Virtual Worlds in the Workplace

NCTT has recently purchased a Second Life Island and we are in the process of partitioning and building out the sixteen acres of virtual space.

We'll formally announce the island on July 28 at our summer conference in Austin. We believe virtual world use will continue to grow - especially as the price of fuel continues to rise and travel costs grow.



Here's a few interesting virtual world quotes from an online Special Report at BUSINESSWEEK.COM:

• IBM uses different virtual worlds for a range of activities, including project collaboration and welcoming new employees.
• On any given day, more than 50% of employees at Sun Microsystems work remotely.
• A group of Xerox researchers from across the globe meets in Second Life each week to explore how they can use virtual worlds in various areas of their business. One idea is to use these spaces to demonstrate new technologies to customers.
• When Cisco held a summit for international partners in Honolulu in April, it wanted to include participants who couldn't be there in person. So it held a virtual summit in conjunction with the physical one.
• Architect Jon Brouchoud has used Second Life for about two years to help clients of his Wisconsin-based firm Crescendo Design visualize what their homes might look like.
• Some health-care professionals see virtual worlds as a way to help train doctors and nurses in a setting that doesn't jeopardize patient safety. The spaces can also be used to train drug salespeople in a realistically busy setting, with patients and nurses bustling about.
• Retailers are using virtual worlds to experiment with different configurations for new or existing stores. The software also lets consumer product manufacturers gauge customer reactions to new promotional displays or to the relocation of their favorite products.

Colleges that have lots of commuter students (like community colleges) have an incredible opportunity to offer classes, in part, using virtual worlds like Second Life. AT NCTT we look forward to offering our partners space on our island. For more information on how you can participate write to me via email at gsnyder@stcc.edu or say hello "in-world" on Second Life using "Gordo Book".

And....... know you read here....... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!

Online Video Viewers Growing

From a Telecommunication Industry News Feed:

According to a Study titled Digital Content Unleashed by ABI Research close to 50% of U.S. consumers are watching some kind of video on their personal computers.

Streaming online content is now the most popular form of PC video, with 72% of viewers watching movies in their web browsers, versus only 65% who use their computers to watch DVDs.

The number of viewers who have used a computer to receive pay-TV services, delivered over carrier networks, meanwhile, stands at just 7.1%. This suggests that although subscription web TV has gained some ground in recent years, the overall number of users tuning in is still relatively low.

It looks like it's time to reconsider the production of DVD's - a popular way for some to market things like academic programs and move the content directly to the web. One way to do this would be to setup a free YouTube channel and post video content there.

We've had our National Center for Telecommunications Technologies (NCTT) channel up for a while and are just starting to populate it. Here's the first part of Karl Kapp's keynote presentation at our July Conference in Marlboro, MA.

You can see our channel and other content here: http://www.youtube.com/user/NatCtrTelecomTech. Keep your eyes on it as we post!

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Read Show Notes and listen to Mike Q and my latest Podcast titled iPod touch Overview and Impressions linked here.
Podcasts also free on iTunes.
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Join Us in California at the NCTT Winter Conference

Our 2008 Winter Conference Call for Presentations and Demonstrations is out and we welcome your presentations! Below is the program announcement. Contact myself (gsnyder@stcc.edu ) or Scott St Onge (StOnge@stcc.edu ) or call (413) 755-6550 with any questions. Special thanks to our host - Ann Beheler and Orange Coast College!

The National Center for Telecommunications Technologies (NCTT) will conduct its ICT / Convergence Winter Conference at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA, January 4 - 5, 2008. In awarding grants to the National Center for Telecommunications Technologies (NCTT) and its national network of regional partners, the National Science Foundation has recognized the importance of ICT* (Information and Communications Technologies) and Convergence Technologies to the U.S. economy and its critical role in maintaining global competitiveness. NCTT is leading this national effort to build a pool of knowledgeable and competent technicians to implement, manage and maintain state-of-the-art ICT* systems.

This call for presentations and demonstrations is an effort to showcase best practices, innovation and exemplary work in ICT* and Convergence Technology education, as well as new and emerging technologies. This solicitation seeks to bring together the best and brightest ICT and Convergence Technology educators from around the country to share their educational and technical expertise with like-minded educators and professionals.

We encourage submission of presentations and demonstrations from all facets of ICT*, including enterprise ICT, hands-on ICT labs, classroom application of ICT* in another discipline (biology, business, astronomy), an ICT* enabled industry (biotech, nanotech, supercomputing), emerging or converging technologies, classroom instruction issues and innovations in recruitment and retention. All ideas are welcome! Please take this opportunity to share your ICT* expertise with peers from around the country.

Proposed presentations should be one or two 45-minute segments and include required laboratory, classroom space and audio/visual support. Presentations may be informational/lecture-based, however presenters are strongly encouraged to include interactive, hands-on or lab elements. Hands-on presentations should be 2 segments (90 minutes) to maximize participation.

To submit a presentation proposal, please complete the form at http://www.nctt.org/pages/events/2008_ww_cfp.php by November 25, 2007. Presenters selected will be notified by December 10, 2007. If you have any questions about appropriate topics or technical content, please email NCTT (StOnge@stcc.edu ) or call (413) 755-6550. There is no fee for registering for this workshop.

* INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) is a recognized international term for converging voice, video, data, & computer networking communications technologies.

• Participate in hands-on sessions.
• Learn the technology your students need.
• Get materials you can use in the classroom now.
• Network with faculty from around the United States.

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We look forward to seeing you there!

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Read Show Notes and listen to Mike Q and my latest Podcast titled iPod touch Overview and Impressions linked here.
Podcasts also free on iTunes.
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