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Questmark
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Questmark provides a range of reliable video conferencing equipment. The RSPB is keen to take advantage of the environmental and financial benefits of videoconferencing, so this is a natural fit.
In 2007 Graham Wynne, the RSPB’s Chief Executive, stated that the RSPB ''will reduce our own greenhouse emissions by 3 per cent per staff member year-on-year.''
Cutting down on staff travel is seen as making a significant contribution to meeting this aim.
As part of their business case for videoconferencing, the RSPB identified that staff travelled over 10.5 million business miles spread between car, rail and air transport, and the direct cost to the RSPB for this travel was estimated to be over £2.5 million per annum.
With country and regional offices throughout the UK, the scope for carbon and financial savings is considerable.
The RSPB decided to install 19 systems in all their country headquarters and regional offices over a six-year period. Another has been installed in their Orkney office - staff there are faced with a long, difficult and expensive journey to participate in face-to-face meetings; now, through videoconferencing, they can be involved in meetings to a greater extent than in the past.
The RSPB is keen to take advantage of the environmental and financial benefits of videoconferencing.
Questmark were chosen to supply and install the systems. “Apart from their extensive experience of videoconferencing, we were impressed by their commitment to ensuring we get the most out of our investment through support and intensive training”, said the RSPB's Terry Murfitt.
''They have spent time working with us to ensure that we are not just fully trained on the operation of the systems, but also understand the planning and etiquette involved in a videoconferencing meeting.”
“This has given our users the confidence and skills to drive usage of the technology thereby ensuring we get the full potential out of the installation and our investment. As a result, our original investment was recouped within 18 months rather than the expected two years.''
Commenting on the success of the RSPB project, Sam McMaster, Chief Executive of Questmark, said: ''Any investment in videoconferencing is only worthwhile if the systems are used regularly. Our strategy is to work with our customers through ongoing training, advice, troubleshooting and hand-holding.”
"The fact that the RSPB's take-up of videoconferencing is well above the industry average is proof that this approach works.''