Our findings this year shows a significant increase in attention to Green behaviors. “Think and Act Green” is clearly on the rise. 

More than half of respondents (56%) believe that their company has taken meaningful steps toward more Green behavior since last Earth Day. And this is good news – since a full 70% of respondents believe that companies, rather than employees, should take the lead in executing and promoting Green behaviors in the workplace. 

Reducing unnecessary travel also continues to be a primary Green tactic – 62% of respondents say that their employers have either issued companywide policies to reduce travel or asked managers to monitor travel needs more closely. 

A full 87% of workplace meetings held with others outside the office now are conducted virtually, by phone and web conference. “Acting virtual” is now becoming such a habit that 40% of meetings with people inside their own office are conducted virtually, by phone and web conference. 

It’s clear that the most effective Green behaviors are those that provide benefits to the people doing them as well as to the environment. When it comes to virtual meetings, people have embraced them as a way to manage both their work and personal life. This trend will grow and make for a more balanced work and life even as it produces a cleaner environment.

Denise Persson - EVP, Global Marketing

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then Genesys’ new Enterprise VoIP is the solution for you!  Genesys is once again leading the way with new and exciting innovations with the introduction of Genesys Meeting Center 4.5!  Genesys has found a great way for its customers to save money and leverage infrastructure that they have already invested in. 

This new solution allows customers to connect their existing corporate IP backbone directly with the Genesys Service platform.  There are many advantages to customers with this solution, including significant cost savings, elimination of long distance carrier charges and new feature realization.

Genesys Meeting Center 4.5 is already winning rave reviews from customers and industry analysts.  For more details and a great comment from a customer, check out our recent Press Release announcement. (provide link to release).

Tony Terranova - VP Global Product Marketing

Another aspect of my OCD is how I work.  My desktop has 6 icons on it, that’s right I said 6 icons.  In an OCD world everything has a place and everything is organized in tiered levels from the top down, which is why I appreciate Genesys Meeting Center.  I can schedule and start all of my meetings from my Outlook calendar.  I don’t have any messy icons on my desktop, just a launcher tool down in my task bar where it belongs. 

My Outlook e-mail inbox has one item in it. That’s right I said one item.  Since I manage my meetings from the Outlook calendar, I don’t have to bother with a bunch of e-mail notifications and reminders, keeping my inbox nice and clean. Also, the number 3 is big with me.  I tap my leg 3 times whenever I think about a cop when I’m driving, so that I don’t get a ticket.  I rub a figurine on my desk 3 times before I start my day and I can schedule a meeting via the Outlook calendar in 3 easy steps.  “You down with OCD?  Yeah you know me!”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 2.2 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 1.0 percent of adults in a given year, have OCD.  OCD folks, I know you’re out there and living among the adults who don’t have to quote the Comedy Central show South Park every time they see an Acura on the road, or wear their hat a certain way when their favorite sports team is on offense or defense.  To you I say, check out Genesys Meeting Center, the top choice for people with OCD or people who just like things that are organized and easy to use. 

Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager

97 – Number of times Punxsutawny Phil has seen his shadow over the past 120 years.
100,000 – Number of hits we expect for the Genesys website.
275 – Approximate number of times I will visit the Genesys website.
22 – Number of times a QB has been named Super Bowl MVP. 
100 – Percentage of renewable energy used by the Super Bowl this year.  The teams may be wearing red white and blue on Sunday, but the NFL will be all green.
2 – The number of men dressed as Oompa Loompas that danced in the VIP section of the 50 Cent pre-game Super Bowl concert.
9 – Number of beers my brother-in-law will consume before half time of the Super Bowl.
9 – Number of times my brother-in-law will use the restroom before half time of the Super Bowl.
4 – Number of horizontals featured in the new Flash Industry Solutions section of the Genesys website.
5 – Number of times I will visit Chipotle.
276 – The age of George Washington if he were still alive.
17 – Number of days until the next paid US government holiday.
115 - Number of days until the next paid US Genesys holiday.  Boo!
73 – Approximate number of diapers I will change.
0 – The cost of a Genesys demonstration, training session, trial account or customer support.
 

 Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager
 

I’ve noticed a change in the office since this award was announced.  The coffee tastes a little better, the tedious tasks seem a little less mind numbing and stopping on every floor when riding the elevator down for lunch seems more tolerable.  What I’m trying to say is that getting recognition sometimes makes the medicine go down more easily. 

The fact that each employee gets a $1000 bonus for winning this award makes it even sweeter.  What?  We don’t actually get compensated for providing an award winning service?  Well, sorry, I was misinformed, as I was saying it is truly an honor to win receive such a prestigious accolade.  Are you sure we don’t get a T-shirt or something? No?  Ok, moving on.

I think I said it best when I said this award is really about the people behind the product, but Rich Tehrani, TMC President and Editor-in-Chief of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine also wanted to say; “We’re proud to honor their hard work and accomplishments and look forward to more innovative solutions from Genesys in the future.”

