Polycom, the leader in unified communications, along with Right To Play are bringing children together with Olympians through video collaboration. Right To Play is an international charity that believes in the transformative power that play can give to children. They used face-to-face video collaboration from Polycom as a gateway between Right To Play Athlete Ambassadors, such as Canadian cyclist Clara Hughs, and disadvantaged children in Rwanda, allowing them to share their passion and dedication about overcoming challenges and obstacles.
Johann Olav Koss, the founder of Right To Play and four-time gold medalist knows that not only do sports bring simple enjoyment to children, but it is a welcome distraction in regions that are torn apart by war or other unpleasant conditions. He notes that Right To Play and Polycom reflect each other’s commitment in bringing people together for a mutually beneficial purpose.
The live video conversations between athletes and Rwandan children were just one of the many contributions that Polycom was able to make at the summer games. Polycom made its ECC (Executive Experience Center), including the state-of-the-art video and art collaboration at Liverpool Street, free of charge and available to the press. The “Surviving Summer 2012- Flexible Working eKit” was also made available, showcasing how efficient video collaboration has made working from home and on the go. This eKit was important to the preparation that London underwent for the summer games with the goal of working toward flexible working initiatives.
The summer games were just the tip of the iceberg for the collaboration between Polycom and Right To Play. In April of 2012 the two organizations formed a partnership, and as a result Polycom is donating several video solutions to Right To Play. These solutions include the Polycom® RealPresence® Room system at the Right To Play headquarters in Toronto, as well as Polycom® RealPresence Mobile® for off-campus staff members, community volunteers and local coaches. The idea behind these two video solutions is to allow staff at Right To Play’s headquarters and regional offices to train coaches and other community volunteers in countries including Ethiopia, Peru, Ghana, China and Jordan as if they are face-to-face with the high-definition audio and visual clarity from Polycom video. These Polycom systems will help communication standards and collaboration among Right To Play staff, allow the charity to handle complex conversations across continents with ease through face-to-face discussions as well as train a higher number of local coaches. Additionally the Polycom RealPresence Mobile allows donors to obtain a better understanding of Right To Play and how they are aiding the organization.
For more information on the partnership between Polycom and Right To Play, click here!
