SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, August 21, 2018 — When you manufacture computing products specifically designed for harsh environments, where failure simply is not an option, your in-company communication system falls under that same no-margin-for-error mantra. Thus, when U.K.-based Steatite, a sister company of Solid State Supplies, was looking to implement a new video conferencing solution they chose one that complied with their “failure is not an option” credo and selected ClearOne (NASDAQ: CLRO), a leading global provider of audio and visual communications solutions, and their COLLABORATE Pro 300 video conferencing system.
“We were looking to implement a video conferencing solution across all offices to improve engagement with our employees, remote sales forces and customers, and, at the same time, reduce the ‘dead’ time spent travelling to and from meetings, and the associated travel costs,” said Jonathan Jackson, Operations Director for Steatite. “Once our system integrator, Bamboo Technology Group, made a strong recommendation for ClearOne, we confidently went with their COLLABORATE Pro 300 system.” Bamboo Technology Group installed ClearOne’s COLLABORATE Pro 300 system in each of Steatite’s five office locations to deliver enterprise-grade video and professional-quality audio conferencing. “We’re seeing that effective collaboration is increasingly critical to employee satisfaction and workplace productivity, and the ClearOne COLLABORATE Pro 300 provides Steatite with a video conferencing solution that not only improves collaboration, it also improves sales efficiency while reducing costs,” said Ben Rossiter, Account Manager at Bamboo.
The improved company collaboration has been made possible in part by the COLLABORATE Pro 300’s ability to stream various forms of content from PCs onto displays wirelessly. The ClearOne system brings traditional SIP/H.323 video conferencing, Skype® for Business, Spontania cloud video, audio and web conferencing and multi-user wireless presentation into a single appliance all with a consistent user interface and user experience. And with the COLLABORATE Pro 300 company training can now take place more frequently and incorporate a much wider audience. Regarding the benefits that ClearOne’s Spontania cloud service provides, Jackson added, “Spontania’s functionality to simultaneously connect boardroom conferencing technology, with remote participants using their desktops or mobile devices has allowed Steatite and Solid State Supplies to reap the benefits of video conferencing and collaboration across both companies.” The system also features ClearOne UNITE 150 PTZ cameras which guarantee superior video quality (HD video with 1080p 30fps) to deliver more natural video collaboration. ClearOne’s CHAT 150C speakerphones are specifically designed for group collaboration with their market-leading HDConference™ audio processing, proprietary echo, noise cancellation and full-duplex technology.
Bamboo Technology Group also provided training at each office location. The initial installation was in the Redditch Head Offices, where more advanced training was provided to the Steatite onsite IT Team. This allowed Steatite and Solid State Supplies to be self-sufficient in administration and support. All other locations had training on a day-to-day basis, which has ensured that the ClearOne video conferencing and collaboration solution has been effective right from the start. Once the Steatite team began working with the COLLABORATE Pro 300 system, positive results with customers, suppliers and employees quickly followed. A perfect example of the system’s immediate benefit was a demonstration from a supplier in Steatite’s head office of a new process system. Using the Pro 300 training was fast, efficient and extremely cost effective for Steatite. “Without the ClearOne COLLABORATE Pro 300 solution multiple people would have had to travel to a single office to attend a three-hour training session, resulting in countless collective unproductive hours per person” said Jackson.
In addition, Jackson claims the ClearOne solution has revolutionized monthly sales meetings. Sales team members no longer drive across the country to attend. Instead they join from their home office, enabling the team to productively use the time spent travelling and significantly reduce the associated travel costs. “The document-sharing capability provided by the ClearOne solution has proven more beneficial than expected for us and has been really well received by all meeting participants,” said Jackson. With the success of the initial installation and usage, Steatite is considering the purchase of additional Spontania Cloud Meeting Rooms and having administration rights rolled out to individual sales people so they can conduct more meetings when working remotely. Steatite meetings are now often scheduled via videoconferencing as the first option due to the efficiency of the ClearOne solution. For Steatite, among the key requirements for this new collaboration solution were that it needed to seamlessly integrate with existing room-based video conferencing systems and mobile devices and that all Steatite’s data remain secure. ClearOne video conferencing solutions support cross-platform Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices and perhaps most importantly, all conference room content is secure as protecting the interests of their customers is something ClearOne takes very seriously.
The return on investment delivered by ClearOne’s COLLABORATE Pro 300 system was instantly realized for Steatite as it is now more widely used to hold internal, client and supplier meetings enabling smooth and uncomplicated collaboration, which in turn speeds up decision making. “Bamboo Technology Group together with ClearOne has delivered a video conferencing and collaboration solution that was easily deployed and which is easy to use. Its implementation has been a success across all offices with all users. The amount of use of the solution is the measurement of its success. The ClearOne solution is being used more and more which is saving us more and more money,” said Jackson.
About Bamboo Technology Group
Bamboo is a leading ICT company based in Cheltenham with over two decades of experience helping customers grow their business through technology that is fit for purpose. Bamboo can support anything from telephony needs to ICT, providing a safe pair of hands, offering guidance or support and advice – its team is there to help. Bamboo’s success is based on making connections that last and achieves this by taking the time to listen carefully and understand what’s truly needed. It looks at where its customers are, where they are heading and how they plan to get there. Bamboo then designs solutions based on what its customers really need.
About Steatite
Established in 1938, with headquarters in Redditch, U.K., Steatite is a market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of rugged portable and industrial embedded computing, custom lithium battery packs, secure communication systems and antennas. Our focus is on providing highly reliable technology for use in harsh environments, where failure is not an option. Over the years we have developed a first-class reputation for providing solutions that precisely meet the operational demands of our customers. Custom engineering is at the heart of our business. As a result, dedicated in-house teams support clients by designing, manufacturing and testing the most advanced range of products and systems tailored to their specific application requirements. We also operate an extensive battery assembly plant in Crewkerne, somerset, and a ‘world class’ antenna manufacturing unit in Leominster, Herefordshire, where we operate some of the UK’s most advanced test equipment. Our technology enables our customers to operate in some of the world’s most extreme environments.
About ClearOne
ClearOne is a global market leader enabling conferencing, collaboration, and network streaming solutions. The performance and simplicity of its advanced, comprehensive solutions offer unprecedented levels of functionality, reliability and scalability. Visit ClearOne at www.clearone.com.