Futuristic conferencing solutions from Globe Business

CRUCIAL BUSINESS DECISIONS depend on quick communication and coordination—but in this world where business is conducted globally, with business partners in many separate locations, is there a way to make meetings and conferences more efficient, more timely, more affordable and less stressful?

GLOBE BUSINESS TAKES teleconferencing; audio and web conferencing all to a whole new level with its futuristic conferencing solutions for SMBs and corporate clients. Using the most advanced technologies available, Globe Business Solutions save companies' time, effort, and cost when it comes to important meetings where participants are in various locations. Instead of spending time and money on business travel and other costs, companies may now avail of these futuristic Globe Business Conferencing Solutions as more efficient and cost-effective alternatives

The traditional way is for business associates to travel to a set location for their meetings. This is not always the best option, however. Traffic, airport delays, the high cost of travel, and even natural disasters are factors that make traveling for business impractical in many cases.

Nowadays, traveling to a meeting could mean added cost in terms of time, stress, and money. The best solution, of course, is to allow business partners to communicate while staying in their own locations.

Teleconferencing: A new level

Globe Business uses the latest in telecoms technology to make teleconferencing faster, with greater clarity, reliability and depth, and at a more affordable cost.

“Globe Business has a set of services we call ‘Collaboration Solutions’.  These are various types of audio and video conferencing options that businesses can avail of to get their meetings done quickly and conveniently—so they can make faster, better decisions, get desired results quicker, and meet their goals,” explained Manny Escosa, Globe Business Marketing Head for Small and Medium Business Segments.

According to Escosa, advanced technology provided by Globe Business makes teleconferencing between business partners, even those in different locations and time zones, almost as good as being physically present together in one room.

“The high level of telecoms technology we have today makes teleconferencing an even more viable option, compared to actual physical travel for business,  than it was ten or even five years ago. Business travel may not become totally unnecessary but with Globe Business Collaborative Solutions, companies can significantly cut down on the business trips they need to make. This saves time, effort, and money,” Escosa said.

Audio conferencing

All offices already have handy communication devices: the landline and the mobile phone. With Globe Business Audio Conferencing, these existing devices can be networked to create a conference call network between business colleagues and/or their customers and suppliers.

Globe Business Audio Conferencing is the fastest, most convenient way to allow business partners to meet and collaborate. Anyone with access to a landline or has a mobile phone can be connected to the conference group.

Up to 40 people can be networked into the conference call using the landline and mobile phone they already have: no more need for additional equipment or upgrades.

With Globe Audio Conferencing, business communication is enhanced so that ideas are exchanged quickly and easily. It also eliminates the need to travel and meet with business associates in different locations.

Web conferencing

The next level of collaboration facilitated by Globe Business is the Globe Business Web Conferencing service. This solution combines desktop sharing through web browser, video streaming, and phone (mobile and landline) conferencing to allow communication between business partners, customers and suppliers. Participants in the conference have the advantage of seeing and hearing one another.

Availing of the Globe Business Web Conferencing service also comes with a free subscription to Globe Business Audio Conferencing.

Globe Business Web Conferencing is powered by Cisco Webex, the world leader in web conferencing solutions, connecting more than 3 million people around the globe.

Globe Business Web Conferencing provides the chief advantage of instant communication in real time with business associates around the world using the Internet. Global Web Conferencing also builds business relationships because participants see each other as well as hear one another.

Another advantage is that conference participants can do more than see, speak to and hear one another: using the desktop sharing feature, then can send and receive information to each other’s computer.

This makes sharing information and collaboration faster and easier between participants. In this way, everyone is on the same page when they meet and can make suggestions and decisions based on the information they share.

Globe Business Web Conferencing also eliminates the need to travel overseas to meet business partners or clients. Instead of having to meet in person to deliver, share, and analyze information, they can already share and use information through their desktops. This saves a company considerable expense for business trips.

With Globe Business Web Conferencing companies can make more timely and more spot-on decisions.

Globe Business Telepresence

The most advanced level of Globe Business Collaboration Solutions is Globe Business Telepresence. This uses advanced collaboration technology—including high-definition video and spatial discrete audio--to create “virtual presences” or life-sized images of the conference participants.

It’s the closest thing to an in-person experience. Conference participants feel that they are interacting with each other, in-person, inside one room. They can make eye-contact with each other. The life-size images display smooth and realistic motion, so that gestures and facial expressions look clear and natural. The advanced audio makes sounds very natural and in-sync with the video images.

The experience of using Globe Business Telepresence is very life-like and simple, so participants can engage each other for several hours in close interaction without feeling fatigued. This solution is best used during critical negotiations, when meeting participants from different cultures, and for information sharing between experts.

Business disruptions are minimized because if natural disasters occur and travel becomes difficult or impossible, Globe Business Telepresence is a very good alternative to an actual, in person meeting.

