This document discusses multipoint video conferencing and its key features. Multipoint conferencing allows three or more locations to connect simultaneously, beyond traditional point-to-point calls. It is driven by business needs for global collaboration and an increasingly mobile workforce. Emerging options for endpoints now include smartphones, tablets, and web browsers. Multipoint control units (MCUs) act as the video bridge to connect multiple locations, and can be integrated into endpoints, standalone hardware, hybrid cloud/on-premise models, or cloud-based and on-demand. As more devices support video, the ability to connect across platforms (multiplatform) is becoming increasingly important.
2. A perspective from the past
LOCATION A LOCATION C
LOCATION B
Typical video conferencing within an enterprise
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3. Moving beyond the enterprise walls
LOCATION A LOCATION C
DESKTOP
VIDEO MOBILE
LOCATION B
Shift towards multipoint video conferencing
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4. Emerging endpoint options
Past Now
Conference Room Room-based video systems
Room-based video Smartphones
systems Tablets
IT involvement Soft clients
Video enabled IP Phones
Web browser
USB Smart Cameras (TelyHD)
Self-service
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5. Business drivers for multipoint video conferencing
Business is global
Executives are on the move
Teleworking is on the rise
Video is proven to be more effective
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6. Trends driving multipoint conferencing
241M wireless video-enabled devices expected
by 2015
Desktop and Laptop capabilities
Network speed & availability continues increase
BYOD (Bring your own Device)
BYOA (Bring your own Application)
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7. Key ingredient of multi-point video conferencing
MULTIPOINT
LOCATION A LOCATION C
MCU CONTROL UNIT
(VIDEO
BRIDGE)
LOCATION B
Multipoint video conferencing
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8. Where is the MCU?
MULTIPOINT
MCU CONTROL UNIT
(VIDEO
BRIDGE)
MCU
MCU in an endpoint MCU as a standalone network element
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9. Today’s MCU options
MCU
Part of an Standalone Hybrid Cloud-based
endpoint hardware Combination On-demand
(Limited capacity) (Finite of on-premise scale,
capacity) + cloud or Flexibility
multi-tenancy
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10. “Multipoint” or “Multiplatform” or “Both”
MULTIPOINT
MCU CONTROL UNIT
(VIDEO
BRIDGE)
Enterprise multipoint setup from a single Other vendor
vendor platforms
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11. Multipoint MCUs & Interoperability
VENDOR C
VENDOR A VENDOR A VENDOR A PLATFORM
MCU MCU
VENDOR B
VENDOR A VENDOR A PLATFORM VENDOR A
MCU as a video bridge Extending MCU to take over
“interoperability” as a key feature
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12. “Multiplatform” = “Multipoint”?
Not the same
Multiplatform speaks to the
different types of video
enabled devices that are
supported in a multipoint
call.
Becoming more important
as more video enabled
devices are introduced.
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13. Network and Infrastructure
ENTERPRISE
PRIVATE NETWORK
REMOTE/MOBILE INTERNET
WORKFORCE
All endpoints within the Multipoint is driving the requirement for
enterprise network seamless connectivity between “private” and
13 “public” networks
14. Today’s MCU options – Standalone hardware
More capacity/compute power – software license to
open up additional capacity
Limited by finite capacity upgrades
Demands dedicated resources for management
CAPEX intensive
Limited update cycles
More options being added around:
Interoperability support
Firewall traversal/Border gateway
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15. Today’s MCU options – Hybrid
Multi-tenant architecture and/or on-premises + cloud
hybrid model
Less CAPEX compared to standalone hardware option
Limits additional CAPEX with growth
Somewhat easier to use when used as a service
Dependencies
Capacity, performance and resiliency capped by the
underlying hardware
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16. Today’s MCU options – Cloud
New technology - apprehension for some
SaaS - Software as a Service
MCU
Limited OPEX and almost no CAPEX
Scale as you grow
Wider interoperability options through software
Globally accessible – being in the cloud
High availability – easy to build redundancy and failover
Faster update cycles – more agile
Self Service or IT Control options
16 Ease of use