AARNet is piloting an ISDN video conferencing gateway service in partnership with Flinders University. The pilot will provide IP and ISDN-based video conferencing services to Flinders University initially, then broader to the Australian R&E community. A billing system will be developed and tested based on booking and call data. The goal is to establish a sustainable production service that saves institutions costs by moving their ISDN services to this centralized gateway solution over time.

1. ISDN Video Conferencing
Pilot service
AARNet offers video and How it will work
audio conferencing services The service includes an easy to use
booking system, CMP 1-2-3, providing
as a value added service for access to shared resources that allows AARNet has moved in to pilot an ISDN
customers that are connected video conferencing to be a reality for the Gateway service in partnership with Flinders
University, who will host a gateway and
to AARNet. Australian R&E Community.
administer a billing system that in time and
depending on uptake, may be integrated in
We are a not for profit organisation, and One of the recommendations to arise from the current booking system ( CMP 1-2-3).
working closely with a range of vendors we the Project Group was to introduce an
provide vendor agnostic feedback and advice ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
to the sector. gateway and billing service, which will be an Flinders University was chosen due to prior
extension of the existing AARNet IP video involvement in the AARNet MCU Review
Australian research staff, academics and conferencing and lesser known in-dial only project and because the Flinders School of
students can register to access the online ISDN video conferencing service. Medicine have a significant and ongoing
booking system that provides multipoint need for ISDN based video conferencing,
video and audio conferencing services across for teaching, research and administration
various standards and protocols. The new pilot service will provide the purposes. As many of the locations are in
availability of ISDN out-dial this enabling remote areas, with limited or no access to
http://www.nvcs.edu.au greater outreach of conferencing services, reliable, reasonably priced IP based services,
especially to sites that have little or no ISDN video conferencing continues to be the
technical expertise to hand. most viable option of use today.
Background
The utilisation of video conferencing in
higher education continually increases with
the demand for a greater range of services.
The advantages of such evolving services
are a greater inclusiveness of people in
remote rural locations and the sharing of
ideas and information between international
institutions.
The AARNet ‘MCU Review Group’ made up
of staff from a number of Australian higher
education institutes and video conference
solution vendors Tandberg/Codian has
made significant in roads to create an online
booking and bridging service for multi site
video conferencing.
www.aarnet.edu.au

2. Phase One – Implementing Beyond the pilot
the service across Flinders
University
Should the pilot deliver a successful outcome,
it would move to a production model with
The first phase of the pilot will deliver a an increase in available ISDN circuits via
centralised managed service to Flinders multiple Codian ISDN 3220 Gateways
University, providing both IP based located across the country to replace those
conferencing ( Codian 4200 MCU) and the that may be used in the interim from AARNet
in-dial and out-dial ISDN functionality (Codian Canberra and Ballarat (based on older ISDN
ISDN 3210 Gateway). gateway solutions).
During the official pilot service phase, a billing In time the production service may lead to
model will be developed that will calculate institutions using the service as a primary
usage costs based on booking information, resource with the local ISDN gateway kept
ISDN gateway call data records and ISDN as backup with a goal to eventually enable
carrier costs. This billing system will enable institutions to save on their gateway
customers to chargeback use to their faculties and PRI costs by moving all ISDN to the
etc. production service.
Phase Two – broadening the
pilot to Australian R&E
The second phase of the pilot will be to
provide a service to the Australian R&E
sector (AARNet connected customers) with a
solution that will have been tried and tested
within Flinders University.
A charging model will be established that is
competitive and sustainable, backed up with
dedicated support. New customers will be
able to test the service prior to or during the
trial to ensure the ISDN service “just works”.
Contact Us
Name: Daniel Kukiel
Title: ISDN VC Project Manager
Location: Adelaide
Email: daniel.kukiel@flinders.edu.au
Tel: +61 8 8201 3842 (office hours)
More Information
For more details or to signal your interest in
participating, contact Daniel, or the National
Video Conferencing Service at
http://www.nvcs.edu
www.aarnet.edu.au