2008-11-13

High Definition Remote Video Conferencing at Lietuvos Geležinkeliai

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Intelligent engineering solutions company FIMA together with its partner Alna Intelligence will design, deliver, and install the communication system for video conferencing at Lietuvos Geležinkeliai. It will be the first video conferencing project of such scope and modernity in the Baltic States.

“It may be clearly stated that such video conferencing system will significantly improve the activity planning and management at Lietuvos Geležinkeliai since the managers of one of the largest companies will be able to communicate easier and coordinate better their activities among the divisions located all over Lithuania. The most advanced video cameras which will ensure the feeling of almost real communication are used in the project. As the system will be connected to the existing high capacity data transmission networks, the communication from geographically remote objects will be very smooth” – Eugenijus Kurtinaitis, Director of Telecommunication Solutions Department of FIMA, the company responsible for the project implementation, said.

The video conferencing system will be installed at 25 remote administrative centres of Lietuvos Geležinkeliai that are located all over Lithuania, i.e. starting from Vilnius and ending at Bugeniai (Mažeikiai region) and Giruliai (Klaipėda region). High definition LCD displays, video cameras, and the discussion systems will be installed in each video conferencing centre.

The communication system for video conferencing will be connected to and operate together with the existing telephone communication system including general numbering, call control, and other call handling processes. For example, during the video conference it will be possible to make a telephone call to an absent person and involve him/her into the discussion.

“Installation of such video conferencing equipment is one of many steps of Lietuvos Geležinkeliai modernizing its communications system. The video conferencing system is very important for the enterprise of such size with a lot of remote divisions since it enables a more expeditious intercommunication, more effective decision making and discussion of the projects under implementation, and also saves the trip expenses when going to the meetings” – Vidmantas Vaškevičius, Head of Telecommunications Division of Alna Intelligence, said.

The system will have quite a number of automation solutions. For example, when one of the attendees of the meeting turns on the microphone, the video camera will be automatically steered in the speaker direction. Also, it will be possible to see both the speaker and his/her presented material (presentations or other information) at one time on the display; and a lot of possibilities to choose other options.

According to FIMA representative, such system could also be applied in other spheres, e.g. the judicial system. Having introduced such system, there would be no need to transport the suspects from lockups to the courts. In Lithuania, the defendants’ transportation procedures are strictly governed and high safety requirements are applied; and their implementation takes a lot of time and costs quite big money. The modern video conferencing system would allow to save this money.

The project implemented in Lietuvos Geležinkeliai is planned to be finished in April of the next year.