                                                      

Globe Business Telepresence reduces the need to travel and allows participants to accomplish more, faster, and in less time. It also has an environment-friendly component: by cutting down on business trips, it  reduces a company’s “carbon footprint”, that is, it lessens the fuel they consume and the consequent emissions released in the process.

Discover futuristic, reliable, efficient, and effective teleconferencing options with these Globe Business Collaboration solutions. Consult a Globe Business Account Manager, visit Globe stores, call the Globe Business Hotline at +632 730-1010 or log on to http://www.globe.com.ph/business  today to find out more.

Globe Business is the corporate arm of Globe Telecom, the leading mobile telecommunications company in the Philippines. Globe Business provides wireless and wireline solutions for a diverse set of industries, businesses, and commercial enterprises. It assures SMEs of affordable, reliable, and dependable services for all communication needs, both wireless and wireline solutions, to generate the highest possible profit at the lowest possible cost.

Chikungunya Virus on the Move

DOH:  cases of dengue-like mosquito-borne disease now rising

Little did we know that aside from dengue, there are many other life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases that have hounded Filipinos for decades.  Though there is no vaccine available in the country to cure these illnesses, preventive measures are available to assure safety of adults and children alike.

Last October, the Department of Health (DOH) warned the public to take extra precautions against the chikungunya virus.  The DOH confirmed that there were 150 recorded cases of this dengue-like disease last month.  And last year, more than 1,000 cases of chikungunya were recorded in the country.

The origin

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus first reported in Africa in 1952 and has spread in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Europe and United States, infecting millions. Believed to be derived from an East African dialect that means “to be contorted,” chikungunya describes the curved posture of patients experiencing severe joint pain. 

Just like dengue, chikungunya virus was caused primarily by Aedes aegypti, the daytime biting mosquito and by Aedes albopictus, a species of mosquito that bites most actively at night.

CHILDREN need to be protected from the Chikungunya virus, a potentially fatal dengue-like infection transmitted by day-biting and night-biting mosquitoes. Level up their protection with Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion.

The warning signs

Chikungunya shares some clinical signs with dengue as both manifest skin rashes and a high fever.  Its most distinctive characteristic though is severe joint pain which usually ends within a few days or weeks. Although a number of patients fully recover after a few days or weeks, there are some cases that joint pain or arthritis may persist for several months, or even years. Another distinct factor between dengue and chikungunya is that the former affects mostly children, while the later affects adults.

The transmission

DOH expressed fear that the virus might spread more widely because it survives in temperate climates, the Philippines included.    Increases in global travel and climate change might have encouraged its spread.

Though no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease has been discovered yet and treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms only, there are preventive measures against the virus.

Level-up protection

Prevention and control rely heavily on getting rid of the natural and artificial water-filled breeding grounds of the mosquitoes.  Unattended bottles, cans and tires with water inside are the usual breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and if left unchecked, a single pool of water can produce hundreds of chikungunya virus-carrying mosquitoes.

Though clothing which minimizes skin exposure to these vectors is advisable; it is more prudent to use insect repellent lotions that can be applied anytime. And the most ideal insect repellent lotion is one that is effective not only against daytime-biting mosquitoes, but also mosquitoes that bite at night.

The new Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion is proven effective against both day and night mosquitoes, known carriers of both the dengue and chikungunya virus. It is ideal for families because it has long-lasting protection of up to10 hours, is hypoallergenic, and provides anti-bacterial protection that the Green Cross brand has always been known for.

The breakthrough discovery on day and night dengue-lamok teaches us to level up our anti-dengue measures. Now, with an additional threat on the move – chikungunya virus – this further teaches us to act on an urgent threat:  we need to change our mindsets and recognize the fact that insect repellent lotion may effectively protect us against these disease-carrying mosquitoes. 

A single mosquito bite may be deadly.  Do not let these pesky bugs come near you or your loved ones.  Use Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion as it may not only save your body from big red marks but also from serious illnesses like the chikungunya virus.

DON'T take mosquito bites for granted. Mosquitoes carry several potentially deadly viruses, including the dreaded Chikungunya virus. A Chikungunya infection may be fatal if left untreated--so it's best to prevent the infection by keeping away those pesky mosquitoes. Use Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion and level-up your kids' protection against mosquito-borne diseases.

Green Cross initiates dengue defense in school

This year has seen a noticeable mount of dengue cases in the country. According to the Department of Health‟s Dengue Surveillance Report, 95,142 victims have been affected by the mosquito-born disease in the first nine months of 2012 alone. A significant 12.94% increase from last year‟s same period, this turnaround left even school administration to be more vigilant and take extra preventive measures against the dreaded disease.

