Here’s looking at you - Video face-off looming

The buzz phrase ‘video is the new voice’ appears to go beyond rhetoric, as analysts including IDC, Frost & Sutherland and Wainhouse Research agree that video will comprise around 90% of internet traffic by 2014. The ITC industry worldwide is moving to make a distinction between desktop video and old school proprietary video with the use of the term telepresence, denoting high definition video collaboration at either full blown 1080p or 720p, with sophisticated data and application sharing tools.The strongest sales pitch for investing in videoconferencing was always around reducing travel as fuel costs and airline travel in particular became big budget items. Beating the ‘tyranny of distance’ provided greater incentive for New Zealand businesses.However, costly bandwidth, less than adequate infrastructure, laborious set up processes and clunky proprietary technology that could only talk to compatible systems left many businesses feeling burned.In recent years the hurdles of incompatibility have mostly been addressed though IP-based communications, faster networks and local switches, more powerful computing platforms, better video codecs and common standards and protocols. Despite the slow evolution, Danny Tomsett of Hitech Solutions reckons it's time to take another look at the new wave of ‘click to join’ PC or cloud-based videoconferencing which finally delivers on ease of use, time saving and reduced travel costs. Tomsett believes video will eventually become the main form of conferencing, changing the nature and culture of business and the way business is done. He says there’s no way he could have as much face time with customers without videoconferencing. "I’m doing three times more meetings in a week…the video conference is becoming more like a phone call.”And while video systems need to contain an audio bridge to support those who can’t get access to a web cam, he believes audio conferencing will eventually fade in relevance.Billion dollar boomAccording to Cisco, videoconferencing equipment sales, which reached $US2 billion in the 2009-2010 year, will quadruple to $US8 billion by 2014. Dave Wilson, team leader of Cisco New Zealand’s video group says Kiwis are well up with the play, exceeding Asia Pacific sales trends and in line with the global growth numbers.A big part of the growth is in infrastructure to cope with video including MCUs (multipoint control units) and high definition bridging, the key to multipoint conversations and linking external video. While there’s a lot of action as telcos gear up to deliver video as a service, many businesses are also purchasing bridges and high definition endpoint technology. The trend here, suggests Wilson, is staged acquisition of units as demand for ad hoc video conferencing dictates.Concurrently the focus is on getting the network architecture up to speed, improving bandwidth between sites, specifically fibre out to the branch, and developing related skill sets.Wilson advocates a ‘fit for purpose’ approach, using a mix of VoIP and video including web-enabled video such as Cisco’s WebEx, dual purpose videophones and PC video applications for desk-to-desk calling.However, true video enabled HD as a main form of communication, he says telepresence is the only way to go – whether it’s personal, multipurpose or fully immersive.The latter denotes a specifically designed colour-co-ordinated, light balanced meeting room where everything is HD. Here you feel like you’re literally eyeballing each other, and observe all the subtle nuances of body language.Such systems can integrate with external desktop, web-based or blended systems, but Wilson suggests that ultimately anything less than full HD is likely to be frowned on.Video on the nodeThe ability to blend the desktop into meeting room, bureau or as a video node on a network may be key to driving mass acceptance.Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Skype for $US8.5 billion for its gaming platforms, Windows mobile, Lync (Communications Server) and Outlook, sent ripples through the market. The software, which provides free voice calling between computers and now video chat and a client for smartphones, is likely to raise the bar for pervasive video communications. Skype, Apple’s Facetime and Google Apps video calling on new Android devices will all help business acceptance of video calling and conferencing.   User expectations driven by HDTV and HD PC and laptop screens have fuelled a growing demand for HD quality web cameras. And of course the promised escalation of video on demand and IPTV will also influence the growth of video as a preferred means of communication.Keith Block, Gen-i's capabilities manager for video conferencing is a firm believer the technology is ready for a new wave of uptake. "I joined WebEx on my iPad and have a VC system on my home computer and recently walked in to the Copthorne Hotel in Paihia, logged in to the wireless network, and had a conference with a client in Otago. It worked brilliantly.”Block says there’s no longer a need for big investment in infrastructure as the cloud; remote hosting of applications delivered over the web, along with high definition bridges and gateways, now easily connect legacy systems and private LANs.Gen-i is launching a telepresence integration gateway for standard video conferencing at the desktop using its cloud services. This is expected to increase demand for telepresence which Block says has been growing for the past 5-years, largely due to improvements in ease of use and quality.  Gen-i’s hosting service allows companies to log in at any time without having to book ahead or have a technical operator on hand. And the cost of renting a meeting room style conferencing system is the equivalent of one flight, or about $500 a month.The systems integrator designs, installs and configures customised solutions; selling, renting or leasing Cisco and Polycom equipment, and handling training, management and billing.Training for buy-inSome who bought complex, high cost, old school technology remain reluctant to take a second look at the video technology while existing equipment remains unused or underused.However, where HD equipment is deployed and there’s a need for a forklift upgrade, legacy equipment can be moved to a branch office and integrated to extend its life. One of the reasons earlier video conferencing solutions didn’t deliver, suggests Hitech Solutions’ Danny Tomsett, was a lack of investment in training, which resulted in users even being intimidated by the remote control.  "The technology wasn’t intuitive, companies didn’t invest in getting staff buy-in and the IT guy still had to come and set it all up.”Video calling and conferencing are steadily heading into the mainstream. "Once you start experiencing the difference video calling can make with customers, all the arguments about a phone call being preferable become flawed,” says Tomsett. "In the past there were a lot of issues that plagued video conferencing, now you can invite people to a meeting, confident that it’s going to go well. Once people get past their preconceptions and see what this can do for them, it becomes a no brainer.”