CONFERENCING
Accessible videoconferencing
Historically, videoconferencing has been limited primarily to the conference room, but, for years, enterprise communications managers have wanted a simple way to include users on a desktop computer or laptop, no matter where they are, to join in on videoconferences. Desktop videoconferencing solutions have been available, but they have been fraught with complex installations, expensive licensing fees and connection issues from outside corporate firewalls.
New licensing models are emerging based on concurrent users instead of an individual client license basis. The client can be deployed by anyone at no additional cost, allowing it to be distributed to anyone. Communications managers can freely distribute state-of-the-art Web clients and not worry about client software fees, complex installations, license provisioning and updates.
Deploying applications and updates is an important infrastructure consideration, especially when it is a large, distributed user base. End-users need the freedom and flexibility to send a simple Web link to invite any business partner, at any time, to participate in a videoconference.
Administrators also need a centrally managed and deployed client that is automatically distributed to remote participants whenever they are invited to a meeting. Additionally, when updates are available for repeat users, they want them to be deployed automatically, enabling users to enjoy all new capabilities. Administrators want a solution that is centrally administered, managed and automatically deployed.
Embedded firewall traversal allows organizations to maintain existing security mechanisms and, at the same time, provide communication capabilities outside of the corporate firewall. These firewall solutions provide the ability to traverse both the local and remote firewall to ensure connectivity. They include automatic detection of the best media path via UDP, TCP or tunneled TCP, providing the ability for remote users to connect from anywhere–with no need for configuration.
When extending the room system videoconference experience to the desktop, users should benefit from the same high-quality conference features, like continuous presence video, H.239 data collaboration and conference moderation, whether they are connected from a high-end conference room or from a remote laptop. This common experience facilitates and accelerates increased use of the videoconferencing system, because users do not have to familiarize themselves with any new applications.
State-of-the-art audio and video processing for each participant, along with advanced codecs such as H.264 video, ensure that each participant gets a high-quality audio/visual experience. Everyone benefits from more efficient use of network infrastructure, more cost-effective business quality video, and better access to participants with low bandwidth.
The need for a common conferencing experience extends to data collaboration. A typical room system provides H.239 data conferencing capabilities. H.239 allows users to share live, full-motion screen captures of a specific application or an entire PC screen during a meeting. This provides effective data collaboration between remote users and room systems.
For meetings that include a large number of participants, such as an annual shareholders’ meeting, an interactive meeting might not make sense. In meetings such as these, VIP participants connect normally with their videoconferencing systems to the interactive portion of the meeting. Other participants can connect to the streaming portion of the meeting to view a simultaneous webcast.
Advanced solutions are now available to broadcast the audio, video and data presentation simultaneously with the interactive session. These solutions can extend the reach and scalability of existing videoconferencing technology to thousands of users
For more information from RADVISION
(click here)