CapComm provides remote live full-screen captioning services for individuals with hearing loss attending a spoken event, such as a student in the classroom, clients in a conference, or staff in a meeting. We call this service RCS, or Remote Captioning Service, and it is a viable and more economical alternative to CART.  This service can also be used to accommodate Learning Disabilities.

We offer a similar remote hybrid service we call CARSH that provides less content than RCS or CART, but more content than note taking, and it is also a remote live full-screen service.  It is also significantly less expensive, and an even more economical alternative to RCS (and CART of course).  If budgets are really an issue, our lowest cost live streaming text alternative is called CARSH-TW.  These services can also be used to accommodate Learning Disabilities.

Do you just need note taking services?  Our lowest cost and very convenient RNT, or Remote Note Taking service may be just what you need, and a little bit more! Or for the best in ‘hands-off’ note taking, students can record their own classes, upload the audio to our site, and then read the subsequent notes online or download them.  We call this service OTHOR – see Offline Note Taking from our home page, under the heading Educational.

More recently, we offer Assistive Technology Assessments and training in support of  individuals in education and the workforce.  These services are built on CapComm’s long-standing talent with ‘knowledge worker efficiency’ audits and training.  Another new offering is a unique Mobile Communications Kit for persons with hearing loss or learning disabilities.

We transcribe recorded audio, such as recorded meetings, conferences, sales monitoring, dictation, and so on. We call this offline transcription, which is not live.  See Remote Note Taking from our home page.

We are also researching the provision of a remote live inter-language translation/transcription service, and an offline version.

We call this service RCS, or Remote Captioning Service. This is how it works:

1. The user of the service needs to know what is being spoken in the classroom, boardroom, etc. The speaker wears a wireless microphone and the audio is transmitted over the Internet to an RC, or Remote Captionist who listens.
2. The RC produces a streaming text version of what is spoken, similar to CART, which is sent over the Internet to the user.
3. The user sees the text of what is spoken appearing on a laptop screen (or other device of your choice).

CapComm uses advanced technologies to accomplish almost the same thing that CART does, but at a much more economical cost. According to our survey of CART agency fees, RCS may cost less than half that of CART.

The remote aspect of RCS has tremendous advantages over the traditional CART model of the provider sitting next to the user as close to the speaker as possible. With RCS there is no provider in the classroom or other venue, and the user can sit wherever they want using a laptop or mobile device. There are many other advantages to this remote model.

If you would like more details about how the service works, how the technology is implemented, costs and requirements, and advantages, please fill out the contact form by clicking here.

CapComm offers a service we call Communication Accommodation Remote Service Hybrid, or CARSH. This service uses the same technologies as RCS (see Live Remote Captioning), but with a somewhat different purpose in mind. The goal of RCS is to provide near-verbatim text, like CART does; the goal of CARSH is to provide more of a summarized form, similar in form to what a note taker would produce using a laptop, but with significantly more content.

CARSH is less expensive than RCS, and far less expensive than CART. Since it is a live remote service, it may fill a need where the cost of CART or even the less expensive RCS is not justified, but where the user needs a live text experience (as opposed to notes, which can only be used after-the-fact). In some cases, where it is impractical to have a note taker in the venue, CARSH could be used for remote note taking that provides more content and can also be viewed as it’s being produced in class.  CARSH can also be used to accommodate certain learning disabilities such as ADD\ADHD and some audio-processing disorders.

To meet the needs in special situations, we have a remote service that would be similar to what a user would experience sitting next to a note taker typing on a laptop.  We call this service CARSH-TW, the TW being for TypeWritten.  Our unique technologies used for RCS and CARSH output white text on a medium blue background that outputs rapidly in sections of text at a time.  Some users may prefer the look and feel of watching the screen of a note taker in class.  We emulate this experience by simply using a typist to produce the standard black text on a white background in an MS Word document, which can be viewed on the device of choice.  This is even less expensive than CARSH and could be considered a form of remote note taking that the user gets to watch being produced but with the content of a fast typist.  This service is not much more expensive than our lowest priced service called RNT.

