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Advanced Video Collaboration Centre

Thursday, 23 April 2009, 1:12 pm
Press Release: University of Canterbury

MEDIA RELEASE – 24 April 2009

The Advanced Video Collaboration Centre (AVCC) begins its official support of video collaboration technologies for Universities and Crown Research Institutes across New Zealand today. This initiative is the result of co-funding between Ministry of Research Science and Technology (MoRST) and the University of Canterbury. AVCC will be located in the brand new high-tech NZi3 building with other ICT organisations such as the Geospatial Research Centre, Wireless Research Centre and BlueFern SuperComputer. NZi3 is the national ICT Innovation Institute, based at the University of Canterbury.

The Institute is a ‘hothouse’ of strategic ICT research that aims to move ideas from the lab, across the innovation gap, into industry. The establishment of AVCC is in response to increasing demand from researchers, educators and scholars for efficient video collaboration services on KAREN (Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network), New Zealand's high speed research network. While video conferencing is an increasingly popular technology for research collaboration, distance learning, and post graduate supervision, it often requires technical assistance for new users.

The AVCC will help develop technicians’ expertise in video collaborative technologies as well as assist end users across the country through the use of a toll free number, online chat, and video conferencing to the AVCC Helpdesk. Fortnightly online workshops will also help upskill technicians and end users of video conferencing. The centre intends to provide second tier support to end users (first port of call being in-house technicians) at each institution to facilitate more productive and spontaneous video collaboration capabilities across KAREN members.

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In addition to the centre's core support services, the AVCC's website has a wealth of resources for anyone looking to learn more about video conferencing. A rapidly expanding national directory of video conferencing 'endpoints' is available alongside practical tutorials covering all aspects of video collaboration, from connecting to central meeting areas, to optimising rooms for conferencing. Forums, tools, hardware guides, event calendars and related academic research also are available within the site.

With the AVCC now in operational status, AVCC Manager, Nathan Gardiner, is confident his team will have a positive impact on the collective expertise of KAREN members in best practice video conferencing within New Zealand AVCC can be contacted at: http://avcc.karen.net.nz helpdesk@avcc.net.nz 0800 666 889

ends

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