LONDON, October 20, 2009 - TANDBERG, the leading global provider of telepresence, high-definition video conferencing and mobile video products and services today announces that Amey has cut 40,000 kilos of carbon emissions and saved £180,000 in its first year using its systems.
Amey, one of the UK's leading public services company, manages and supports the vital infrastructure and public services from 200 sites across the UK. This had required the Company's 11,000 employees to travel extensively, with 80% of its carbon footprint attributed to travel and transport.
As part of an initiative to reduce its carbon footprint and reduce the safety risks associated with constant travelling, Amey turned to TANDBERG's video conferencing solutions to implement a new way of working.
"Lots of people were driving long distances for fairly short, routine meetings," said Keith Sexton, Amey's Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality. "We have worked on a solution that will drive productivity and increase safety while reducing Amey's carbon footprint.
To meet the Board's conditions, Amey created the 'VMeetings' to enable staff to schedule virtual meetings and register attendees through its intranet. This allowed them to capture government data and use it to calculate overall costs and carbon savings.
Amey installed a number of TANDBERG's Edge 95s and 1700 MXPs, as well as TANDBERG's Management Suite. Selected for its ease of use, the technology is the backbone of Amey's smarter working initiative.
"It's a reliable product" says Steve Banks, Amey's Head of IT. "IT has liked the look and feel of it from the start, and has enabled an integrated system to be expeditiously managed for what are now nearly 50 systems around the country."
TANDBERG's video conferencing solutions have also helped Amey improve its employees' safety and work-life balance, not to mention boosted their productivity and the Company's internal communication levels. Mel Ewell, Amey's CEO, now updates his colleagues every six weeks on the Company's progress and his 'state of the nation' messages can be transmitted to a dozen locations.
Mel Ewell comments: "TANDBERG's video conferencing technology has made Amey a far more efficient organisation and has enhanced our ability to communicate as a company. The technology not only allows Amey to drive sustainability but helps to ensure the safety of our employees."
Using the video conferencing technology has also become invaluable to Amey when bidding for new contracts. "Certainly with government contracts, if we can prove we are actually reducing our carbon footprint, it gives us a commercial edge," said Ewell.
The technology has been a great success within the organisation. Holding video conferences has become so popular that the company has calculated an estimated 78% return-on-investment on the technology.
"The return on this investment has been first class, but there's more we can do," said Ewell. "Besides more hardware, Amey plans to fully integrate TANDBERG's systems with other internal communication tools."
He added: "The Company also wants to cut unnecessary flights, including those to Spain, home of Amey's parent company, Ferrovial. Good news travels fast, and Ferrovial itself is interested in taking video conferencing group-wide. The ROI for video conferencing is so transparent it's just not arguable – it's a very easy business case to make."
About TANDBERG
TANDBERG is the leading global provider of telepresence, high-definition video conferencing and mobile video products and services. Dually headquartered in New York and Norway, TANDBERG designs, develops and markets systems and software for video, voice and data. The company provides sales, support and value-added services in over 90 countries and is publicly traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker TAA.OL. Visit www.tandberg.com for more information.
TANDBERG is a trademark or registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
