may contact the CTAC at (888) 612-2880, e-mail support@ena.com or contact their Account Service Manager. Your service will be activated when it becomes available in October. ENA will be beta-testing the service and offering it to customers for free during the 2011-2012 E-Rate year.

For more information

For more information about ENA Video Connect, please contact ENA Technical Product Manager Mike Pfannenstiel at mpfannenstiel@ena.com.