OpenScape
Video and
Room Systems
White Paper
By Patrick Kleiner and Ines Zengerle-Kremer
Global Product Management OpenScape Video
May 2012
2
OpenScape Video and
Room Systems
Executive summary
Video is now the fastest growing area of business communication. Unify leverages its worldwide strength and experience in serving the enterprise-wide business market with Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) which includes the seamless integration of video into its well-received UCC portfolio.
OpenScape Video combines video, voice and web collaboration into a single, UCC environment that’s uniquely user-friendly and highly functional. It can effectively connect, overlay, interwork and adjust within existing legacy video systems while opening a migration path to a full UCC environment.
With OpenScape Video, Unify provides a substantial solution combining best-in-class video including HD room systems, desktop devices and multi-point control unit (MCU) in combination with state-of-the-art voice and data through its OpenScape Voice and OpenScape UC solutions. This not only includes features like unified numbering plans, one
directory service, and support of the latest OpenScape clients combined with an easy to use interface to plan, coordinate or run video conferences; it also provides basic presence integration with OpenScape UC. Major benefits include:
• An open video solution fully compatible with pre-existing voice/ video conference systems as well as other company’s devices – all on one network.
• A clear migration strategy from legacy voice-only conferencing up to large, small or off-site video meetings as easy to complete as a phone call.
• Seamless, effective integration with all UCC functions allows video for everyone regardless of location or device: video desktop clients; room systems; laptops/PCs; mobiles or voice-only sets. If a contact is available, inclusion in a video conference can be easily established.
UC integration simplifies video for
non-technical staff
OpenScape Video is a highly scalable, mission critical SIP-based video solution. Currently, many businesses are investing in room video conferencing systems. Their intent is to virtually connect different company sites and support their organizations with a natural infrastructure that helps reduce travel expenses, unnecessary waste of working time, and intrusion into the private lives of the affected employees.
But this approach is only successful if video calls and conferencing are highly resilient, easy to use and based on highly scalable solutions. The focus of OpenScape Video is to support robust and highly resilient solutions for mission critical video. While Unify is not unique in selling video, the company excels in its open integration with UCC managed by a single, video room system. System resiliency includes preventing video stream interrupts that degrade video conferences. Also, overloaded or breaking MCUs will not diminish conferences with more than just a short sequence of “still video” while seamlessly swapping the conference to an alternate MCU.
Spectrum of modern
video communication
systems
4
One Call Control for Video and
Voice; Video and Voice over one
client
For end users, OpenScape Video offers the same look and feel for video calls and conferences as OpenScape UC audio solutions. Video clients are the same for audio with only a standard webcam connected. Phone sets with built-in video functionality are also available.
The video solution allows future extensions around services for unified communication environments. Calls can be established by simply dialing an E164 number or five digits, and endpoints are seamlessly integrated into the UC environment. Clients support
media-escalation from voice to video and the other way around. Collaboration services for voice/video endpoints allow integration with other hardware based devices, any mobile handset or smart phone including iPhones or Android-based units.
With the exception of older standalone video approaches, this solution allows the single management and administration of both voice and video endpoints. Video endpoints can be arranged and connected to either specific branches or headquarter premises identical to audio devices. Video takes advantage of all security and QoS mechanisms established for audio, and can be deployed with only few derivations to the existing voice infrastructure.
HD Video room system
Video phone Voice conference
system
HD Video desktop system
OpenStage phones OpenScape UC
application
Mobile phone
• Personal collaboration for virtual, distributed teams
• Ease of use: as easy as making a call • Video conference with all attendees • Device independent
• All devices are connected in one SIP-network
• One-number service • One directory • Presence status • Video & Content
• Secure Video communication
Unified Video
Conferencing -
Video integrated in
OpenScape UCC
Hardware based video endpoints
Video Room systems offer different functionality depending on room size or the number of chairs involved. As a result, these systems can support smaller, larger or even multiple video screens and a variety of cameras up to highly sophisticated models that automatically follow the speaker as he or she moves about.
It is therefore important to select the right solution for the specific meeting room. Most room systems blend audio and video with content sharing capabilities. Others incorporate distortion-free audio and stereo surround technology separated into left and right channels, making opposite end participants feel like they’re actually there. For media-rich group presentations, room systems can easily support the display of rich-media content and data, thereby enhancing collaboration and audience participation. Desktop video systems are designed for a different environment and are typically used with a laptop to share presentations. These devices are often used by one person located in an office, hotel room or at home. Also, those who cannot access a
video device are still able to participate in video conferences, or can call a video partner via a simple desktop audio or mobile phone to watch a presentation in parallel on his PC screen.
He can even transmit his face to other participants by attaching a webcam, or participate in a live collaboration session and display his own slides or spread sheets.
Video with full UC integration
Video enabled clients can be used to control UC functionality and video endpoints. Presence information is supported, and global address books or buddy lists can be shared with both video and voice users. All contacts are informed about busy or idle states of the preferred device. Any video endpoint can be selected as ‘preferred’ for incoming and outgoing calls, and presence information is automatically supported.
