HD voice is more than just a codec but learn why it's important to resolve all the network and device issues.

1. A Light Reading Webinar
The Potential of HD Voice (Wideband)
HD-Voice
Tuesday May 5, 2009
Hosted by
Simon Sherrington
Independent Consultant
On Behalf of Light Reading
Spo so ed by:
Sponsored by p
Guest speakers:
Jeff Pulver - Entrepreneur
Tobias Kemper - Nimbuzz

2. Speakers
p
Jeff Pulver – Serial Entrepreneur
Joyce Kim - Chief Marketing Officer
Global IP Solutions
Jan Linden - VP Engineering
Global IP Solutions
Tobias Kemper – Head of Communications
Nimbuzz

3. Agenda
• Market Overview and Evolution of HD-Voice
• The Importance of HD-Voice/Wideband in Voice
Communications and Collaboration
• The Technical Challenges of Achieving HD-Voice
• Mobile HD Voice
• Q&A

4. What is HD-Voice?
•HD-Voice is :
•Immersive experience, Life-like and natural
•High quality, high fidelity audio user experience
•Minimizes phone fatigue
Wideband Has a New Name: HD-voice
HD voice

5. Q&A with Jeff Pulver
•Why does HD represents such an important development for
y p p p
the VoIP and larger telecom industries?
•HDTV is well k
HDTV i ll known b what signs d you see of momentum
but h i do f
building for HD in telecom?
•How do you see developments playing out regarding HD in
telecom? What should we look for as key milestones?

6. Poll question 1
q
•What has been your experience with HD-Voice?
•A) Never tried it
•B) Have tried i once or twice
B) H i d it i
•C) Use it all the time or whenever I can
)
•D) Not sure if I’ve tried it

7. Joyce Kim
y
Chief Marketing Officer
Global IP Solutions

8. How do we Define HD-Voice?
• Also known as “wideband”
− Generally accepted technical definition: 7 kHz audio and above
• Extends bandwidth beyond what is available in traditional
telephony (PSTN)
• Results in greater intelligibility
− Fricative sounds (e g s and f) and heavy accents
(e.g.,
• Sounds more natural – “life like experience”
• Allows for greater user comfort and less fatigue

9. The HD-Voice Difference
•IP networks present opportunity to use more audio
spectrum
− Better than PSTN quality is achievable in VoIP
•Hardware, microphones, speakers can impact quality but
limited signal bandwidth is the main quality factor
Quality
Visit http://gipscorp.com/wp to hear examples
CD ‐Audio
GIPS Wideband Speech
Std Wideband Speech
(e.g. G.722.2)
GIPS Narrowband Speech
Std Narrowband Speech
Implementation (PSTN)
200 ‐ 3400 Hz Frequency
3,4 4 kHz 6.4‐7.0 kHz 8 kHz 22.1 kHz

10. Why HD Voice/Wideband?
•Well suited for multimedia, conferencing, distance
learning, gaming, music
•Differentiating factor
•Softphone users get exposed to wideband and have
raised the expectations
•Increased market demand
• Growing installed base of IP only applications such as soft
phones, Wi-Fi/dual-mode phones, HW IP phones, conferencing
applications
•Enables new market opportunities & features

11. HD Voice is Essential to Overall Experience
•Sound quality has a much greater impact on user
experience when adding visuals like video
p g
− Telepresence and High Quality Desktop Video
Conferencing

12. The HD-Voice Market – Multiple Market Forces
Co
Coming Together
g oget e
• Worldwide installed base of UC-capable and complete UC client base
expected to grow from 29.3 Million in 2008 growing to 211.2 Million in
2014 (Frost & Sullivan)
CSP-based Videoconferencing Market: Revenue Forecasts (North America)
$600 16
14
$500
12
venue ($ millions)
)
venue Growth (%)
)
$400
10
$300 8
6
$200
Rev
Rev
4
$100
2
$0 0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

13. Codec Comparison
MUSHRA test results for different codecs
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

14. A Good Illustration of HD-Voice Benefits
• Ability to distinguish between speakers incredibly
important
• Long conference calls require more attention, as
callers get fatigued more easily E
A
• Video conferencing requires HD-Voice to
compliment the experience
D
• Intelligent server technology can support both
g gy pp
traditional telephony and HD-Voice B
C
• Traditional phone participants will hear everything in
narrowband – lower quality
• HD-Voice participants hear others in narrowband or high
definition

