Yamaha, an example of UC at the time of COVID-19

In the difficult situation that the world is facing, with the need for social distancing imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, even by Yamaha a fine example of the application of Unified Communications technologies to an Assisted Living Facility

What connects Yamaha Unified Communications and Cornerstone at Milford Assisted Living & Compass Memory Support? Simple: this facility in Massachusetts is using a Yamaha UC product to allow its guests to stay in touch with relatives and acquaintances during the coronavirus epidemic.
Yamaha, in fact, donated a CS-700 Video Sound Bar to the facility as way for residents who struggle to see and hear calls on smartphones and tablets to have a more comfortable and enjoyable audio and video experience.
After Cornerstone had to close its doors to visitors due to COVID-19, the senior community naturally turned to FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype calls via iPhones and iPads to connect residents with their families and loved ones. However, many of the residents had to hold the device close to their face in order to clearly hear the conversation and see their families.
Perfectly suited for quickly adding natural collaboration amenities to nursing, retirement, and care facilities, the Yamaha CS-700 is designed to deliver the highest quality audio, video, and collaboration capabilities. The simple and smart wall-mounted unit is easy to install, deploy, and use. It features an adaptive beamforming microphone array for perfectly captured conversation; four Yamaha speaker elements to provide the highest degree of audio intelligibility; and a wide-angle HD camera for the far-end participants to see everyone in clear detail. Building managers simply connect the system to a display and any UC platform via a single USB. The CS-700 is also Zoom certified, which simplifies the call experience even further by automatically detecting the CS-700 in the Zoom cloud.

“Staying connected while apart is vital to mental health, especially for those who are living in retirement and care communities”, said Meghan Kennelly, Yamaha UC’s director of global marketing and communications. “While mobile devices are convenient, they don’t always provide sufficient volume or a large enough picture to see clearly. I saw how much my grandmother and others at Cornerstone were struggling with mobile devices, and Yamaha immediately wanted to help. The CS-700 was built around the idea that conversations — whether they happen in a meeting room or in a care facility — need to be clear and stress-free to be effective and enjoyable. We love hearing all the stories of the residents who now look forward to this time with their families.”
“Our residents are really enjoying seeing and hearing their loved ones more clearly on the big screen”, said Michelle Hamilton, director of community relations, at Cornerstone. “We are so appreciative of Yamaha’s generosity to help enhance their virtual visits with their friends and families.”