Poly

 

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Apr 03, 2012 : Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), today announced a philanthropic partnership with Right To Play, an international humanitarian organization that uses the transformative power of sport and play to give hope and teach essential skills to children living in communities affected by war, poverty, and disease. Polycom is donating Polycom® RealPresence® video collaboration solutions to Right To Play to expand the reach of their programs by improving global communications throughout the organization; connecting teachers, coaches, and community leaders with staff throughout the world; and directly linking donors to see the impact of their support.

   

A key application of video implementation is to enable experienced coaches at Right To Play's Toronto headquarters and other regional offices to train coaches and other community members in countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, China, Peru and Jordan from thousands of miles away, but connected face-to-face with the lifelike visual and audio clarity of Polycom video. The live video training sessions will teach in-country coaches how to lead and implement Right To Play programs in their communities. The sessions will also demonstrate how to be positive role models for children by teaching them life skills such as leadership, teamwork, healthy living, resistance to peer pressure, goal setting, equality, and tolerance. The sessions can also be recorded for continued use later.

 

"More trained local coaches and community leaders means more children around the world will be able to participate in Right To Play programs," said Johann Olav Koss, Right To Play founder and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. "Polycom's support and video collaboration technology will further strengthen our programs and help us use the power of sport and play to transform the lives of so many more children. With the ability to use video for training and other initiatives, we can reach even more children and get them playing and succeeding in life."

 

Founded in 2000, Right To Play has developed projects in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East. In 2012, the organization is expected to surpass more than 1 million children participating weekly in Right To Play programs. Koss, who serves as president and CEO, has inspired an international team of 350 athletes – including Bonnie Blair, five-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating – to serve as Athlete Ambassadors and assist in fundraising for Right To Play projects. Blair spoke about Right To Play during a fundraising kick-off event last night at the annual TEAM Polycom sales and partner conference held in Orlando, Florida, which raised an additional $45,000 for the organization.

 

"Right To Play's mission is uplifting and their approach innovative and collaborative," said Geri Mitchell-Brown, director of Philanthropy and Community Relations, Polycom. "Our partnership with Right To Play reflects Polycom's commitment to bringing people together through the power of visual communication and aligns with our vision to make video collaboration ubiquitous in a more connected world. Right To Play is positively affecting the lives of children who need our help the most and we are honored to be able to contribute to this worthy cause."

 

Polycom will donate a variety of video solutions including Polycom® RealPresence® Room systems for Right To Play's headquarters and national offices, and Polycom® RealPresence® Mobile for remote staff members, local coaches, and community members. In addition to training more local coaches, the video solution will help improve communications and collaboration between Right To Play staff members, and enable the organization to handle complex conversations and issues across continents more swiftly through face to face discussions. Also, to give donors a better understanding of how they are helping the organization, Right To Play will use Polycom video for virtual donor visits. For example, a Right To Play leader in Uganda can use RealPresence Mobile on a smartphone or tablet to connect with a donor based in another region for a live conversation and real-time tour of the site, allowing the donor to see the impact of their charitable support first-hand.

 

"Right To Play is not only communicating words, we are communicating hope, ideas, progress, and change," said Koss. "A simple game of soccer can bring children from different communities together to learn about tolerance and respect. With the help of Polycom video, we can create a truly global playing field where the world's children, who live with the everyday threat of war, poverty and disease, can experience joy and hope for a better future."