BSB Datavision is using British Satellite Broadcasting Ltd’s satellite to broadcast live programmes from company executives to the workforce. The programmes can take the form of meetings in which an executive can broadcast his message live and then respond to questions phoned-in from the audience. Video inserts can also be easily incorporated. Airtime costs around UKP2,000 per 15 minutes – so the system is not set to enter British Telecommunications Plc’s videoconferencing market, but it may have some impact on the compact disk interactive field, where players such as Philips and Commodore are hoping that the machines will be used in the corporate training field. As well as live meetings, users can download training videos overnight and take advantage of any general training programmes that are transmitted over the BSB satellite. One example is the Computer Channel, which transmits an hour of computer news every day and makes training programmes on specific aspects of the computer industry, such as software engineering. Datavision customers include Price Waterhouse & Co and Abbey National Plc, which is using the live communications aspect of the service. Price Waterhouse has made a pre-recorded 30 minute programme for employees in conjunction with Financial Times Television. One aspect of the service that employers may be wary of is that recipients can use the same equipment to watch mainstream satellite television, as it is the same as that sold on the consumer market – a BSB satellite dish and black box decoder which cost around UKP350. Using the equipment as a corporate communication channel costs UKP495 per annum – apart from airtime costs.
