1. Video Conferencing Options… What’s Out There and Where is it Going? Shawn Allenby Making the Connection February 13, 2007

2. Targets Overview of available technologies Examples of how the technologies can be used How do we decide which technology to use? What has to happen to increase the use of these technologies in education The Future

3. The Technologies The Messengers e.g. yahoo, MSN VOIP Technologies with Video e.g. Skype, Festoon Web Conferencing e.g. Connect (Breeze) Elluminate, Webex, Live Meeting (with 3 rd party applications) Internet Based VC e.g. VSee, Movi, Live Meeting with Round Table (mid 2007), web streaming Standard- Based VC e.g. h.323, SIP, Polycom (PVX & set-top boxes), Tandberg, Sony, VCon Non-Standards Based e.g. Isabel, Linux Apps, Hp Halo Complexity of Technologies (and sometimes cost)

4. Technologies We Have Used Skype –Easy to use –Ubiquitous –NOT bandwidth dependant –Very few firewall issues –Great for education and connecting throughout the world –Only point-to-point –P2P type environment…need to include your network people –VERY good quality…surprising Video Example #1 Video Example #2

5. Adobe Connect (Breeze) Very robust Very collaborative Can use as a VC tool Provides “mosaic” tiled video Allows for many applications Uses flash player, therefore ubiquitous Recordings are high quality Audio is improving

6. Breeze/Connect Use it as a video conference tool Easy to use, easy to set up and easy to collaborate http://breeze.ocdsb.ca/p57821007/ http://breeze.ocdsb.ca/p20096234/

7. h.323 We mix technologies from various vendors Combine our Polycom VSX with netmeeting, h.323 video phones, Polycom PVX software We have assigned an external ip address to our VSX, as well as have an internal ip address assigned It has an internal MCU built in, now we can circumvent the firewall from anywhere within the board by going through the Polycom VSX

8. h.323 VC example Ottawa Youth Orchestra Combined our: –Polycom VSX –4 D-Link video phones –Had a Polycom PVX on stand-by Video

9. Non-Standards Based We use ISABEL from Agora in Spain Provides high-quality, easy to use VC in all of our high-schools Cost is considerably cheaper Can bridge with h.323 and use the Polycom MCU to transverse the firewall Also using a terminal server that allows others to connect using a live cd with ISABEL installed Video Video Example #2

10. So…how do we choose??? We often get the question… “Can you set me up for video conferencing?” We walk our clients through our entire spectrum of VC we offer We then ask them what they want to do –How many connections? –To Whom? –Do you want to record it? –What do they have on the other end? From all of these questions, and the fact we offer so many different technologies, we can accommodate almost any request throughout the world

11. How Can We Move Ahead? In order to advance the use of VC technology in our schools we need: 1.To have absolute EASE of use…no longer can there be one technician for each site…it will NOT be sustainable 2.MUST be ubiquitous…it has to be on, easy to use, and easy to connect with others 3.REALIZE that the technology is irrelevant, as long as the above two conditions are met…the sky is the limit 4.Users MUST have an appreciation of the technology 5.NEED to have meaningful content…that is where you come in 6.UNDERSTAND that the most interactive, meaningful conferences are those that allow students to explore concepts, ideas and relationships with others throughout the world

12. The Future We are at a crossroads We need to start demonstrating the value of this technology by using it! With increased use comes increased content With increased use and content comes increased buy-in and availability With increased use, content and buy-in come increased innovation With increased use, content, buy-in and innovation comes increased investment by the ministry and boards We are getting there! Use Content Buy In/Availability More Innovation More Investment!

13. Final Word We MUST provide easy to use applications, with little technology intervention, with consistent connection, with meaningful content delivered in a meaningful authentic way to continue advancing the use of Video Conferencing in education in Ontario.