Infotech Lead America: Polycom, a provider of in open standards-based unified communications solutions, announced it is supporting the video collaboration efforts at Brazil’s Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE).
UFPE has recently implemented Polycom OTX immersive solutions powered by Polycom RealPresence video collaboration solutions to improve the level of healthcare delivered to patients in hundreds of small towns.
Polycom OTX uses immersive HD video to create a shared virtual space, delivering a natural and realistic collaboration environment. Polycom’s solution serves as a hub for UFPE’s Telehealth Nucleus (NUTES) network, which is designed to administer the Brazilian Telehealth Network program, which includes the installation and operation of more than 100 telehealth sites in each Brazilian state.
With Polycom video powering its core telehealth efforts via the NUTES network, UFPE is able to offer interactive, face-to-face courses that teach the latest medical advances and breakthroughs to more than 2,000 healthcare professionals. The network is also part of a nationwide telemedicine university network known as RUTE (Rede Universitaria de Telemedicina).
The Polycom RealPresence OTX room is one of six immersive telepresence rooms located throughout Brazil’s teaching and research institutions and launched by the National Teaching and Research Network (RNP). Others are located at Rio de Janeiro State University UERJ (Pedro Ernesto Hospital in Rio de Janeiro), FINEP (Rio de Janeiro), RNP (Brasília), UFMG (Belo Horizonte University Hospital) and UNIFESP (São Paulo Hospital, in São Paulo).
“Polycom RealPresence solutions help mitigate the problem of scarce medical specialists in remote areas of Brazil with a telehealth network built on Polycom RealPresence Immersive theater solutions. That network connects urban specialists via high-definition immersive video with remote patients to greatly expand access to expert care,” said Dr. Magdala de Araújo Novaes, coordinator of NUTES and of UFPE’s Health Information Technologies Group.
The Polycom RealPresence environment and other RUTE installations will also be central to UFPE’s effort to promote the creation of video-equipped health centers where professionals will be able to remotely diagnose patients located in areas where specialist care is unavailable.
Polycom unveils enhancements to Polycom RealPresence Platform
Polycom recently introduced enhancements to the Polycom RealPresence Platform. The Polycom RealPresence Platform is now equipped with features such as multi-tenancy support and a rich suite of open APIs that enable service providers to get to market faster with custom and plug-in application.
These features allow Polycom to drive down the cost and complexity of building and managing a public or private video cloud.