Anyone interested in these services can inquire about them using our contact form.

Remote Note Taking is our lowest cost service at $29 per hour* if you use your own equipment, or $31 per hour* if we supply the equipment.

Why use RNT?  Having a note taker in class or in a meeting room takes space, can be more expensive than you thought, and can feel awkward for others in the class.  Additionally, the person being accommodated with the note taking (if this is an accommodation for a learning disability) may feel conspicuous having this service provider ‘attached’ to them.  RNT being entirely remote, and with only the involvement of the person speaking (wearing the microphone) saves space and costs, and allows the person receiving the notes to remain anonymous in the venue if this is desired.

The additional benefit of RNT is that since we use our specialized technologies to produce the notes, they are generally more thorough than can possibly be produced by a note taker typing on a keyboard.  A very good typist can perhaps sustain an average of 80 wpm over the course of a day (starting at a higher rate and slowing down as fatigue sets in).  RNT typically produces notes at a rate of 100 to 150 wpm sustained over the course of a day.  More notes allows for greater success in studies.

Please use our contact form to request this service or inquire about it.

*Prep time and taxes are extra.  Rates are based on long-term contracts for services during an academic semester.  Shorter assignments may cost more – please request a quote.

CapComm can transcribe your recorded audio of meetings and other events. Our technologies allow us to do this faster than a typist, and with less fatigue.

COMMERCIAL: We charge by the hour of audio recording, based on many variables. Since there is such a wide variety of recorded audio, please contact us to discuss the kind of audio you have so that we can give you an accurate quote. Once a relationship is established and we do regular business together, we can agree on a flat hourly rate for the time it takes to transcribe your audio.  We can transcribe in various forms, such as simple note taking (see Educational below), simple verbatim text, time-indexed text, scripted text (identifies multiple speakers by name), etc.

EDUCATIONAL: We provide premium note taking services for students in post-secondary education with our no-hassle, high-quality offline note taking service called OTHOR (Offline Transcription High Output Rendering). Students record their classes, upload the recording on our secure site, and then download their thorough notes or view them right in their browser – they can even leave their notes on our site for viewing from any device, anywhere! The interface for uploading audio and downloading notes is drag-and-drop-simple – no special software! Most note takers on a laptop can produce 50 to 80 words per minute sustained over a day – CapComm produces notes at a rate of around 150 words per minute, so the notes are more useful.  Also, we use human operators to do the work, not automated software, so the accuracy is outstanding! Contact us for our rates.  NOTE: We don’t contract with students for services – we contract with the college or university who then provides the service to the student. If you are a student, contact your school’s disability services or student services department.

To contact us about this service, use the contact form available from our home page. Please describe the nature of your audio (voice notes, dictation, multiparty meeting, speakers with heavy accents, etc.) and your transcription requirements (main content only, include all verbalizations such as “um…” etc., time-indexing, etc.), and we will work out initial pricing for you.

Although CapComm was founded on providing remote services, we have recently added Assistive Technology (AT) products and services in order to accommodate a growing need for these.

Mobile Communications Kit

We have produced our own unique kit consisting of two small Android tablet devices designed to communicate with each other using a ‘chat’ app without the need for connecting to the Internet – they connect directly to each other.  This is a much more mobile and much more economical alternative to Interpre-Type (our kit is about half the cost).  Our tablets can easily be carried in a pocket or holster, be used while standing and moving about, and can be used without the two devices being in close proximity – they can stay connected while up to about 50 feet apart.

The kit has two uses:

1. To be used for a worker with hearing loss to communicate with their hearing employer (and can also be used in their personal life while out and about in the ‘hearing world’),
2. To be used for a classroom support worker to communicate with the supported student in the classroom (K12 and post-secondary).  In this use, rather than the support worker sitting beside the student, he or she can sit at the back of the class, or even in another room, giving the student less stress and feeling of conspicuousness, and greater ease of movement in the classroom.

