About

Hi! I'm Bryan. Here's more than you'll ever want to know about me

Role
I am an independent designer of video conferencing hardware products. I am also an independent analyst of collaboration products.

Designer/Drafter
I started drafting at age 13 when I took my first Industrial Arts class. I drew and then built my own wood box in that class teaching me two important life facts that still hold true today: I can design anything but I can't build shit. Since that class, all I've ever wanted to do is draw things for a living. Not artsy stuff, but stuff with a T-square and a triangle. In 1990 I made the transition to CAD drafting and left the pencil behind. Please, never ask me to build anything.

Tester
I enjoy testing products relating to video conferencing. It's part hobby and part work but all fun. Feel free to send me stuff to test or reach out if you have something like a software codec you want an opinion on. I have opinions.

Pundit
Being opinionated has led me to become a so called pundit in the field of video conferencing. It's easy to call oneself an expert and act like one in a field with so many lackluster offerings. While I come across as being overly critical at times, all I want is for everyone to use video conferencing. So therefore, I hate shitty products that drive users away from the technology. If that alienates me from some people, I'm cool with that.

Blogger
Finally comes the blogger portion of what I do. This is strictly for fun, but my goal if there is one is to educate the reader on video products and offerings. It's also a venue for me to pontificate about what I do and do not like. Although one would never know it based on my grammar but it actually takes me a very long time to write each blog, so bear with the frequency! Every now and again I'll write a paid article for some internet "magazine". Typically those are a pain in the ass as I must adhere to someone else's standards and write what amounts to fluff, but it pays well and allows me to buy stuff to test. I refuse to write vendor based puff pieces. Occasionally, I will write blogs regarding Array. Those are typically technical in nature and aren't marketing fluff.

General
I'm in to camping, hiking and wine. I usually combine all three with my wife Amy and dog Kaylee on any given weekend. It's quite a departure from my work related and high tech activities. I also routinely post things on Twitter. Please follow me @bryanhellard

My resume can be found here.

Thanks!

Hellard Resume - Project Listing

This is a list of project I've had the pleasure to work on over the past 25 years listed from smallest physical size to largest.

Other Industry bloggers/analysts

There are many Video conferencing / Unified Communication bloggers and analysts out there so I wanted to put together a list of them because.

Image courtesy of Iamnee from freedigitalimages.net

Blogging

Blogging. How I hate the word. However, with the content I create it's unfair to those in the actual journalistic field to call what I write "articles". I merely write what I think at any given time. Has it bitten me in the ass or will it bite me in the ass in the future?

Oh and by the way, I have no idea where this will go. Most likely, it's going to be stupid and self serving, but that's blogging for you.

Writing for rAVepubs now as well

http://www.ravepubs.com/pan-tilt-zoom/

Here is a link to my article there. Essentially these posts will be a carryover from the cAValryRides stuff as writing for two websites is one thing. Writing for three is not possible due to the work schedule (hey telepresence / video conferencing hardware takes time to design!)

Anyway, check them out.

@bryanhellard

First post on CavalryRides.com

http://cavalryrides.com/2014/10/16/pan-tilt-zoom-or-whats-wrong-with-video-conferencing/

I discuss the stupid PTZ camera.

My latest post on LetsDoVideo

Here is my latest post on Let's Do Video's website. Enjoy

http://letsdovideo.com/the-true-definition-of-video-conferencing/

Lets Do Video

For the near future, I will be posting articles to Letsdovideo.com, a new company run by David Maldow.

HERE is a link to my first article posted there.

Note that I will still be creating the high quality content you have come to expect from me here, so keep an eye out.

Bryan
@bryanhellard