Thanks Mr. Tehrani and Internet Telephony Magazine!

Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager

 
Day 1
Driving in from the airport it was hard to tell what areas had been affected by Katrina, because I had never been to New Orleans before.  When you got downtown there were pockets of damage and while the French Quarter and touristy areas had recovered nicely, the remnants of the past were still evident.

 
The day’s agenda was chalked full of speeches from the company’s executives, and the news was positive.  We had a record year for sales and growth and if the dollar doesn’t totally tank in 2008, it should be another good year for the company. 

 
After the speeches it was time for some dinner in the French Quarter.  Everyone was buzzing from being in a new city, seeing old friends from other Genesys locations and getting the good news from the executives.  Regardless of how many times management warns us to take it easy on night one and we’ll do the real celebrating on night two, it never really works out that way.  A live band was cranking out the Zydeco music as we were enjoying some tradition Cajun food and watching the few tourists who braved the cold temperatures and ventured out on a weeknight.  After a few hurricanes and a few awards it was time to call it a night.  The speeches started early the next morning, and the guest speaker was sure to be a highlight of the trip.

 
Day 2
Sir Edmund Hillary’s son Peter was on hand to deliver a speech about both he and his father’s accomplishments in mountaineering and exploration.  Despite his father’s passing just a few days prior, Hillary entertained us with his tales of climbing Everest twice and of his 84 day trek across Antarctica.  I know it was supposed to be inspiring, but I felt like a worthless underachiever after hearing his stories.  I am disappointed when the escalator at the mall isn’t working; I can’t even imagine climbing the mountains that he has conquered.

  
After Hillary finished it was time for our CEO Francois Legros to deliver his state of the company address.  Like his executives before him, he painted a rosy picture of the past year and outlined what we need to do as a company in 2008 to keep this momentum going.

 
Night two started mysteriously as the marketing team went all “Eyes Wide Shut” on us.  We waited in our rooms, dressed to the nines and wearing masks.  A colorfully dressed individual then led us back into the French Quarter where a Dixieland band was playing.  After receiving several beads and colorful boas the band then led everyone out into the street, where we became a Mardi Gras parade complete with a police escort.  The locals didn’t even bat an eye at us, but the tourists watched us through amazed, yet confused expressions.

 
Finally, we finished the night with the traditional dinner and an awards banquet.  Top achievers were recognized and the DJ had the dance floor packed for most of the evening.  A big thank you goes out to the marketing team for providing both an informative and entertaining few days in the crescent city.

 
Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager

 
7:30 – I arrive promptly at work and settle in for the grind.
7:45 – Ok, this is really when I arrive at work, because my wife couldn’t figure out what shoes to wear with her new skirt.  Boots or pumps? Heals or flats? Brown or black?  I have no opinion, for me work isn’t a fashion show, but that apparently isn’t the case for the Mrs. 
8:00 – I skim through my e-mail and realize that I missed a web development meeting in Singapore last night at 2:00 a.m., my time.  Luckily, they recorded it for me and with one click of my mouse I see and hear everything that went down.
8:45 – Instant Message my brother that he needs to download the Matt Costa single.
9:00 – Time for my monthly global marketing meeting.  Two clicks and I’m connected to folks in the UK, Sweden, Germany and France.  The Genesys green initiative is the hot topic along with the upcoming Sales Kickoffs in Lisbon and New Orleans and the Better Meetings program.  Productive meeting, but it runs a bit long.
10:44 – I ponder my lunch options and decide that nothing sounds good, so I table my thoughts for another hour.
10:47 – I’m working with a sales person on creating a custom website for a new customer and we need to finalize some specifics. I open up a Genesys Meeting and invite her using MSN IM.  She joins and I use the application sharing tool to show her specifically what changes we need to make to get this site up and running.
11:58 – Getting hungry, but still nothing sounds good.  The two usual options rear their ugly head, I can go downstairs and grab something boring at the deli or head across the street to the mall and get a nice big helping of badonkadonk butt with a side of love handles.  It’s Friday, so badonkadonk butt it is. A nice big juicy Five Guys burger hits the spot and my brain rejoices while my heart gets another heaping dose of cholesterol. 
1:04 – I connect to Ron & Fez on XM via the internet for background entertainment, as I finish up a training document on how to upload PowerPoint presentations.  “Browse out to the presentation on your PC and click the ‘upload’ button.”  It doesn’t get much easier than that.  “Some benefits to uploading your presentations are: we pre-cache the slides into the temporary internet directory, so they will load quickly regardless of your connection speed.  The slides will adjust to various screen resolution settings; if you have one participant at 800×600 and another at 1024 x 768 the slides will fill both of their screens.  Finally, you can access the presentation from any PC.”  There that should do it. 
2:21 – My boss stops by to ask why my candy dispenser is filled with green M&M’s.  She goes on to explain the mystical power of the green M&M.  After learning of their powers, I promptly eat a large handful.
2:37 – The phone rings, and I ignore it because it’s that one sales guy who thinks I am his personal assistant due to that one time I went the extra mile for him.  Not today, Mr. “I can’t do anything for myself” guy.
3:01 – Demo time.  I fire up Genesys Meeting Center for a quick one-off demonstration.  The customer has several questions about capacity, scheduling meetings via the Outlook calendar and launching meetings from his desktop.  It goes well, and the customer is ready to come on board.  I dislocate my shoulder patting myself on the back.
3:41 – Shut it down.  It’s time to pick up my daughter from daycare and start my second job as official bottle washer for the Crawford family.

