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Benchmarks: Journal of the New York State Unified Court System

Fall 2006

TECHNOLOGY

UCS Programs Broadcast Live Or On Demand

What do Law Day, judicial ethics training and the State of the Judiciary have in common?

All are broadcast using a new technology designed by VBrick Systems, Inc., which develops, manufactures and supports video distribution products over a broadband network for use
in applications including news and information distribution, videoconferencing, distance learning, training and surveillance. The system used by the UCS is ethernet TV — known internally as CourtNet TV — which broadcasts live and recorded video to computers and large-screen televisions.

The idea to use VBrick came about because of the growing number of programs conducted at the Judicial Institute (JI), particularly the judicial ethics training program. Candidates for elected judicial office must take an ethics course prior to election day. It was impractical to require over 150 candidates to travel to the JI for the daylong sessions, so the program was broadcast live to thirteen locations. Participants could e-mail questions to the JI, where they were relayed to the moderator.

“In the past, we used videoconferencing to do training, but it’s difficult to show presentations such as PowerPoint,” said Sheng Guo, chief technology officer for the Division of Technology. “There’s also a limit to the number of people who can participate — roughly 30 to 40. With VBrick technology, hundreds of people can watch programs simultaneously on their computers.”

Previously, JI programs were copied onto videocassettes and distributed, often by mail. VBrick is expected to save the court system more than $100,000 annually on VHS tape replication and distribution alone.

Officials are using the technology to build an on-line library in which programs such as Lunch & Learn, conferences and training courses can be viewed on demand.

Fall 2006 PDF Format
HTML Version:
Contents bullet point Second “Mega-Courthouse” Opens bullet point Justice Court Reforms bullet point Street Corners Renamed for Court Officers bullet point School in New Court Complex bullet point Mental Health Courts bullet point Domestic Violence Awareness Month bullet point Judge Smith Retires bullet point Judge Rosenblatt Retires bullet point Virtual Library Services bullet point Court Programs Broadcast Online bullet point Wi-Fi in the Courts bullet point Deputy Chief Support Magistrate bullet point Court Construction Update bullet point Marian Wright Edelman Addresses Conference bullet point Historic Courthouses and Trials bullet point Did You Know? bullet point Judicial Institute (JI) Program Highlights bullet point JI Legal Updates
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Web page updated: December 11, 2006 - www.NYCOURTS.gov