Real Time Services
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One of the issues we face on a regular basis is the difference between commercial and consumer grade displays. Both look more or less the same, are available in the same sizes, and perform the same basic function, yet there are significant differences between the two families of product. The first and most obvious is price. There is no doubt about it, the consumer displays are a lot less expensive. And often they are advertised with compelling feature sets, not to mention they typically look sleeker than their commercial cousins. So with so much going for the consumer displays, why do we always strongly recommend using a commercial product in our installed systems? If we examine the differences between the two product types, the answer will be evident.

The biggest difference is the application. Commercial displays are meant to be used in commercial environments. They are sealed to prevent dust from getting inside and messing things up. They are designed to operate continuously 24/7 without failure for several years, whereas a consumer display is only intended to be watched a few hours a day, and never for days at a time. In order to withstand the abuse, the case is beefed up, durable metal parts are used in place of flimsy plastic, and active cooling systems to remove the excess heat are employed.

Other key differences also reveal the different applications that displays find themselves in integrated systems. One of the most important ones is control. Consumer displays often sport the EPA’s EnergyStar logo. Unfortunately, this standard does not yet apply to commercial products, in large part due to the requirements of two-way communication. In order to provide feedback to a third-party control system (such as AMX or Crestron), all connected devices are in constant contact with the controller. This requires a constant flow of power, but also allows the control system to always know the status of the devices it is controlling.

Another difference is connectivity. The consumer displays typically have HDMI connections, the commercial ones can handle the professional connectors such as BNCs, along with a much wider variety of computer input formats (frequencies and resolutions). There is also usually a lot more flexibility in setup, calibration, and configuration of the commercial displays.

So what does all this mean in practice? The commercial displays come with a 2-3 year warranty, the consumer displays between 30 days and 1 year. Aside from being an indication of a higher quality, more durable product, the extended warranty can easily save the difference in price over a consumer device over the lifetime of the display. So we see that in the end, just as with most things in life, you tend to get what you pay for.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY (Nov. 2009) – RTS Unified Communications hires Armand to lead their new office in Pennsylvania.

RTS Unified Communications (RTS), a leading provider of AV and IT product and services, announced it has opened a new regional office in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The strategic location and the addition of Jill Armand, Principal, who has extensive experience in the communications industry, will allow the company to better serve its client-base.

“As part of our ongoing expansion, RTS is pleased to open its latest office in Pennsylvania. The strategic location of the PA office as well as the addition of Jill Armand allows us to better serve our client base,” said CEO John J. Pepe. “We are very excited to open this office. We wanted to formalize our PA presence and we were waiting to find the right person to help us do that. We look forward to what Jill’s knowledge and experience can offer our customers in the Pennsylvania marketplace.”

Jill Armand brings with her over 17 years experience in the Communications industry. She will be managing and expanding the Pennsylvania office as well as supporting key initiatives within the company. Armand spent the beginning of her career with Advanced Audio Visual Sales, Inc., the first 8 years as their top account executive and the last 9 years as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Armand is a graduate of University of Delaware in Newark and holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.

About RTS Unified Communications
RTS Unified Communications is an industry-certified leading provider of design, engineering, project management, installation, service and support for AV/IT clients. Our core strengths include telecommunications, infrastructure, audiovisual, security and information technology services including a complete after care support and service model. The company is headquartered in New York and has offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Colorado. For more information please visit www.rtsunicom.com.

Contact
John J. Pepe, CEO
130 West 42nd Street
Suite 350
New York, NY 10036

A well-designed conference facility not only improves communications, it can also have a direct impact on your bottom line. Here’s how:

In the old days, calling a conference meant calling a group of people together, handing out a brief and saying, “Okay, let’s read through this together.” The result was that you’d probably have each person reading a different part of the document at any one time. As a result, you rarely had everyone “one the same page.”

Today, thanks to advances in video and audio technology, you can produce sales presentations or internal communications that allow you carefully manage the flow of information in a meeting. You can address a single point and direct everyone’s attention to it. In an environment like that, an experienced presenter can tell who is getting the message and who isn’t. So the first way advanced conferencing technology improves organizational performance is by enabling you to create focus and determine how receptive attendees are to your message.

Unfortunately, having conferencing technology that is poorly designed, doesn’t work, or is too complex for everyday people to use leads to problems. But when you have a facility with reliable, easy-to-use, equipment, it allows the users to focus on their presentation without worrying about whether the equipment is going to work or not.

This ability to focus is especially critical if the facility is being used to develop new business or as a space to work with existing clients to solve their problems. In a nutshell, a well-designed conference room makes you look good to your prospects and clients. And that has a direct impact on your business-development results. After all, in today’s world, the medium is indeed the message.

The third way effectively designed AV facilities help your bottom line is when you face a crisis or need to respond to a fast-breaking deal. It allows you to gather the necessary decision makers together and take action quickly without the delays caused by people’s schedules and the logistics involved with physically bringing them together.

The thing to remember is that now companies have the ability to create conferencing facilities that solve specific business problems. Have to manage a far-flung workforce or service clients around the world? The conferencing technology is available to address it. But more than that, a well-designed facility radically improves how well you connect with your employees and your marketplace. Whether you need to communicate with people across the globe or simply across the table, a conferencing facility should be designed to help your organization function at a higher level than it would without it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY (Nov. 2009) – Real Time Services, Inc. changes company name to RTS Unified Communications

Real Time Services, Inc. announced their new company name – “RTS Unified Communications” – accompanied by a corporate-wide re-branding initiative to present a consistent approach to all their product and service offerings.

CEO John J. Pepe states:
“Our clients have asked for a single partner to support the converged markets of IT and A/V. This consolidation helps them achieve cohesion, consistency and accountability. While our company name and branding has changed, our customers and partners can be assured that we will continue to deliver the same reliable technology, service, and support that they’ve known us for over the years.”

About RTS Unified Communications
RTS Unified Communications is an industry-certified leading provider of design, engineering, project management, installation, service and support for AV/IT clients. Our core strengths include telecommunications, infrastructure, audiovisual, security and information technology services including a complete after care support and service model. The company is headquartered in New York and has offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Colorado. For more information please visit www.rtsunicom.com.

Contact
John J. Pepe, CEO
130 West 42nd Street
Suite 350
New York, NY 10036