EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (January 2010) – Eden Prairie-based Video Guidance, the leading visual communications provider in the Upper Midwest, has hired John Saaristo as marketing development manager. He brings to the company a depth of experience in both healthcare and education, two hot business sectors for the teleconferencing industry and for Video Guidance.
Saaristo has focused his career on system administration and network engineering for the past 10 years. He was previously the multimedia analyst for Duluth, Minn.-based SISU Medical Solutions, where he managed video conference engineering and multimedia. He also served as associate project coordinator for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rural Healthcare Pilot Program, which will interconnect over 150 healthcare facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“John’s experience in healthcare and education are a perfect fit for Video Guidance as we continue to expand into these growing industries,” said Michael Werch, president of Video Guidance. “The ideals aim to simplify technology for all users and find a common ground that breaks previous barriers for video and multimedia services.”
Saaristo received his Applied Science degree from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. He is also a certified video conference engineer and has completed product specific training for Tandberg video infrastructure and endpoints.
Founded in 1999, privately held Video Guidance, Inc. (www.videoguidance.com) provides conferencing, telepresence and audio visual technologies and services that facilitate natural, visual communication. Video Guidance’s 2008 year-end results grew an impressive 21 percent over 2007. Strategic alliances include Conference Plus, Tandberg (OSLO: TAA.OL), Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM), LifeSize, On Stream Media Corporation, Radvision (NASDAQ: RVSN), VBrick, and Accordent.
Video Guidance was also twice named to Inc’s. 5,000 list of the nation’s fastest growing private companies in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the company has been among the Top 100 of the fastest growing regional companies in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and recognized by The Business Journal as one of the “50 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies” in the Twin Cities metro area. Last year, Video Guidance received the “Grant Services Partner of the Year” honor from TANDBERG for helping organizations create teleconferencing solutions in telemedicine and distance learning in underserved rural areas.
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