In the telecommunications world one maxim seems to stand the test of time: "Objects at rest tend to keep working." Unfortunately, the manufacturers of video conferencing equipment sometimes do not subscribe to this long-standing telecom reality. One example is the placing of wheels on systems or their carts and promoting them as "portable", "mobile" or "transportable".

For business and government organizations on a tight budget, this is appealing because it appears to imply that nearly anyone can roll a video conferencing system into a room, plug it in and make it work. This is at best unreliable and at worst it can be a complete failure, damaging delicate equipment or causing injury to users.

Moving Large Monitors
Large video conferencing monitors should never be moved without the use of professional movers. Yet, each day under the guise of "portability" many video conferencing systems are moved from room to room at college campuses or down the hallways of business and government offices. This can be an unwise strategy offered by manufacturers seeking to sell a benefit that does not exist. On the very first move, a user quickly will realize that a video system is not safely or easily movable.

Movement of Equipment
Shaking and vibrating electronic systems with circuit boards that are tightly fitted together and with power supply wiring soldered tenderly is catastrophic for reliability. Movement can jar important connections and seriously affect the reliability of video conferencing equipment. Some telecommunications equipment is engineered for live loading or movement - modern video conferencing systems are not.

Portable Video Conferencing Equipment
Portable video conferencing equipment, in order to be reliable and safe, should be kept in one place permanently. While this may seem contradictory, one factor that directly affects system reliability is movement. As the frequency of movement increases for electronic equipment, its reliability is reduced. Good service vendors and consultants advise customers of this reality and good service plans should reflect a higher per unit cost for maintenance and service associated with a portable system.

TKO Video Communications
TKO also provides streaming video and audio, satellite broadcasting, and audio conferencing. In addition, we offer training in telecommunications and video conferencing.

Monitors | Cart | Conference Tables | Meetings | Technology
Tandberg 1000 | 7000 | 8000 | MCU | 550 | 880 | Sony PCS-1 | TL50