One Number Service (ONS) is another convenient means to facilitate working away from the office while appearing to be there. All calls to the office phone are seamlessly forwarded to a cell phone, any video endpoint, a device at home, or
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Leverage on existing enterprise voice network and optimize current business processes through introduction of Video Integrate Video into
OpenScape UCC solution Interconnect distributed sites Leverage existing voice network Extend small workgroups
Build up HD Video capability with our partner’s (Polycom, Lifesize or Tandberg) Video systems to start Video conferencing Build larger video community by interconnecting isolated video sites “Video for everybody” :
integration of OpenScape Voice and
OpenScape Video -
OpenPath to Unified
Video Conferencing
6
elsewhere as defined as the preferred device. The ‘B’ party will always see one number (the number of the office phone in this example).
Presence information is also available for partner video endpoints. Users can assign their preferred device using their UC control interface. This might be a room video system, too. The user adjusts his presence state of the room system (e.g., in a meeting) which is then visible to all buddies authorized to see the status of this user.
High quality video conferencing is also part of the UCC environment. It provides the same user experience achieved with OpenScape Voice (OSV) and UCC. Conferences can be easily planned, organized and started by a single click in Outlook. The user interface and display options provide name resolution and status (e.g. muted, transmission quality, etc.) and active speaker display - even audio-only participants’ names/numbers are shown in video.
Participants joining or leaving a conference are indicated and a participants’ list is always available. The Login Screen is PIN-protected and many moderator options (e.g., moderator indicated by icon) are offered. The conference duration time (i.e., scheduled start, running time, overrun) is displayed and new ad hoc conference support is provided for exceptional integration with video phones and room systems.
Typical use cases supported
by OpenScape Video
The most basic video operation is the point to point call. A user dials the number of another user and will be connected. One Centralized Call Control allows point to point voice/video calls between the involved endpoints. OSV is able to connect any SIP-based endpoint regardless of being a video or voice device, a soft client, web-service or smart phone.
Very similar to point to point connections are small video conferences of up to eight participants which can be established without a centralized MCU. The video payload can be mixed locally on a room system. Cost savings are a definite benefit. Many video conferences have less than eight participants and do not require a MCU.
However, video conferences can also be mixed with a more powerful centralized MCU. There are several advantages: the MCU can mix content into the video so each conference participant can see it without using a separate PC.
MCUs can also mix many video streams at the same time and even add audio-only participants (e.g., mobile phones) to a large or very large conference. Large video conferences up to 300 members can be offered for mixed environments including audio-only user interfaces, room systems, OpenScape Desktop Client (ODC) or Fusion clients, iPad apps, PDAs or mobile handsets.
Media escalation is an ODC feature which allows audio conferences to be escalated to video calls or back again to audio. The primary benefit is preserving privacy. Mixed rich-media collaboration sessions are established between UC clients supporting audio and video, room video or desktop conferencing systems as well as audio-only systems, like standard desk sets and cell phones. Sometimes, web collaboration capabilities cannot
be supported on the room system. A plugged-in PC with collaboration to the room system can send both video and PC information as well as two video streams. Using the MCU to mix the streams results in one video stream. All conference partners will then be able to see both streams combined on their displays.
Video for home workers or B2B
OpenScape Video provides video connections for employees in their home office as if they were working on site. Business to Business (B2B)
communication is also supported between two companies. Different methods are available for B2B communication.
Easily execute video within
familiar UC environment
OpenScape Video is designed for ease of use. It’s as simple as making a phone call, allowing the user to manage a video connection within a well- known look and feel. He is not confused by multiple choices, nor has to worry about technology issues. Video simply augments the unified communication environment. It doesn’t require special end-user training and can therefore be easily introduced.
OpenScape Video not only provides advantages for end users, but enterprises also benefit because their existing audio control infrastructure including administration and maintenance can be re-used completely. No additional skills are required to run the video solution. And of course, the same service partners for audio and UC can care for and maintain the video component with professional services, lifetime support and managed services.
unify.com
Copyright © Unify GmbH & Co. KG, 2013 Hofmannstr. 51, D-81379 Munich, Germany All rights reserved.
Reference No.: A31002-P3010-D101-2-7629
The information provided in this document contains merely general descriptions or characteristics of performance which in case of actual use do not always apply as described or which may change as a result of further development of the products. An obligation to provide the respective characteristics shall only exist if expressly agreed in the terms of contract. Availability and technical specifications are subject to change without notice.
Unify, OpenScape, OpenStage and HiPath are registered trademarks of Unify GmbH & Co. KG. All other company, brand, product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
About Unify
Unify—formerly known as Siemens Enterprise Communications—is one of the world’s largest communications software and services firms. Our solutions unify multiple networks, devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to engage in rich and meaningful conversations. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, and dramatically improves business performance. Born out of the engineering DNA of Siemens, Unify builds on this heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security to provide integrated communications solutions for 75% of the Global 500. Unify is a joint venture of The Gores Group and Siemens AG.
