SAN JOSE - Cisco is promoting the use of IP as the platform of choice for delivering video and interactive content across corporate networks with this weeks release of new hardware and software-based IP videoconferencing and streaming products.
Looking to give a lift to the use and quality IP videoconferencing, Cisco is offering a family of hardware offerings based on the Windows NT platform designed to facilitate videoconferencing over corporate networks and the Internet:
? IP/VC 3510 multipoint control unit (MCU) - for connecting any H.323-compliant endpoint. The MCU can handle up to 15 simultaneous users and supports the T.120 standard for data collaboration.
? IP/VC 3520 and 3525 - two gateways for connecting H.323 (IP-based) and H.320 (ISDN-based) endpoints. Cisco offers BRI, V.35 and PRI interfaces for connecting to ISDN-based systems.
? IP/VC 3530 - a video terminal adapter that connects an H.320 room-based system to an IP-based H.323 network, letting companies use their existing equipment yet still interface with newer IP-based units.
Cisco is partnering with Radvision of Mahwah, N.J. to build the MCU technology, rather than develop the entire infrastructure from scratch, says Heather Rose, group manager of product marketing in the video internet services division of Cisco. Each unit is rack-mountable.
"We've had a lot of demand from our customers for such a solution," Rose says. "The network and infrastructure vendor for videoconferencing need to work closely together to get IP video working."
The company also is upgrading its Multimedia Conference Manager software that runs on a variety of the company's router offerings. The software lets network managers control the amount of bandwidth used by videoconferences and provides some quality-of-service services for those conferences taking place across a WAN.
Streaming products add Windows Media Technology
Cisco also announced that it has integrated support for Microsoft's Windows Media Technology into a new line IP/TV streaming media products. The hardware offerings include:
? IP/TV 3411 control server - acts as traffic cop for incoming streaming media requests. Can direct requests to least loaded server or to a server located closest to the end user.
? IP/TV 3422 and 3423 Broadcast Servers - converts analog signal to digital for broadcasting to the Internet multicast or unicast streams.
? IP/TV 3431 Archive Server - Serves up prerecorded video-on-demand applications such as training videos.
Like it's cousins on the video conferencing side, all of Cisco's streaming servers are based on the NT kernel.
On the desktop side, Cisco has revised its pricing policies regarding the IP/TV viewer, giving it away for free. In addition to supporting Microsoft and its own media format, the player can view MPEG 1 and 2 video formats.
"They're providing the basic building blocks to put this stuff over IP, which will help them sell more routers," says Bob O'Donnell, research manger at International Data Corp. O'Donnell thinks that with the Cisco name behind it, more people might start buying into videoconferencing and streaming over corporate networks and the Internet.
The videoconferencing and streaming announcements are part of Cisco's recently launched Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data strategy. To help increase customer awareness, Cisco has expanded its San Jose executive briefing center to include an area where it can demonstrate some of its new offerings along with third-party solutions.
Cisco is currently taking orders on its new offerings, which are expected to ship within the next 30 days. The MCU is priced at $19,950, with IP/VC 3520 gateways ranging from $9,890 to $10,640 and the IP/VC 3525 gateway priced at $29,450. Video terminal adapters are priced at $4,350. The management features are a Cisco IOS image that can purchased as an upgrade for $2,300. The streaming media hardware starts at $15,000.
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