Another work week in the books, and I met with colleagues from around the world without leaving my office.  Now, it’s time to put the kid to bed, open a cold one and throw in a flick.  I’ll shout at you all next week.
 

Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager

 Here are my resolutions for 2008:
#1 – This year I will take my full lunch hour at least twice a week. 
#2 – This year I will hopefully see Led Zeppelin in concert.
#3 – This year I will take my daughter to the zoo for the first time.
#4 – This year I will beat my wife at bowling on the Nintendo Wii.
#5 – This year I will leave work before 6:00 pm everyday
#6 – This year I will donate all of the clothes I haven’t worn in a year.
#7 – This year I will watch all of the Steelers and Penguins games.
#8 – This year I will spend the 4^th of July on a raft in a pool with an adult beverage.
#9 – This year I will take a day off and go to the movies alone.
#10 – This year I will spend time with friends and/or family at least one night a week.
 

I will have the time and ability to achieve all of these goals because I won’t be wasting time traveling to meetings.  Instead, I will use the Genesys Meeting Center to meet virtually during business hours.  I can hook up the web-cam for face-to-face interaction and transfer documentation instantly, so there is no need for me to travel hundreds of miles to do what I could in seconds with a mouse click.  Any meetings I am unable to attend can be recorded, so I can view them later.  No more nights alone dining at the Red Lobster in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, or sitting at the hotel bar in Des Moines, Iowa second-hand smoking Marlboro Lights.  I will be at home on my couch with my family enjoying the things I like to do. 

Now if you’ll excuse me I have Wii bowling practice.
  

Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager

You can read the results by clicking the survey link above, but let’s focus on the “5 Top Tips for a Greener Workplace”.
 

1.  Turn off lights, computers and office equipment in empty cubes, offices and low-traffic common areas
This seems like common sense, but walk around your office after hours and I bet you’d be surprised how many electronic devices are left on.  I’ve always been one of those people who go around turning things off, but that was mainly because my old man was a miser and to save a few pennies on the electric bill would constantly remind us to turn stuff off.  So was he an environmentalist ahead of his time or just cheap?  Put your money on the latter.

2. Avoid decorations that use electricity and display a live tree that can then be planted outside the building
This is a tough one because people enjoy the pageantry of bright, shiny, colorful things that bring a glow to cold winter nights.  This is where you have to get creative.  I once asked the lead singer of the Flaming Lips, who are famous for outlandish live shows, if it was difficult to bring their brand of craziness to a show during the day.  He replied, “You just have to go about it in a different way.”  So instead of an energetic light show they employed dancing Santa’s, gyrating aliens, a plethora of confetti canons and a large plastic bubble that he would use to navigate the crowd.  All it takes is some good old fashioned imagination from your company’s think-outside-the-box types and you can easily be festive and green at the same time. 

3. Avoid unnecessary travel – the #1 polluter – by providing virtual meeting capabilities for people working from home during their vacation
Almost everyone in the business world has high speed internet access in their house, making the holidays a great time to allow them to work from home.  Using Genesys Meeting Center you can hold productive meetings, collaborate on documents or even conduct training without having to commute into the office.  Plus, there’s something mischievous about discussing the coming year’s corporate strategy in your pajamas.
 

4.  Relax dress codes to save on laundry and dry cleaning energy                      Now this is a policy I can really get behind.  I would even take it one further and allow your employees to wear shorts and t-shirts because this would even further cut back on laundry and dry cleaning.  In this post dot com world the shorts and T-shirts might not fly, but introducing casual dress for the holidays is an easy way to save energy.  Besides, do you really work differently based on your wardrobe?  

5.  Close cafeterias and use money saved for special treats to reward people for brown-bagging it  I have mixed feelings about this suggestion, but it does make sense.  Again, my scrooge-like old man made me brown bag it all through my school years, so once I had my own money I left my brown bagging days behind me.  However, throwing in a monetary incentive, casual dress or additional days off would motivate me to break out the old brown bags again.  It’s peanut butter jelly time!  Peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat!
 

These are just a few suggestions to make your workplace greener for the holidays.  I think our EVP of Marketing, Denise Persson, said it best;

“Creating a Greener workplace for the Holidays can be a communal company effort that instills pride and encourages teamwork. We asked our customers for their favorite Green Holiday workplace tips and are sharing some that any company can easily put in place.”

 Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager