Simplicity of operation the major benefit when managers, staff need to get together

At this northern Chicago-area health systems firm, a company so big it's got its own zip code, audioconferencing is a daily event. With 70,000 employees working on health care solutions in 130 countries, a lot of communication must go on across the table and across the world. Larry Demski, who supports teleconferencing and a/v usage at the company's headquarters, says "the main advantage of this system is that you just plug it into the phone line and you can talk to as many people as you want." Users simply set the system onto the center of a table, plug it into the phone line, dial a number, and presto! They're in business. "It's a real time saver."

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Senior Operations Manager Carol Myers uses the SoundStation for teleconferencing almost daily. She says she prefers audio to videoconferencing because she doesn't have to pre-schedule equipment or a conference room. "Right now we're involved in a worldwide drug development program and it's important to have a good, clear audio signal without delay," says Myers. "I have a SoundStation right here in my office. If I need to get five people together and talking within five minutes, I can do it." The people involved in the anti-infective drug study have been working together a long time, and can usually recognize each other's voices. "We just begin by identifying that we're there and after that, we pretty much know who's saying what."

The basic SoundStation has three built-in microphones that pick up sound as much as six feet away. For larger groups, users can attach external microphones and spread them out across a table to reach the voices of those seated farther away. There's no need to speak louder than normal, and the unit has a mute button in case participants need to make private comments during a conference. Anyone who's used a standard speaker phone knows how there can be a drop in audio at the end of a comment. That doesn't happen with the SoundStation.

This plug and play technology has definitely become a part of the daily routine for Demsky and Myers. It's hard to imagine doing business without it. In a world where high technology can be complicated and confusing, the SoundStation is too simple for words.