SightSpeed suggests Job interviews via video

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 26 June 2007 04:13

Your IT - Home IT

A US-based video calling service, SightSpeed (www.sightspeed.com) has launched in Australia with the company suggesting it could be particularly suitable for the recruitment industry.

SightSpeed claims to offer high quality video calling using free downloadable software available for Macs and PCs - a pro service costing $US4.95 per month allows users to initiate a multiparty videoconference in which users of the free software can participate. SightSpeed claims that its video-conferencing "is high enough quality for any number of users to interact from their desktops, doing away with the need for a separate video conference room."

A key feature of the software is its claimed high quality. It runs at 30 frames per second, and is used by the American Broadcasting Corporation for their reporters to record stories when they are outside the ABC network area, and by MTV for viewers calling into shows, according to Rick Nand, SightSpeed manager for Australia & New Zealand.

According to Nand: "Video-conferencing and v-mail could be particularly useful in recruitment. HR departments and recruitment agencies can now interview candidates without incurring travel expenses – a huge benefit in today's climate of high staff turnover."

Nand claimed that SightSpeed had several advantages over other Internet calling services. "SightSpeed's amazingly smooth video-chat technology runs at 30 frames/second with perfect clarity and voice-video synchronisation. Other video-mail technology runs at around 10-15 frames/second. SightSpeed's advantage comes from their expertise in video communication – while most providers started with messaging or voice and bolted video on, SightSpeed is rooted in video technology."

He added: "SightSpeed also utilises Australian-based servers, which means a faster response and elimination of the delay experienced by providers using overseas servers. Another advantage SightSpeed has over other Internet communication services is the secure connection. You don't have to open a whole port to use SightSpeed. You can specify which addresses are allowed, diminishing the security threat considerably."

SightSpeed also offers video-mail (v-mail) which it says is "considered to be the next communication trend after e-mail" and "an effective alternative to phone or e-mail, especially for businesses moving away from physical travel and face-to-face meetings." Users are also able to create and upload videos for promotional purposes. And can create videos and embed them in web pages or blogs.

SightSpeed also offers SightTV: users can feed their local TV stations into their PC using a TV tuner card and then view these over the Internet from anywhere in the world via their PC broadband Internet access.