Video Conferencing Options…What’s Out There and Where is it

Going?

Shawn Allenby

Making the Connection

February 13, 2007

Targets

• Overview of available technologies• Examples of how the technologies can be

used• How do we decide which technology to use?• What has to happen to increase the use of

these technologies in education• The Future

The Technologies

The Messengers

e.g. yahoo, MSN

VOIP Technologies

with Video

e.g. Skype, Festoon

Web Conferencing e.g. Connect

(Breeze) Elluminate, Webex, Live Meeting

(with 3rd party applications)

Internet Based VC

e.g. VSee, Movi, Live Meeting with Round Table (mid 2007),

web streaming

Standard- Based VC

e.g. h.323, SIP,

Polycom (PVX & set-top boxes), Tandberg, Sony,

VCon

Non-Standards Based

e.g. Isabel, Linux Apps, Hp Halo

Complexity of Technologies (and sometimes cost)

Technologies We Have Used

• Skype– Easy to use– Ubiquitous– NOT bandwidth dependant– Very few firewall issues– Great for education and connecting throughout the

world– Only point-to-point– P2P type environment…need to include your network

people– VERY good quality…surprising

Video Example #1Video Example #2

Adobe Connect (Breeze)

• Very robust• Very collaborative• Can use as a VC tool• Provides “mosaic” tiled video• Allows for many applications• Uses flash player, therefore ubiquitous• Recordings are high quality• Audio is improving

Breeze/Connect

• Use it as a video conference tool

• Easy to use, easy to set up and easy to collaborate

http://breeze.ocdsb.ca/p57821007/

http://breeze.ocdsb.ca/p20096234/

h.323

• We mix technologies from various vendors• Combine our Polycom VSX with netmeeting,

h.323 video phones, Polycom PVX software• We have assigned an external ip address to our

VSX, as well as have an internal ip address assigned

• It has an internal MCU built in, now we can circumvent the firewall from anywhere within the board by going through the Polycom VSX

h.323 VC example

• Ottawa Youth Orchestra

• Combined our:– Polycom VSX– 4 D-Link video phones– Had a Polycom PVX on stand-by

Video

Non-Standards Based

• We use ISABEL from Agora in Spain• Provides high-quality, easy to use VC in all of our

high-schools• Cost is considerably cheaper• Can bridge with h.323 and use the Polycom MCU

to transverse the firewall• Also using a terminal server that allows others to

connect using a live cd with ISABEL installed

Video

Video Example #2

So…how do we choose???

• We often get the question…“Can you set me up for video conferencing?”

• We walk our clients through our entire spectrum of VC we offer

• We then ask them what they want to do– How many connections?– To Whom?– Do you want to record it?– What do they have on the other end?

• From all of these questions, and the fact we offer so many different technologies, we can accommodate almost any request throughout the world

How Can We Move Ahead?In order to advance the use of VC technology in our

schools we need:1. To have absolute EASE of use…no longer can there be

one technician for each site…it will NOT be sustainable2. MUST be ubiquitous…it has to be on, easy to use, and

easy to connect with others3. REALIZE that the technology is irrelevant, as long as the

above two conditions are met…the sky is the limit4. Users MUST have an appreciation of the technology5. NEED to have meaningful content…that is where you

come in6. UNDERSTAND that the most interactive, meaningful

conferences are those that allow students to explore concepts, ideas and relationships with others throughout the world

The Future

• We are at a crossroads• We need to start demonstrating the value of this

technology by using it!• With increased use comes increased content• With increased use and content comes increased

buy-in and availability• With increased use, content and buy-in come

increased innovation• With increased use, content, buy-in and

innovation comes increased investment by the ministry and boards

• We are getting there!

Use

Content

Buy In/Availability

More

Innovation

More Investment!

Final Word

We MUST provide easy to use applications, with little technology

intervention, with consistent connection, with meaningful content delivered in a meaningful authentic way to continue

advancing the use of Video Conferencing

in education in Ontario.