technologythe cloud

T here are many verticals within AV that are bound to be changed by the ongoing evolution of the cloud, but it’s no surprise

that videoconferencing may be gravitating to it most rapidly. After all, the video and audio capabilities that define videoconferencing can all be easily managed today by a cell phone, and clients’ expectations for convenience and scalability are ramping up as quickly as their personal devices shrink down.

Cloud computing, a.k.a. the cloud, describes a variety computing concepts involving a large number of computers connected via real-time communication networks such as the internet. Put that fast-moving principle together with videoconferencing, and integrators are looking at a changed environment—one in which hardware is still important,

but plays a different part in the big picture.“Cloud based services allow organizations

to take advantage of videoconferencing technology in an as-a-service model—connecting video users across mobile, desktop, and room systems as well as easily extending reach to audio users and even web-conferencing users,” said Angie Mistretta, director of Cisco TelePresence solutions marketing. “Cloud based conferencing options for intelligent video collaboration give business greater flexibility in the way they consume and scale video meetings pervasively across their organization, while delivering a common experience. They provide options including

ad hoc, scheduled, or rendezvous meetings, and can

be leveraged to serve expanded remote

worker collaboration options, or to quickly scale to serve new business

opportunities with customers and partners without requiring additional

capital investment or incurring additional IT operational resource costs.”

According to Ted Thompson, CTO for the Connecticut-based integrator HB Communications, cloud-based

videoconferencing represents an evolving model for delivering video collaboration, which falls into three categories. First is “private cloud,” a more traditional deployment

model wherein the customer invests in their own

dedicated architecture and strategically

deploys it into private or shared data centers. The second is “public cloud” which can be categorized as outsourced video as a service (VaaS) and might include a combination of soft clients and integrated hardware solutions, which give customers the ability to host multipoint conferences in the cloud. Third is “hybrid cloud,” an offering that might look like a combination of private and public.

“Simply put, videoconferencing management and multipoint conferencing solutions require an upfront investment for advanced features and scale,” Thompson said. “Customers are weighing the upfront costs and features for traditional on-premise solutions with cloud-based offerings. It is becoming an important strategy for systems integrators to deliver scalable, feature-rich solutions without the initial investment for infrastructure.”

In turn, vendors are enabling integrators to deliver the appropriate solutions to their clients. One

Conferencing in the CloudVIDEOCONFERENCING SHIFTS FROM HARDWARE TO A SERVICE-BASED MODEL

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

// B

Y D

AV

ID W

EIS

S /

////

////

////

////

////

///

22 S C N / / / / F A L L 2 0 1 3 / / / / avnetwork.com

106636_working.indd 22 2/7/14 1:15 PM

scnscnS Y S T E M S C O N T R A C T O R N E W S

ELECTRONICALLY REPRINTED FROM FALL 2013

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

////

// example is PTZ camera manufacturer Vaddio, which has partnered with Vidtel (as well as Blue Jeans Network, Zoom, and many more), whose cloud-based MeetMe service enables videoconferences between room-based systems, executive desktop video systems, PCs/Macs, smartphones, and tablets using any combination of SIP, H.323, Skype, and GoogleTalk technologies. MeetMe can be used in conjunction with Vaddio’s EasyUSB video and audio tools, allowing users to conduct multi-party videoconferences across a wide variety of vendors and service providers including Cisco/Tandberg, Google, InFocus, LifeSize, Polycom, Skype, and Sony.

“Think about your smartphone for a second,” said Rob Sheeley, CEO of Vaddio. “You have all of these software solutions there that at one time were hardware: clock, video camera, audio recorder, camera, CD player. We’ve evolved from this massive client/server relationship with technology—it’s only natural that videoconferencing should be a subset of doing that. In essence, you bring your own device—camera and microphone—that are native to the office. The only thing missing is, ‘How do I create a camera and microphone for enterprise spaces and meeting rooms which allow us to tap into the spaces?’

“That’s where Vaddio plays. We

provide pro AV-quality camera and audio solutions that allow people to use software videoconferencing applications on their laptop, smart phone, or tablet in their room. So bring your device, plug it into our system, and we’ve empowered you to use all its applications in a room environment.”

For integrators to build up a successful video collaboration business, an understanding of the customer—and building solutions that meet their unique requirements—is paramount. “Cloud-based video solutions have advantages that will meet the needs of some of our customers,” HB Communications’ Thompson noted. “They include lower upfront investment, a consumption model based on a monthly reoccurring expense, and the ability to scale up or down on the fly.

“The downside to most cloud-based solutions is the internet delivery model which makes them open and easy to use. For instance, most basic cloud-based VMR solutions are delivered over the internet, so they’re best effort with no QoS. This keeps the cost lower, but gives you less control over experience. AV integrators will need to consider the options for adding this service: Building your own solution can have large upfront costs, but can be more profitable; third party solutions have lower margins, but

can be disjointed from a support perspective if they’re not tightly integrated. Handing off customers to cloud-based service providers can require a leap of faith. Essentially, your customer’s videoconferencing experience is in their hands.”

In adapting to a cloud-centric world of videoconferencing, Sheeley urged AV contractors to remember that they are integrating around a computer in that sphere, instead of analog devices. “Now my core technology is really a PC and an application,” he reflected. “Obviously, there’s a learning curve: It’s not just plugging inputs into outputs and vice versa. Now you’re dealing with a high-speed digital bus, whether it’s USB or thunderbolt, and also working with computers.

“After all, why would you buy a device today just to have one application? When it comes to videoconferencing, clients are essentially saying, ‘Don’t tell me what I want to do in my room. Allow me to use whatever applications to do whatever I want to do.’ And that’s a huge change of how we think about things, because in AV we’ve always been told that applications are black boxes. In the world of IP and IT, all of that changes.”David Weiss (www.dwords.com) writes extensively

about AV, audio, and broadcast technology.

technologythe cloud

106636_working.indd 24 2/7/14 1:15 PM

106636

Posted with permission from the Fall 2013 issue of Systems Contractor News ® www.systemscontractor.com. Copyright 2014, New Bay Media, Inc. All rights reserved.For more information on use of this content, contact Wright’s Media at 877-652-5295.