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Three easy steps to improve your A/V capabilities

By: dmc-admin//January 5, 2009//

Three easy steps to improve your A/V capabilities

By: dmc-admin//January 5, 2009//

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Boston – Interface with clients. Perform a mock trial. View a recorded deposition.

An effective small firm can be expected to service clients in multiple cities and states, and that can’t always be done face-to-face.

To accommodate these expectations, many firms have adopted new videoconferencing capabilities.

Richey Madison, a law firm planner and architectural designer at Saint Louis, Mo.-based strategic design firm Christener Inc., offers the following quick and easy steps every firm can take to outfit itself with 21st century technology.

Step 1: Know your budget.

In the ideal scenario, Madison suggests that firms install commercial-grade equipment because it is more reliable and longer-lasting than residential grade, even though it is more expensive.

One cost-cutting technique for the budget-conscious firm is to make use of equipment already owned by the firm, such as laptops or projectors, and build an infrastructure from there.

“Most firms have all this extra equipment that they use to bridge until they get a better system in place,” said Madison. “A well thought-out plan can utilize these.”

Basic advancements can be made for surprisingly little money. For example, web conferencing can be done on various software programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, or on the website MegaMeeting.com.

Step 2: Consider your upgrades.

To save time, outfit your conference room with wireless Internet access points. These can be jacks attached to a conference table so the user can simply plug in his or her laptop and get right to work.

Wall-mounted LCD monitors make for a sharper picture than a projector screen and are a cost-effective upgrade, considering the declining prices of LCD television monitors.

For more complicated systems, the overall costs can range from $15,000 to $60,000.

Step 3: Protect your investment.

If your firm does not have an in-house IT person or does not want to pay to train someone, Madison suggests seeking out companies which install the systems they design.

This will result in fewer service and functionality issues, he said, as they will have more experience with any potential hiccups in service.

Some companies that provide automated technologies for your office, such as Crestron, also provide web-based technical assistance.

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