15. Why Bandwidth Estimation is Important
• When properly utilized, bandwidth estimation can ensure consistent,
high quality experience
− Fixed bit rate solutions estimate bandwidth once at the beginning of the
call (or not at all) – no flexibility
− Variable bit rate HD codecs adapt to the network
1) Fixed Codec Detects Bandwidth 2) Then Determines Bit Rate 3) Begins Sending Media
32 kbps?
32 kbps it is!
…but bottleneck appearance during the call can cause delays if bit rate is not adjusted

16. Jan Linden
VP of Engineering
Global IP Solutions

17. Codec Design Considerations
• Speech Quality • Complexity
• Bit-rate Quality • Device issues
Delay
D l
• Packet Loss • Processing
• Delay Power
• Ease of Use • Echo
• Network • Audio
Environment Bandwidth

18. HD-Voice Codec Selection
•Not one codec fits all scenarios
•Packet loss robustness important for VoIP
•Variable bit rate attractive for IP networks
− Automatic adaption to available rate attractive
p
•Packet overhead significant (5 – 32 kb/s)
− Makes low bit rate codecs less attractive
•Low delay very important
•Standard versus proprietary
− Standards usually come at a higher cost
•Complexity an important issue in Mobile VoIP

19. Advancements in Speech Processing
Design
More Than Just a Codec
Hardware Issues
Speech Codec
Codec (Processor, OS,
Acoustics, etc.)
Network Hardware
Coping with Network
Degredation Power Consumption
VoIP Design
Challenges
Power
Echo
Echo Cancellation
Environment –
Additional Voice Background Noise,
Processing Components Voice Environment Room Acoustics, etc.

20. Example of Challenges – Echo Cancellation
p g
•High delay in VoIP makes echo problem more prominent
•Acoustic echo cancellation
A ti h ll ti
• Handsfree/speakerphone
• Small mobile devices
•Challenges in HD-Voice scenarios
• More processing power required
• More background noise picked up due to the extended audio band

21. Mobile Leading HD-Voice?
•HD-Voice in cellular
•Standards exist
•Very limited deployment
•Mobile VoIP
•HD-Voice prevalent
•iPhone VoIP phenomenon
•High quality, easy to use applications
•VoIP calling, IM, Messaging
Nimbuzz is Pioneering the Way

22. Poll question 2
q
•Where do you think HD-Voice can have the greatest benefit
for th
f the workplace?
k l ?
• A) Overall Productivity
• B) Conference Calls
• C) International Calls
• D) Sales Calls

23. Tobias Kemper
Head of Communications
Nimbuzz
Ni b

24. Mobile social messenger: calls, chats, messaging and more!
for everyone
y
User base
over 600k new users per month,
1 joins every 3.5 seconds

25. Nimbuzz Value: Interoperability
IM
Networks
MNO
Operators
WiFi /
i i
VoIP
Operator
Social
Networks
N t k
Consumer: One access point for everything; no learning curve
Industry: Interoperability, community, customer ownership,
increased engagement, value add

26. HD‐Voice Enabled Mobile Phones
Instant Messaging (geo) Presence
Dial‐Up VoIP
Internet/VoIP
Local Dial‐In provides
2.5G, 3G, WIFI. VoIP on 2G networks.
VoIP on 2G networks
From Widget, PC, Mobile. Available in 50+
countries.
SIP calling
cheap (international) mobile and landline calls

27. Full Service on Every Platform
• Web
IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera • Java • Windows
• Symbian • Mac (2009)
• WAP • Windows Mobile
• Widget • iPhone/iPod Touch
Blog, Website, Social • Android/Blackberry in ’09
Network (Facebook, EDGE – GPRS – 3G – Wi‐Fi
MySpace ... and more)

28. Software is The Future of Mobile
Phonebook is the way to reach the mass market
“If all mobiles would run MS‐DOS
you couldn’t spot the difference...”

29. The Next‐Gen Mass Market Phonebook
current
Nimbuzz powered

30. Poll question 3
•Where do you think HD-Voice will make the biggest impact?
• A) Call Centers
• B) Conference calls
• C) Video conferencing
• D) International placed phone calls
International-placed

31. Q&A