Conferencing

Turn to the Web for meetings

Videoconferencing and online collaboration suites with VoIP can maximize the return on investment.

by Hannah Rothman

Videoconferencing can be implemented in two basic ways. When used as a peer-to-peer system, the bandwidth available to any one participant affects the performance and viability of the entire system. In contrast, on a centralized client/server system, where each user is responsible for his/her own bandwidth and performance, less bandwidth is required on behalf of the participants.

Bandwidth, in fact, is the first "gotcha" related to videoconferencing implementations. As an extreme case, bandwidth that offers acceptable performance using one vendor's telepresence offering can cost as much as $15,000 per room per month. A point-to-point videoconference can require 1.5 megabits of bandwidth for a successful three-site videoconference.

Bandwidth, however, is only part of the cost. Because videoconferencing requires sight and sound, many vendors use the Internet for video and file sharing, while also requiring a conference phone bridge line for audio. The drawbacks to this model include: the cost of the conference bridge phone line; and the need to coordinate the use of an audioconference room to be used simultaneously with the videoconference room.

Finally, of course, are the pricing models: monthly flat rates versus a per-hour or per-minute rate. Typically, companies that use a monthly flat rate solution, dependant only on the number of users, discover new uses and new benefits when access to videoconferencing is unlimited. The extra collaboration between offices and clients leads to stronger relationships, and, often, more dependence on a videoconferencing solution. Just as new cell phone users may discover the value of a cell phone and sign up for a plan with more minutes, so do companies collaborate more, both within their organizations and with vendors, clients and strategic partners.

Web-based videoconferencing and online collaboration suites that incorporate voice over IP (VoIP) for audio can maximize the return on investment and allow companies to explore all of the benefits of videoconferencing and collaboration, while limiting expenses. Flat-rate pricing for this option can be as low as $5 per user per month for a group of 10 users, and even less per user for larger installations. The benefits of such a solution include: low, predictable costs; private, secure videoconferencing available for an organization 24/7; and an easy-to-use system, with no need to reserve time in advance, allowing for spontaneous collaboration.

In addition, other issues companies should consider when selecting a videoconferencing solution include:

• Does a moderator have to load video, PowerPoint presentations and other materials to a server prior to a videoconference, or can participants see what is on other participants' screens using streaming, real-time technology?
• 4Does a vendor's solution require software to be installed on each user's machine, or is the solution completely Web-based?
• Can participants exchange files, share applications, collaborate on documents in real time in addition to having "side," or private, conversations via instant messaging or other technologies during a videoconference?

The final issue a company should address when implementing a videoconferencing solution is whether the solution is scalable. Can the technology used for videoconferencing today continue to be used when locations, number of users or other factors within an organization change?

Peer-to-peer solutions, which are limited by available bandwidth, are also then limited in scalability. Solutions that require a vendor's software to run are scalable but can lead to technical problems when operating systems or other software changes. Web-based solutions that incorporate VoIP are scalable, stable and useful, regardless of the number of users.

In addition, a well-engineered solution will manage bandwidth under less-than-optimum conditions, adjusting the video quality (by lowering the frames per second) while maintaining voice quality and the ability to share files and applications. When choosing a Web-based videoconferencing solution, look for these features:

• no annual fee;
• no commitment term;
• unlimited videoconferencing 24/7;
• included audio communications (ideally, using VoIP);
• no limit, or virtually no limit, to the number of users;
• moderate bandwidth requirements;
• moderate hardware/software requirements;
• application and desktop sharing;
• file transfers;
• extra controls and capabilities for moderators;
• one-to-one and group chat;
• Web-based solution that can be used anywhere; and
• no hidden or additional costs.

Hannah Rothman is a senior director with HearMe, New York.

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Make IP PBX part of the solution

by Leigh Fatzinger

The conventional wisdom of voice over IP (VoIP) is that conversion to VoIP calls for IP phones and CAT 5e/6 LAN cable to support the bandwidth requirements of voice and data. New "VoIP adapter" technologies, however, enable enterprise VoIP migration utilizing existing PBX, Centrex or even analog handsets, and existing phone cabling and LAN infrastructure.

More functional and interoperable than analog telephone adapters, VoIP adapters pass VoIP features through to the handset, while enhanced features requiring a larger screen are accessed through a Web browser. Convergence, if the network is defined as a single WAN connection for transmitting all media, is achieved with VoIP adapters just as with a "rip-and-replace" migration.

The benefit to the end-user, beyond what is provided by the VoIP platform, is continuity. No new phone to learn how to use, no disruption of workflow due to changing out handsets, and no opening walls and ceiling panels to run new cabling.

VoIP adapters use the SIP protocol and translate IP packets from the VoIP platform into proprietary handset signaling, and vice versa for outbound voice. As with all VoIP communication, voice is transmitted in IP packets over the WAN, and through the IP PBX. The only difference is in the "last mile," or more accurately, the last 100 feet, on the endpoint side of the adapter, where voice is transmitted using traditional telephony technology.

VoIP adapters are deployed on-premise, in the phone closet, at each enterprise location. The handset cabling runs into a telephony terminator, which connects to the adapter via a connector. The adapter then connects via Ethernet to a router and out to a hosted service provider, or to a premise-based IP PBX.

The adapter supplies power to the handsets, so no wall power or power-over-Ethernet switches are required. Foreign exchange office ports are typically included for E-911 requirements and WAN failure survivability.

VoIP adapter technology is not the best choice for every enterprise VoIP deployment. In new voice network deployments, new construction, and relatively new commercial structures, running CAT 5e/6 cable is standard, as is buying and powering IP phones. At locations with installed LAN cabling insufficient for voice traffic, however, reusing existing handsets, cabling and LAN infrastructure will significantly reduce the expense, complexity and disruption compared to what is typical of a new system install. A combination of new IP handsets and retained legacy handsets is another alternative.

The potential hazards and additional expense of opening walls in structures built before the EPA began regulating asbestos-containing materials in the mid-1970s, and disposing of older lead-containing cabling, can be a significant deterrent to installing a new VoIP network. Disturbing walls in designated historic landmarks may be precluded altogether, necessitating surface mounting of any new cabling. Budget-minded enterprises might also find that VoIP adapters are a technology that complements corporate philosophy.

In the end, of course, each enterprise must choose its own VoIP migration path. Unfortunately, this choice is often made on poor criteria, such as aesthetics. Other organizations base their decision on limited information, perhaps an existing vendor's recommendation, or the pitch of a reseller who wants the revenue of high-margin new IP phones. To select the best VoIP migration path, the enterprise should first assess the following: migration budget; scope of project; age and condition of existing handsets; potential recabling complexity; comfort with change; and conservation ethic.

Once these criteria are determined, they should be considered against VoIP network alternatives. Only then will the enterprise be able to choose the path to convergence that best meets its business objectives.

Leigh Fatzinger is vice president of marketing for Citel, Seattle.

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