Video conferencing links distant meetings

It's not uncommon for attorneys to drive many hours to take a deposition before a trial.

Nor is it uncommon for prospective buyers of Flathead Valley property to fly from across the nation or world just to look at homes.

For those people, there's a solution to long trips and lost productivity: video conferences.

Fisher Video Conferencing, Court Reporting and Videography opened an office on Main Street above Big Sky Martial Arts in February. It is one of the family-owned company's six Montana offices. Other offices are in Bozeman, Helena, Billings, Great Falls and Missoula.

The company is capable of hosting video conferencing with offices all over the country.

Chuck Fisher started the business 31 years ago for court reporters (the firm now has 15) and attorneys and has expanded, with the help of his wife and three children, into a service that his daughter Carisa Fisher said is based on hospitality and hosting.

"My dad has always been at the forefront of technology," Fisher said. "He's always had this idea to introduce video conferencing. This is a tool so attorneys could cut down on their travel and for court reporters. His vision for this is we have a network of offices so a person can walk to the office down the street. Virtually as good as being there [in person]. We're rooted in the legal field but we want to expand."

The Fishers want to expand the business to include any attorneys who want to use the office, or any court reporter. They also want to make the office available for real estate agents, professors and business people.

"In Helena, a woman tapped into a school in New York where she's a faculty member," Fisher said. "She sat in on a dissertation presentation."

Fisher also mentioned a company in Bozeman that used the video conferencing to interview 10 candidates for a director position - instead of spending the money to fly so many people in.

"We take pride in hospitality and hosting," Fisher said. "We make the most comfortable experience possible so people can focus on the business at hand instead of troubleshooting technology, making copies or getting coffee."

Fisher said many conferencing companies merely provide the room and equipment, but never teach clients how to operate it. The Bozeman-based Fisher hosts the conferences completely, down to providing pop, coffee and pastries. Fisher also gives clients DVDs of meetings so they are able to review what was said.

"We're not trying to tell people this is a replacement for every face-to-face meeting," Fisher said. "There's finally enough bandwidth that we can have conversations that have virtually no delay."

In the past, technology was a burden instead of a benefit, Fisher said. But that same technology has advanced, and Fisher has high-definition cameras and televisions for conferencing. The Kalispell office is outfitted with two conference rooms, which the company also rents out for regular meetings and training seminars.

Fisher said some clients would rather pay for the firm's services than use programs such as Skype, which are free, because the quality is better and there isn't a possibility of a lost call or the computer crashing. Clients can hook their own computers into Fisher's equipment and give presentations. She noted that doctors have been able to show X-rays and MRI scans to colleagues through video conferencing.

"Kalispell is far from everything. Transportation options are limited," Fisher said. She, her father or her brother Dereck split the job of driving to the offices to staff them when meetings are scheduled. When business and the economy pick up, Fisher is considering moving to Kalispell or hiring a full-time office manager to host meetings.

"It's great to meet people in all different fields," Fisher said. "For us, it's a good business. It's social, providing a great service. It makes sense in the next phase of business, especially given the economy. It helps reduce one's carbon footprint."

Via video conference, Dereck Fisher agreed from the Bozeman office.

"Down the road, people will say 'How did we used to do it? How did we drive all the time?'" he said.

Dereck handles the videography side of the business, compiling interactive DVDs of depositions, which enable attorneys to access exhibits during court quickly, or access a specific point in an interview in moments, instead of fast-forwarding or rewinding.

"We've always been known for providing a great setting, tech support and office support," Fisher said. "We want to be a viable thing for people. This is a case study of how this can really save people tons of money and time."

Reporter K.J. Hascall may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at kjhascall@dailyinterlake.com