VideoConnect– hosted and managed for high-end affordability

 

, the unified communications service and solution provider, has up-ended the high-end videoconferencing market with the launch of VideoConnect (powered by Vidyo) – a managed, hosted solution that makes HD-quality video accessible for small business.

The old school

, business development director at Connection Telecom, says previously companies would have had to set up specially-equipped multi-million rand rooms for their conferencing.

 

“The cost of this constrained companies’ conferencing location to two or perhaps more rooms, and put this kind of solution out of the reach of smaller budgets,” he says.

 

“The only other option was to use peer-to-peer consumer videoconferencing, which doesn’t have the quality assurance of a centrally-managed service on a trusted network. N+ VideoConnect offers that all-round business-grade experience at an affordable usage-based charge.”

 

Killer combo

Connecting both boardroom-based teams and individuals, Connection Telecom strikes the perfect balance of enterprise-quality videoconferencing with the flexibility of roving employees or other organisational stakeholders bridging into the call.

 

“Neither p2p solutions nor site-based enterprise solutions have this killer combination,” says Lith.

Quality features

• Location-independent – VideoConnect is accessible from desktops, iOS or Android devices, or room set-ups.
• Standard hardware – The solution delivers video-over-IP, meaning there’s no need for expensive proprietary hardware.
• Standard networks –No matter where in the world teams are, they can access VideoConnect if they have WiFi or 3G/4Gaccess.
• VideoConnect uses adaptive layering technology and the H.264 scalable video coding standard to ensure video and audio feeds are smooth and natural. In addition, Connection Telecom uses ViBE, a bandwidth optimisation tool, to manage quality.
• Users can manage and configure their own endpoints, while administrators have a range of options available to them in an easy-to-use interface. No IT support is required.
• VideoConnect provides flexibility of configuration, access and display. Two-user and multi-point conferencing can also support document-sharing and whiteboards.
• Webcast a videoconference as it happens, or save it for viewing later.

 

The stuff you never see

In the background in Connection Telecom’s full-redundant data centre, the following infrastructure powers customers’ VideoConnect experience:

• VideoConnect router – supports up to 100 concurrent HD connections and multiple networked routers for larger deployments
• VideoConnect portal–lets administrators configure and manage endpoints, infrastructure, software and licenses; moderate conferences in progress; and configure multi-tenant features. Self-service is an option.
• VideoConnect gateway–bridges traditional room systems and the higher-performing, more scalable VideoConnect environment. Endpoints from vendors like Polycom and Cisco are connected via H.323 and SIP-based infrastructure. Support for critical features like H.239 data sharing and H.235 media encryption, tonsure interoperability.
• VideoConnect replay–records conferences for offline viewing or webcasts them in real time. Web-accessible content library. Video streams can be viewed in any Flash-enabled browser.
• End-points – VideoConnect Mobile turns iOS or Android mobile devices into high-quality telepresence end-points via 3G/4G, docked or on the go. VideoConnect Desktop does the same for desktops. VideoConnect Room appliances for fixed installations deliver up to 1080P (HDTV or high-definition video–1920 pixels in width and 1080 pixels in height)at 30 frames per second.
• VideoConnect panorama–Connects up to nine screens of participant video and multiple streams of shared content.

Get set and go

But the real beauty of VideoConnect is that none of that makes any difference to the end-user. “The infrastructure is ready and available to any company that needs it,” says Lith. “To get started, simply install the soft client or mobile app and start videoconferencing!”