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The Square
Peg and the Round Hole
by Kyle Nisenson
We see it in
the video call center all the time. Whether it's the desktop system
sitting in the boardroom with guys in suits crowding around a tiny
camera, or the high end room system sitting on a cart in an office
with the users sweating from all the heat it's putting off. In
today's business world, we are trying to do more with less. In video
terms, that means using video conferencing systems in environments
they aren't designed for.
Now, I am not
here to sell you hardware. What you do with your systems is your own
business. This is merely a warning that you risk falling short of
user expectations when systems are mis-deployed. Whether it is the
first time video user, who has TV quality expectations, or the
veteran user who has seen video conferencing succeed in one
environment but not in another. Network managers need to be aware of
the ever-present danger of discouraging usage by not matching the
video experience to what the user expects.
Let's break
things up into three broad categories: Room systems, Small Group
systems / Portables, and Desktops.
Room
Systems (PictureTel Concorde, Intel Teamstation): OK, the thing
with the room system is, they are not cheap. Typically, room systems
run in the five-figure column. They are specialized systems to
deliver the best conferencing experience possible. Items such as
revved up processors fine-tuned for video, special mechanisms to
improve audio quality in large room atmospheres, or other features
like tracking cameras or extra input/output ports add to the
experience, but also make room systems the most expensive category
to deploy.
What to do
with them: These beasts belong in large conference rooms made
for high end meetings. While room systems do offer excellent
2-channel video, they are really at their best with 6 channel calls.
Use all of the features at your disposal, voice tracking cameras,
document camera ports, multiple microphones.
What not to
do with them: Don't move them! There is a lot of expensive stuff
inside that box. Room systems aren't built to be rolled from room to
room. The temptation for folks just dabbling in conferencing may be
to turn these into portables to try and get their money's worth out
of them. A better idea is to have a professional installer fine tune
the system for one room, and just leave it there. Many experienced
conferencing users build rooms around the video system, not the
other way around.
Portables
(Polycom Viewstation, PictureTel Swiftsite): The portable,
particularly Polycom, is currently the only component of video
hardware experiencing explosive sales. The reason for such success
can be based around price, functionality, and easy of use, all of
which are exceptional in today's portable market. The problem is,
since organizations are now buying these in bunches, we are finding
the systems being used for every video application imaginable.
What to do
with them: Another term for portables is the "small
group" system. The name says it all. These systems have been
conceived for bringing small groups of people together. They best
fit in small conference rooms or offices. In these environments they
can deliver the best video and audio quality to the far end.
What not to
do with them: When users start replacing high-end systems with
portables, the differences start to become more evident. Limitations
include inability to deliver superior audio in larger rooms, and
cameras that don't have wide enough lenses to capture an entire
room. Some portables have also had problems with exceptional stress,
a.k.a. constant usage. I have fielded reports of excessive heat and
power supplies burning out after 12+ hours of straight usage. Also,
you are getting what you pay for. The reason for the price gap with
room systems and portables is that they do not have equal processing
power. Video images from portables will not always be equal to that
from a room system. Portables can be a nice solution for smaller
meetings, but advanced applications such as data-sharing are not
integrated like they are with PC based systems, plus they need
additional physical space opposed to just a monitor-top camera.
Desktops
(Intel Proshare, VCON): One thing you can say about desktops; they
are cheap. Because of this, they have enjoyed solid sales and
deployment. With the evolution of IP, desktops may become even more
prevalent. Unfortunately, desktops have also been abused by
attempting applications incompatible with the systems' capabilities.
What to do
with them: Very simply, desktops are for personal video
conferencing. One person, one desk, one desktop video unit.
Typically these units are sold with headsets, which, when used, can
deliver solid audio quality. Plus, the inexpensive monitor top
cameras a fine for capturing just a moving head. Desktops are also
extremely conducive to workgroup technologies, such as data sharing.
Your network is there, as is your data. When deployed appropriately,
desktop units can be extremely powerful tools for working units.
What not to
do with them: Probably the greatest flagrant fowl we see in
video is the desktop trying to be more than it isn't. Like
portables, desktops were not designed for large groups, and in most
cases, they are not designed even for small groups. But due to
costs, previous investments, or just a misconceived idea, we see the
desktops pop up in the wrong places all the time. There is no better
way to make sure your users will never use video again than by
cramming people around a personal desktop unit. Maybe your
organization was not ready for video at the desk, but don't try and
fix the problem by moving it into the conference room.
Unfortunately,
what tends to make matters worse is the limited likelihood of
getting help from hardware vendors. They want to sell units, and
what you do with them tends to be left up to you. I've never found
this to be a smart sales technique. A little consulting can go a
long way towards maturing an account. There are organizations that
can help guide you if you need assistance starting right here at
Frontier with our Evaluation Lab reports. Beyond us, there are
companies whose entire focus is multimedia room design and
consulting. My best advice is, if you are about to invest in
building your video conferencing infrastructure, spend a little time
discerning if the hardware decisions fit the location and the
applications.
About
Kyle Nisenson
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