(openPR) - Real-time video conferencing and broadcasting “the next best thing to being there.”

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – March 26, 2009 – Communication methods have exploded in the past several years, but none of them have improved interaction better than live video conferencing and broadcasting.

That’s according to a recent white paper exploring the benefits and challenges of video conferencing for small and midsize companies and organizations.

“Video fills a communication gap,” said Victor von Schlegell, president of Appia Communications. “When I started in business, all you had was a phone and a fax machine. Today, there’s email, chat, and more. But these are all impersonal forms of communication, which do not allow people to see each other and truly interact. Video fills this gap – it’s the next best thing to being there.”

Sourced from an interview with von Schlegell, the paper provides background on video communication, lists the traditional barriers to adoption, and discusses the next-generation solutions that are enabling organizations of all sizes to benefit from video communication.

The complete white paper can be read or downloaded for free at www.appiaservices.com/pages/white-papers/.

About Appia Communications

Appia Communications is a leading provider of managed IT and telecommunications services, enabling small and midsize companies and organizations to benefit from Internet Protocol technology for far less than the cost of an in-house implementation. Appia’s managed solutions help customers reduce costs, enhance employee productivity, improve customer care, and compete more effectively against much larger enterprises.

Headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, Appia has operations in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, and other markets in North America and Europe. Appia was named to Inc. magazine’s list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in both 2007 and 2008, and was named one of the world’s Top Five Managed Service Providers on the 2008-09 MSPmentor 100.

For more information, please visit www.appiaservices.com or call 877-277-4297. Appia is a Cisco Powered Network and holds advanced Cisco communications certifications.

Appia Communications
1030 Hastings St, Suite 100
Traverse City, MI 49686
USA
877-277-4297
info@appiaservices.com
www.appiaservices.com

Matt Cowall
Communications Manager
877-277-4297
matt@appiaservices.com