by Mariette Johnson Wharton, VP of Marketing

For this year’s VoiceCon, the leading enterprise communications and video conferencing event, Vidtel CEO Scott Wharton has been selected to lead the discussion panels on choosing the right video device, extending video across the enterprise boundary and the challenges in a mass deployment of video endpoints in an enterprise.  The Video For the Enterprise program at VoiceCon will be in Orlando on March 22-23, 2010.

The Right Video Device:  How To Decide Who Gets What?

Today, most video conferencing systems reside in conference rooms. In order for video to expand to everyday use, different devices will be used. Executive systems (dedicated video systems on a user’s desk), laptops and video phones are alternatives to high-end room systems and telepresence systems. To determine which devices are the best options, some questions will be addressed, including:

  • What are the key video device options today and the pros and cons for each device?
  • Which device is the best suited for what types of workers, locations or use cases?
  • What are the key tradeoffs in terms of quality, price and productivity considerations?
  • How are the different device alternatives evolving and what will the future hold?
  • How would this change the mix of video devices used with the enterprise?

Other panelists include Robert Romano, VP Enterprise Marketing, Radvision, Matt Jordan, Enterprise Development Manager, Skype for Business and Ira Weinstein, Senior Analyst & Partner, Wainhouse Research.

Extending Video Across the Enterprise Boundary

Although the vast majority of video conference calling is within the enterprise, it’s only a matter of time before these same systems are used to make calls to people in other organizations.

There are some challenges, though.  Unlike voice communication, which uses the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to link together all phones, video devices have no such network.  To further complicate matters, there are significant barriers to making inter-enterprise video conferencing as easy as a voice call such as addressing, security, quality of service and interoperability.  In this VoiceCon panel, Scott Wharton will be leading the discussion on these topics:

  • What are the different approaches to inter-enterprise video conferencing today?
    How do you find and call other video users (use “regular” phone numbers, URI address, IP Address, iNum, FDQN)?
  • Will enterprises rely on service providers or handle this issue internally?
  • When should dedicated bandwidth be used vs. the public Internet or a hybrid approach?
  • What are the security requirements and tradeoffs for inter-enterprise video?
  • What are the different requirements for inter-enterprise video conferencing between video endpoints from the same vendor? From different vendors?
  • What are the considerations for opening up bridging (e.g., an MCU) for inter-enterprise video conferencing vs. using a 3rd party?

In addition to moderator/speaker Scott Wharton, CEO, Vidtel, are panelists Chris MacFarland, COO, Masergy, Michel Sagen, Director, Product Management, Tandberg, John Bartlett, Principal, NetForecast Inc. and Ted Tracy, Director, Engineering & Architecture, TelePresence Exchange BU, Cisco.

Challenges in Mass Deployment: From Tens to Thousands of Video Endpoints

Enterprise use of video is growing, but it remains a “niche” application, largely used by a select set of users in planned sessions.  For video conferencing to move into the mainstream, it needs to evolve into a universal tool for business – an application that is used both inside and outside a company’s boundaries.

Incremental growth isn’t that difficult, but challenges abound for any CEO or CIO who wants to extend video deployment to everyone in the enterprise – expanding from dozens of systems to thousands.  In this session, Scott Wharton will moderate these topics:

  • What are the product requirements for scaling a deployment and are today’s solutions up to the task? What about bandwidth requirements and network upgrades?
  • What makes sense to tackle internally vs. outsourcing or hybrid choices?
  • Are people outside the firewall (teleworkers, branch offices) out of luck?
  • How does VOIP help – or hinder – the expansion of video?
  • Should the video network be integrated with other network elements (i.e., the PBX, PSTN) and if so, when and how?
  • Most enterprises are multi-vendor environments; how does that affect options for scaling video?

Others on the discussion panel are Chris Lauwers, CTO, Avistar, Brent Kelly, Senior Analyst & Partner, Wainhouse Research, Ofer Shapiro, CEO, Vidyo and Roy Skillicorn, Senior Director, Advanced Services, TelePresence Practice Management Organization, Cisco.

To meet up with us at VoiceCon or suggest any additional questions for the panels, please send an email to voicecon@vidtel.com.