Assistive Technology Assessments

CapComm provides the highest quality Assistive Technology Assessments (ATAs) for students in post-secondary education and for workers either entering the workforce or needing supports to remain employed or increase their value.  We not only provide a thorough assessment in multiple phases followed by an extensive and detailed report and recommendations, but have a unique and guaranteed training and follow-up methodology.  Our ATA process, including the training and follow-up, give workers and students the greatest likelihood of success, which we back with our guarantee.

We provide assessments on an individual basis in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, and can provide multiple assessments throughout BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.  In some cases where all are comfortable with the process, we can perform remote assessments and training anywhere in Canada.

For further information regarding our Mobile Communications Kit or Assistive Technology Assessments, please fill out the contact form, the link for which is found on our home page.

Knowledge Worker Efficiency Audits and Training

CapComm builds on its founder’s IT specialty in this important field, having implementing standards and best practices within.  Our Assistive Technology Assessments and Training, as well as our Virtualization Training, and other aspects of our services have been benefiting from these efficiencies since our founding.  We are this pleased to offer this expertise to colleges and universities as well as business.

Who in a college, university, or business would use this service?  We can work with any department, or with the organization as a whole.  Many businesses realize that efficiency of their knowledge workers affects the bottom line, and many embrace this process as a business decision ultimately to increase profits.  Other benefits are usually realized though, such as lowering stress levels among workers (they have more time to get stuff done), and generally improves the atmosphere among workers who realize they are truly working as efficiently as possible.  Although businesses usually implement efficiency starting at the top and working down, some choose to implement a ‘proof of concept’ with a single department at any level.

A further incentive is the industry standard of estimating savings in dollars and setting a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that states that the cost of the audit and training will not exceed savings or gains realized.  CapComm follows this standard, though in our experience efficiency savings far exceed costs of implementation.

How does this work?  We enter into an initial agreement to perform an efficiency audit.  This involves meeting to determine basics such as the corporate vision and mission and how these affect workers at all levels.  The nature of business operations, structure, existing workflow policy and implementation, and more, are assessed.  This results in an audit framework whereby CapComm observes and analyzes worker operations, then produces a report based on findings.  The report outlines the issues that decrease efficiency and to what extent, as well as how to implement a solution, and the likely costs, and ultimately, the total savings or gains to be realized.  Upon approval, CapComm deploys the solution with the ‘start slow, then ramp up’ model, unless another model is desired.  Our standard model introduces the least disruption to operations and creates buy-in among those affected.

Please use our contact form available from our home page to get further information, or to arrange for an audit.

CapComm can turn the spoken word of one language to the written word of another, either as a remote live service similar in nature to RCS (see Live Remote Captioning), or as an offline transcription service.

Remote Inter-Language Transcription Service, or RILTS as we call it, allows someone who, for example, speaks and understands Spanish but not English, to sit in an English-speaking venue and have the text of what is spoken appear on a laptop screen in Spanish. The greatest advantage of this service is that there is no interpreter present at the venue trying to whisper into the ear of the Spanish-Speaking user with the disruption to the others present.

Presently we are equipped to provide RILTS from almost any spoken language into the text of English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dutch, or from one of these listed languages into one of the others.

If you are interested in this service, please contact us now!

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CapComm Captioned Communications Inc.

CapComm came about as the result of about a year of extensive R&D, preceded by almost 2 years of concept development. Original funding that permitted R&D came from the province of Alberta. After a successful pilot project of the proposed RCS service with NorQuest College in Edmonton, Alberta, we established a Federal Incorporation and registered provincially, and with federal funding  began commercial operations in August of 2011.

CapComm is a brand new type of company built on over a decade of technical expertise. As a high-tech communications company, we are setting ourselves apart as a ‘green’ operation, and also a responsible employer. We operate in Edmonton, Alberta, but provide our services throughout Canada and the US. Our IT systems are built on industry-leading virtualization technologies – our data centre is on premises in Edmonton and is protected by industrial-strength hardware encryption.   And as a responsible employer, we give preference to those with physical disabilities who otherwise qualify to do the work.