The widespread transmission of dengue

The hasty transmission of the resilient virus has led school administrators, particularly the Lourdes School of Mandaluyong (LSM), to ascertain that the mosquito vector‟s highly adaptable quality is partly to blame. “These mosquitoes can easily adapt to changes in the environment, find new places to breed and even effortlessly adjust to human settlements. Previous efforts like defogging would only temporarily drive mosquitoes away, and they would be here again to look for a new prey,” shares Ana Eva Bolinao, School Principal of LSM. Bolinao also reveals that the school has recorded 20 cases of dengue out of its total population of about 1,200 high school and grade school students.

The widespread resurgence of dengue may also be attributed to the latest discovery of experts of another mosquito vector stalking the city. Historically, dengue infection in the country had been attributed to the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, whose attack is far more common during the day. Entomologists have recently reported the presence of Aedes albopictus, a once confined species to forested areas, now in cities where people live. A secondary vector of the dengue virus, Ae. albopictus is as lethal as the Ae. aegypti and was found to be an active biter at late afternoon and even at night.

Preventive measures against dengue

Dr. Raymond Manuel, Pediatrician and School Physician of LSM shares that cleaning campaigns like defogging has been carried out in school premises usually after classes to destroy possible mosquito breeding grounds. However the school physician discloses that apart from mosquito larva killing and eliminating pools of stagnant water, the most effective dengue preventive measure are awareness campaigns. “Though we have adequate knowledge related to the disease „dengue,‟ others do not have sufficient knowledge about the virus. And while we have a number of preventive practices against the disease like defogging, its effectiveness against dengue will be very minimal if the victims themselves aren‟t well-informed of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes,” stresses Dr. Manuel. School-aged children, especially those below 10 years old, appeared to be more susceptible to dengue virus.

These kids have fewer antibodies that are considered necessary to protect themselves against infections and illnesses, dengue included.

The school has already incorporated dengue information dissemination campaign in classroom discussions during the students‟ science subject. This not only creates an opportunity for teachers to lead the class about the dangers of the disease, it all the more builds the students' knowledge from symptoms to preventive measures.

The Green Cross School Crashers

Very timely is the Green Cross School Crashers campaign which was recently launched at LSM and at several Metro Manila schools. As Green Cross sees the vital importance of awareness campaigns, it embarks a Day and Night Dengue Defense drive to acquaint young students and parents alike on facts about dengue. Through the Green Cross School Crashers, students get to understand the disease, its symptoms, and defensive measures in a fun and interactive way.

During the Green Cross School Crashers activity, grade school students meet Ms. Green, a Green Cross Insect Repellent Ambassador, and two costumed character mascots, Daytime Dengue Lamok (Ae. aegypti) and Nighttime Dengue Lamok (Ae. albopictus). The lessons are taught through interactive storytelling where kids learn all about dengue prevention and the dangers of dengue.

Children do not only learn about the harmful day and night dengue lamok but also get to take home educational brochures they may share with family members. Aside from useful tips to keep their homes and community from becoming the breeding sites of dengue lamok, the leaflet has fun activities inside and even a survey form kids can answer and get a chance to take home a limited edition school supply kit.

During the Green Cross School Crashers, the students learn the Day and Night Dengue Lamok defense, a stance similar to a karate block which shows how little kids block off deadly dengue lamok from coming near them.

All students will not go home empty handed.  Aside from learning about the harmful day and night dengue lamok, they also get to take home educational brochures with fun activities inside for them to answer and share with family members.

Grade school students meet the two naughty school crashers they need to avoid -Daytime Dengue Lamok (Ae. Aegypti) and Nighttime Dengue Lamok (Ae. Albopictus, and learn the deadly virus they carry with them.

The best line of defense

Though there are a number of initiatives to prevent breeding sites and protect oneself from dengue, the best line of defense is still personal protection. The use of insect repellents is highly advisable especially to protect those exposed skin one can not cover up with long-sleeved tops or pants. And the only proven protection against day and night dengue lamok is the new Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion. It protects you from harmful mosquitoes for up to 10 hours. It also has an antibacterial formulation proven to kill up to 99.9% of disease-causing germs, a benefit which Green Cross brand has always been known for. Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion is especially formulated to give complete protection from dengue mosquito bites, offering up to 10 hours protection per application.

There are a number of effective, eco-friendly and sustainable strategies to combat dengue. Both the local government and school administration are sharing collaborative efforts in stopping the spread of this dreaded disease. Awareness campaigns are of vital importance and the Green Cross School Crashers is a welcome effort to control the spread of dengue virus. Several schools have joined and discovered this innovative way to defend oneself against dengue. Enlist your school in the Green Cross School Crashers. For more information, visit  www.facebook.com/greencrossphilippines or call the Green Cross School Crashers hotline at 0917 976 5980.

Source: Department of Health Disease Surveillance Report Morbidity Week 35, Aug. 26 – Sept 1, 2012