Videoconferencing for 2000 - Technology Information

Communications News, Oct, 1999

Small, medium, or large: there's something for everyone.

"During the next 15 months, the explosive appliance-based videoconferencing systems marketplace is projected to sell over 100,000 systems. Ten to 15% of those systems today will be multimedia-based and driven by the desire for users to incorporate their laptop computer as the end point of choice," predicts Don Lies, CEO of RSI Videoconferencing Systems (RSI). "This is a continuation of the desire of the decision maker to remain mobile and to take the videoconferencing and collaborative capability along."

Why, indeed? Videoconferencing is now commonly being used in a myriad of settings. Its current applications include professional conferences, telemedicine, sales kiosks, employment interviews, legal proceedings (arraignments and depositions, for example), product support, and financial services. The rapid development and growing use of this medium to serve mobile users is merely another inevitable step in its progress.

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN THE VIDEOCONFERENCING ARENA?

If you plan on using xDSL, you will need bridging equipment at some point to convert packet-based and network switched signals to videoconference with an ISDN user. And, as industry products and standards change, you will want to take advantage of simple software (firmware) updates via ISDN to keep your system connecting with new hardware or software. This can be handled by a service provider or CPE. You may also need to investigate your wiring infrastructure and network capacity to ensure there is room for data collaboration. Ultimately, the direction you take as you initiate evaluation of products and vendors against your requirements is determined by your pocketbook.

EQUIPPING A SMALL OFFICE, HOME OFFICE (SOHO)

If you're operating a SOHO, do you purchase a personal, desktop, or set-top system? Suggestion: while affordability is usually foremost for SOHOs, look at performance from industry leaders' products.

At the economical end, the Intel Proshare Video System 500, which uses 128 kbps ISDN or LAN transport and Microsoft NetMeeting, plus Photo Exchange for data collaboration conferences, could meet all your needs. For most professional systems, ISDN 128 kbps (BRI, 15 frames per second) delivers a good video image and voice synch. This basic transport option has a technical delay which may cause distortion and a noticeable lip-synch problem if there is too much motion before a stationary camera. But, while 384 kbps [PRI, 30 frames per second (fps)] delivers an excellent real-time TV-quality image with no delay and full lip-synch, your pocketbook and needs probably don't justify the expense.

Chuck Smith, senior product marketing engineer for Intel says, "We extensively tested the Proshare series to ensure both H.320 (ISDN) and H.323 (Ethernet/IP) standards-based connectivity, particularly since SOHO users often don't know the end device they will `virtually meet' with next. Proshare's Video System 500 is often used as the `reference system' to test new product interoperability by firms, such as VideoServer and PictureTel." Lies reinforces what seems to be a growing trend: "We have been approached by several big players in the industry and asked if we could teach them how to improve interoperability for standards-based connectivity."

At a higher price point, the SOHO-to-midsized solution could be RSI's plug-and-play product--Video Flyer PVS (personal video system). This product is available with either a stationary or pan/tilt/ zoom (PTZ) color camera. A movable picture-in-picture (PIP) feature is very handy, and RSI seems to have delivered a universal product capable of communicating with any standards-based U.S. or international videoconferencing system via a single, dual, or tri ISDN BRI line. Data collaboration via NetMeeting complies with the T. 120 industry standard. RSI has a built-in NTI1 and IMUX, which distinguishes it from competitors.

REMOTE OFFICE INTERFACE AT THE MIDSIZED FIRM

If you are the CIO, CFO, or other executive of a midsized firm who wants to use videoconferencing to manage remote offices, do you purchase a new system, lease, or rent by the month? Do you need a PC-based system, or can you implement a TV-based videoconferencing system just as effectively?

An example of a multifaceted solution for multisite applications within an entire organization, RSI offers the MEDIAPRO 384 series. This system provides both high-quality videoconferencing for nonintelligent devices, such as televisions and displays, with its computer-free (CF) software. On the same engine resides the software to allow the system to provide full simultaneous multimedia video, audio, and data communications with Windows-based laptops or personal computers. The data-based LT (laptop) system defines portability--it weighs less than six pounds and fits inside a briefcase. The CF component system, advanced DP (dual-platform) system, and SV (streaming video) models offer a full-range, high-performance, single-vendor solution for H.320/H.323-ready systems available this fall that can be deployed throughout an organization. By incorporating the MP2000 graphic user interface, this solution package provides the flexibility, ease of operation, and video quality to seamlessly communicate with any other standards-compliant videoconferencing unit via ISDN or T1/E1 (V. 35) connectivity. This family of products allows an organization to distribute videoconferencing to field offices and link them together at the headquarters for a multipoint conference.