Geoff Constable of the Welsh Video Network and the University of Aberystwyth describes the work of the WVN, and the experiences of users of the service

1. The Welsh Video Network: Supporting Video Conferencing in Welsh Education: User Experience
Geoff Constable, Kate Wright, Sue Chambers, Beverley Herring
06.03.2012 | By videoconference from Gogerddan Campus, Aberystwyth University

2. Welsh Video Network
• Supporting approximately 200 Studios (originally 82)
• Field Service
• Service Desk – Help Desk service
• Teaching and Learning Support and Training
• Uses JANET Videoconferencing Service
• JVCS Use in Wales far in advance of geographical size, population
or number of establishments compared to other UK regions
15000
Number of
10000
WVN
5000 Conferences
Hours of WVN
0 Conferences
01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Number of
WVN 1392 2446 2719 3071 3025 4847 6052 6779 6913 7976
Conferences
Hours of
WVN 3550 5507 5120 5234 5106 7221 8786 10182 10555 11783
Conferences

3. ‘How Green Was My Videoconference?’
• JISC Funding from “Greening ICT” programme 2010 - 2011
• Aim: to evaluate carbon cost of videoconferencing and savings that
could be made by using VC to replace travel
• Little information published by equipment manufacturers on
carbon footprint of their products
• More use of VC - greener it becomes, more value from the
purchase of the equipment
• Encouraged use by identifying potential users
• Found people like it!
Single compact studio =
All figures Kg of CO2 eq Single full studio = four monitors, two
one monitor, one
emissions unless otherwise cameras, projector, PC, documents
camera, mic and
stated camera, control equipment, etc.
speakers
Lifetime Carbon Footprint
2,824 306.5
(10 years life)
Annual carbon footprint (10
282 30.7
years life) above/10
Miles in average petrol car
827 miles 90 miles
needed to offset the above1
All figures are approximate and based on available information, WVN support travel, power
consumption tests and a number of assumptions – see project documentation for details.
[1] Based on the 2010 DEFRA average petrol car figure of 0.341 kg per passenger mile (actually 0.34094 kg/mile)

4. Aberystwyth University users:
• I.S. supports four centrally supported studios
• 585 videoconferences were booked at these in 2009-10.
• A survey of internal VC use in early 2011 found that:
• around 70% respondents had participated in a virtual meeting
(audio, video and web conferencing) in 2010, of which
• around 60% had used the university VC suites.
• Around 65% respondents said their last virtual meeting had been
completely successful in meeting its objectives, and
• 55% said it definitely or almost certainly replaced a face to face
meeting.
• Of the latter, the virtual meeting avoided an average of 320 miles
travelled there and back at an average cost of nearly £200.

5. Aberystwyth University users:
• Beverley Herring, Business Liaison Officer (GO Wales), Aberystwyth
University Careers Service
• Sue Chambers, Director of Human Resources, Aberystwyth
University
• Kate Wright, E-learning Development Officer, Aberystwyth
University

6. Encouraging use:
• Develop a policy, provide clear support, use standards-based
equipment, dedicate a room, make it easy to book and access,
provide training, offer taster sessions, use it yourself.
Negatives?
• People networking ‘social’ elements may be missing,
thinking/discussion /working time while travelling may be lost,
serendipity found when attending events can be lost, possibility of
technical problems…
Benefits:
• Save time, save carbon emissions, be more efficient, make
meetings more accessible, gain access to busy people, save money.

7. Help and advice…
• Welsh Video Network: www.wvn.ac.uk
• JANET Videoconferencing: www.ja.net/services/video/
• Video Technologies Advisory Service: www.ja.net/vtas
• How Green… www.wvn.ac.uk/en/projects/greenict/
• V-Factor: www.wvn.ac.uk/en/projects/vfactor/
Contact Details
• Geoff Constable
• www.youtube.com/greenvideoconference
• 01970 622475
• ccc@aber.ac.uk
• @gardeninggeoff