| The benefits of video conferencing have been | | | | Service through the video conferencing system. The |
| well-known for some time: reduced travel budget, | | | | benefits of this service to companies include employee |
| facilitated collaboration, more cost-effective use of | | | | benefit solutions, such as onsite medical assistance, |
| billable employee time, access to off-premise experts | | | | immediate access to a physician, prescriptions and |
| such as trainers or lawyers, access to employees in | | | | refills, health profiles, preventative screening, and |
| other locations, etc. However, until recently, the cost of | | | | chronic disease management. The service also |
| the equipment, the special expertise needed to | | | | provides employees with wellness training, smoking |
| operate it, and low picture and sound quality have | | | | cessation programs, stress management, nutritional |
| been major factors inhibiting the widespread use of | | | | counseling and therapy, and a 24 hour TeleNurse. HR |
| video conferencing. For Houston and surrounding | | | | departments are aided with healthcare reporting, |
| areas, those problems have disappeared. Video | | | | assistance in obtaining carrier credit for reduced health |
| conferencing vendors everywhere have been | | | | insurance costs, individualized healthcare plans and |
| scrambling to revamp their products in the past few | | | | tracking of patient compliance, OSHA training |
| years to make their systems better, more affordable, | | | | compliance, pre-employment screening, support with |
| and easier to use and manage. But no one that | | | | integrated data merge in records, and data capture |
| I’ve researched has come close to the product | | | | that meets HIPPA guidelines. |
| that Houston’s Phonoscope offers in terms of | | | | Phonoscope has affiliated with a local law firm, Marc J. |
| price, quality, applications, and ease of use. | | | | Krasney, P.C., to offer corporate In-House counsel |
| Phonoscope has been a technology leader in Houston | | | | services, via their Phonoscope units on a flat fee |
| since opening in 1953 and holds the nation’s | | | | monthly basis. This service is for any company |
| largest privately owned fiber optic Metropolitan Area | | | | requiring dedicated in-house legal management without |
| Network (MAN). Phonoscope provided | | | | the need or resources for an in-house legal |
| Houston’s first cable television company, and in | | | | department or outside law firm. Gone are the days |
| 1958, began the installation of the world’s first | | | | where you must drive across town and face traffic to |
| large scale “talk and see” two-way audio | | | | meet with your counsel to discuss questions arising out |
| video television network for the Galveston School | | | | of normal day-to-day operations such as contracting, |
| District—the original video conferencing system. | | | | leasing, corporate law and procedure, and employment |
| Today, Phonoscope supplies customers with the most | | | | law. By simply dialing a four-digit number, companies |
| innovative video conferencing available at a | | | | can visit face-to-face with a lawyer and at the same |
| reasonable price without huge upfront equipment | | | | time review any documents. This law firm also assists |
| expense. With its massive fiber optic coverage in | | | | with negotiating and signing agreements with |
| Houston, Phonoscope is near most business locations | | | | customers, suppliers, employees, subcontractors, |
| throughout the Greater Houston Area, spanning five | | | | distributors, and regulatory agencies, and perform |
| counties to reach locations such as Baytown, Freeport, | | | | Corporate Secretarial Functions. Marc J. Krasney, P.C. |
| Magnolia, Richmond-Rosenberg, Splendora, Texas City | | | | can help you prepare materials for director and |
| and Willis, Texas. | | | | shareholder meetings, attend the meetings via |
| Ten years ago, companies were paying on an | | | | Phonoscope, give advice on corporate procedures, |
| average of $75,000 or more for a standard video | | | | store your corporate books, and produce minutes. |
| conferencing system with only enough equipment for a | | | | For lawyers, Phonoscope Video Conferencing System |
| couple of conference rooms. Now you can find | | | | will soon connect their law firm to the Harris County |
| room-based systems for as little as $5,000 to $20,000 | | | | Courthouse so the lawyer can appear via video rather |
| and then you pay monthly for your broadband | | | | than in person for motion hearings. Phonoscope Legal |
| service--still fairly pricey for many small to mid-size | | | | Service is partnering with key mediators through the |
| companies. Enter Phonoscope with no equipment | | | | Greater Houston area market to allow lawyers the |
| purchase costs. The Phonoscope high definition Video | | | | ability to participate in mediation without leaving the |
| Conferencing System is supplied through the | | | | office and offers a full service court reporting |
| company’s utility services, and the equipment is | | | | company with knowledgeable court reporters that will |
| provided and maintained as part of the monthly | | | | allow the firm to conduct depositions over the |
| service. Phonoscope offers T3 Internet services, | | | | Phonoscope network. The deposition is conducted just |
| allowing video conferencing to transfer through fiber | | | | as if the lawyer were actually in the room with the |
| optics, putting their competition at the end of the line in | | | | witness without needless delay typically associated |
| regard to reliability, latency and speed. However, the | | | | with video conferencing, and the deposition is recorded |
| true value of the Phonoscope’s system is | | | | in real time. Both the video and the transcript will be |
| found in the video conferencing applications the | | | | available immediately following the deposition (in a |
| company offers: health services, legal services, | | | | rough draft form) on a dedicated server accessed |
| corporate training, education, and more. | | | | through password protected software from anyplace |
| Medical professionals are available by simply dialing a | | | | at anytime. |
| four-digit number to Phonoscope’s Health | | | | |