Last week we gave you a snapshot of the videoconferencing service types on the market today, including top-of-the-line immersive videoconferencing, the next step down–room-based videoconferencing, and finally the poor man’s alternative–desktop videoconferencing. This week we describe the types of videoconferencing services carriers currently have in their quivers.
The carriers we have spoken to so far are concentrating their efforts on room-based and immersive videoconferencing rather than desktop videoconferencing services. The room-based and immersive services compartmentalize neatly into seven service elements. Sometimes carriers bundle service elements into all-inclusive packages, while other times you can buy them on an à la carte or custom basis.
Here is today’s basic videoconferencing service menu:
- Videoconferencing design service
- Implementation
- Management
- Dedicated video class of service (CoS)
- Concierge services
- Business-to-business exchanges
- Immersive videoconferencing room rental
Design services include determining network-specific as well as room-specific requirements. Network-specific services include determining the network capacity and network QoS policies needed to support your videoconferencing needs, location and ownership of the bridges, connectivity to the managed service providers, and security management. Room-specific design includes lighting, acoustics, safety, network connectivity, furniture, colors, and equipment-specific configurations.
Implementation services encompass equipment and network resource procurement, installation, configuration and integration as well as user and administrative training.
Management services cover such elements as monitoring and reporting on the videoconferencing equipment as well as the network, periodic testing, and maintenance, problem resolution, change management, inventory management, and service level reporting and management.
Dedicated video class of service is a CoS level dedicated to videoconferencing traffic. This class is optimized for high bandwidth, low loss, and low jitter to ensure a high quality videoconferencing experience.
Concierge services include live support for scheduling videoconferences and managing rooms, launching and monitoring conferences, and providing in-conference support during calls.
Business-to-business exchange services enable you to schedule and launch conferences with other companies connected to the same carrier and/or with partners connected via other carriers with full bandwidth and QoS support.
A final service for customers who cannot cost justify immersive videoconferencing facilities at their own locations is public immersive room rental that enable you to rent time in off-site, carrier-provided telepresence rooms.
Next week we will describe the videoconferencing vendor lineup.
