OCR Text |
Show 14 Hilltop Times MISSION Aug. 11, 1989 Video network connects command, saves time, money and travel ft JU Things go well, corrections are made quickly and plans can now go forward on schedule, perhaps even ahead of time. It's not an unusual scene, except for the fact that, thanks to the Video Teleconferencing Network, those involved never had to leave then-bas-e for the conference. They do it via television. VTCN saves both time and money by allowing personnel at Hill: to confer with Air Force Logistics Command Headquarters at Wright-Patterso- n and four other air logistics centers across the county. The other centers involved are Tinker; San Antonio ALC, Texas; Sacramento ALC, Calif.; and W arner Robins ALC, G a. Run through a satellite hookup, the program has been on line since June 1987 and saves between $345,000 and $400,000 each year. The savings comes in time and money which would have been spent to fund temporary duty assignments to conduct briefings, Gayleen Vestal, VTCN facilitator, said. "It is a great management tool," Ms. Vestal said. "It allows you to spend less time away from your office, provides contact and allows the briefing process to flow faster." The VTCN conference room is located in the basement of Bldg. 1102 and can hold 11 people. Six more people can also be seated in the room if folding chairs are brought in. Contracted through American Telephone & Telegraph Co.; the program has the capability to provide those involved in a teleconference to see the speaker on one screen and to view a computer screen, slides, viewgraphs, VCR tapes or a by Debbie Christiansen I Hilltop Times staff writer People from Hill AFB, Wright-Patterso- n AFB, Ohio, and Tinker AFB, Okla., meet for an interactive briefing. : mM- - r; - ' ' ... ' ' ' t - ; liil'" 'llllll v-- V'i. ' ;' , .7.;-""- ''. ' V - one-on-o- ne BIBililillS :s hard copy. Its capabilities can also be expanded by an au- dio hookup which allows people anywhere in the world to hear the teleconference, Ms. Vestal said. Or, teleconferences can be videotaped to be shown, to others at a later date. The Directorate of Communications-Compute- r o items t i ii me is exploring oys possiDimy oi connecting the Local Area Network system to VTCN. When this is done, users will have the capability to hear and see the teleconference, though they aren't able to actively participate in the proceedings. They are also considering the addition of Videoshow, a graphics program that almost every directorate here has, to the system, she said. Ms. Vestal oversees three to five teleconferences a day, sometimes beginning at 6 a.m. and often staying late to accommodate the differing time zones ALCs using VTCN are in. One misconception people may have about VTCN is that it is only for high ranking personnel to use. The facilities are available for anyone on base to use, she said, v v "The innovation is just beginning to expand," Ms. Vestal said. Those interested in scheduling a teleconference should contact Ms. Vestal one to two months in advance, depending on how flexible their sched- ule is, at Exts. 70926 or 70927. -- ' ., - J n " - ' " - Cross country meeting Gayleen Vestal, left, VTCN facilitator, adjusts the sound levels being transmitted during a teleconference. Below, the control panel allows users to direct almost every aspect of the conference. Above, Ms. Vestal shows Walt Gris-soacting chief of the operations division int he Directorate of Plans and Programs, how to s operate the control panel. In top photo, can be displayed on the screen for all centers to view at the same time during a m, view-graph- U.S. Air Force Photos by Sgt. Jay A. Joertz X i |