Although CapComm is a for-profit company, our goal is to reduce the costs of accommodating those with disabilities, in this case those who are deaf or hard of hearing specifically, as well as those with learning disabilities. We wish to lower our rates over time, rather than increase them. To achieve our goal, we strive to keep our workforce impassioned and engaged with HR policies and procedures that look after our staff and empower them – happy staff stay longer and get better, reducing costs of hiring and training. With our IT systems we also strive to achieve the lowest costs for operations by efficient design and technologies, not the least of which is virtualization.

CapComm fills gaps in disabilities funding by offering reasonable and sustainable accommodations, allowing more individuals in post-secondary education and in the workplace the success that comes with proper supports, but all within funder’s budgets.

Introduction

CapComm’s data centre was built from the ground up on VMware’s virtualization platform called vSphere.  Our IT support company, Techspert Systems, provided the expertise to get our systems up and running, and to keep them running, all at a fraction of the cost of a traditional data centre.

Due to a demand for training in this world-class ‘future-is-now’ technology, CapComm, on behalf of Techspert Systems, has created an online course with a virtual lab that utilizes the vSphere environment.

Course Offerings

Initially, this course is being offered only through one of Canada’s top polytechnic colleges, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).  You can learn about the course and sign up for it at:

http://www.nait.ca/course_CCTM360.htm

If you are interested in taking the same course offered directly by CapComm using the same Instructor at a lower cost, please use our contact form accessible from our home page to tell us about your interest.  Should there be sufficient interest, CapComm will post an offering.  Should you wish to use our form to submit your interest, please include your email address and phone number so we can get back to you, as well as your preferred schedule, and what you think would be a fair price.  Please also state if one of the following scheduling options appeals to you.

CapComm is considering scheduling options such as:

• WEEKENDS: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings for  3 weeks (3.25 hrs Fridays; 4 hrs Saturdays; 3.5 hrs Sundays)
• FULL TIME: Business hours for 1 week
• NIGHT SHIFT: Monday to Thursday for nearly 4 weeks (11:00PM – 1:00 AM, for 15 sessions)

Though CapComm has not yet set a price for directly offering this course, it will be much more affordable.  Please note though that neither our potential offerings nor those provided at NAIT are designed for VMware certification.  Should you wish to become VMware certified, please visit http://mylearn.vmware.com/portals/certification/  for more information on their certification requirements.

Virtual Lab

The virtual lab supplied for all of CapComm’s offerings allows you to remote into a self-contained network with access to two Windows Server machines and two ESXi host computers in order to perform all of your lab work.  The really nice thing about this is that you can access your virtual lab outside of class hours to practice on your own time, with some restrictions.  This is much better than attending an institute where you only have access to the lab while you are in class.

How to make a decision about which school to take training through

If you need to become VMware certified, you will have to take a VMware-approved and required course offering.  Since training institutes must themselves be authorized by VMware to teach the certification-required courses, the costs are very high compared to what a college and CapComm offer.  However, if you need that certification, you have no choice but to take a course from an approved entity.

If you need real-life hands-on knowledge and skills but DO NOT need certification, taking the course through NAIT gives you the recognition of having acquired your knowledge and skills from a well-known and respected polytechnic institute.  A letter of completion from a college may go a long way for you and looks good on your resume.

If you just need the real-life, hands-on knowledge and skills for your current job or to help you with your future plans and need to do so at the lowest cost, CapComm will give you the same training at a much lower cost.  Since CapComm does not have a reputation for providing world-class virtualization training (CapComm is a communications company, not an IT school), this training may not mean as much on your resume despite the fact that you received the same training.  We can of course provide you with a letter of completion also.  In this case, being able to prove your knowledge and skills is more important than ‘a piece of paper’.

If you have further questions, please fill out our contact form and include your email address and phone number and state your question/s clearly in the Comments section.