Video Conferencing - There has to be an easier way!
Hello All,
Been a while since i have been here, hope everyone is doing well
Well the situation i have is not so much a problem but i just feel as though i am going about it the wrong way. Our CEO recently discovered the wonders of video conferencing and as a result every state manager now has there own webcam. We also have boardroom IP cameras that run over H323. So as it currently stands every video can chat amongst each other but its becoming a bit of a nuisance with the software we are using.
Almost all managers PC's run XP with the CEO on vista (laptop, built in webcam). So we decided to simply use windows netmeeting. As you are probably all aware this is not the best application and comes with limited functionality. At the moment it does the job but managers are connecting via IP and even though we have given them a list they still run into troubles each time they try to chat amongst each other. Netmeetings big downfall also comes with the fact that it only allows person to person.
Another application we tried is MSN. Again this does the job to an extent but is not really the best tool to be using for the corporate environment not to mention we are now having difficulties with the CEO laptop (Vista, MSN issues??) with the camera not displaying. So to be honest i dont really want to use this method.
So my question is to anyone out there who is using this technology is there something out there to help me make this for myself and management much easier. I have a few catches though! It needs to be done cheap. I understand there is probably stuff out there that can do it all at a large cost but im looking for something cheap if not free (linux based, freeware?). Ideally i would like something that sort of looks like MSN where the there is a list of all webcam devices and to chat all they simply would do is click there name and say "connect". Something like that would be a dream come true. What would really blow them away though is if we could have multiple people on the conference. All they know is one on one and i have never promised anything more but if i could have all state managers looking at each other in the same video conference i think there would be some very happy campers.
So please anyone i know i might sound like a bit of a noob but to be honest when it comes to this i am. At the moment im constantly just running into offices and remoting in to peoples computers to get it working. If i could set something up and then let them at it, my job would be much easier.
Thankyou in advance.
Been a while since i have been here, hope everyone is doing well
Well the situation i have is not so much a problem but i just feel as though i am going about it the wrong way. Our CEO recently discovered the wonders of video conferencing and as a result every state manager now has there own webcam. We also have boardroom IP cameras that run over H323. So as it currently stands every video can chat amongst each other but its becoming a bit of a nuisance with the software we are using.
Almost all managers PC's run XP with the CEO on vista (laptop, built in webcam). So we decided to simply use windows netmeeting. As you are probably all aware this is not the best application and comes with limited functionality. At the moment it does the job but managers are connecting via IP and even though we have given them a list they still run into troubles each time they try to chat amongst each other. Netmeetings big downfall also comes with the fact that it only allows person to person.
Another application we tried is MSN. Again this does the job to an extent but is not really the best tool to be using for the corporate environment not to mention we are now having difficulties with the CEO laptop (Vista, MSN issues??) with the camera not displaying. So to be honest i dont really want to use this method.
So my question is to anyone out there who is using this technology is there something out there to help me make this for myself and management much easier. I have a few catches though! It needs to be done cheap. I understand there is probably stuff out there that can do it all at a large cost but im looking for something cheap if not free (linux based, freeware?). Ideally i would like something that sort of looks like MSN where the there is a list of all webcam devices and to chat all they simply would do is click there name and say "connect". Something like that would be a dream come true. What would really blow them away though is if we could have multiple people on the conference. All they know is one on one and i have never promised anything more but if i could have all state managers looking at each other in the same video conference i think there would be some very happy campers.
So please anyone i know i might sound like a bit of a noob but to be honest when it comes to this i am. At the moment im constantly just running into offices and remoting in to peoples computers to get it working. If i could set something up and then let them at it, my job would be much easier.
Thankyou in advance.
Comments
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hetty
Member Posts: 394
You could try Skype. Haven't tried it myself though.
http://www.skype.com/intl/en/business/allfeatures/videocall/ -
albanga
Member Posts: 164
I have experimented a little with Skype but am not a huge fan. I was thinking something more internal where the video call would stay on the LAN instead of having to go out through the internet. Has anyone got any other suggestions?
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malcybood
Member Posts: 900 ■■■□□□□□□□
hey man, can you give some background as to how your IP VC is setup?
do you use a cisco, tanberg or similar MCU? how many sites? how many users? are the sites running vc over private MPLS/Frame Relay/ATM network or the internet? does it have to be over the private network for qos etc or is the internet accetable?
Im currrently bang in the middle of doing a vc refresh for 28 point to point ISDN end points and have been liaising with Cisco, Nortel and Tandberg in regard to what is around and discussing the whole ISDN vs IP question. looking at bringing video onto the MPLS network with a central MCU gatekeeper.
there's some pretty smart stuff out there in the cisco unified video solution for presence and integration into MS outlook etc, where you can book a meeting room via outlook for say 9am monday entering all of the call details and the conference is up and ready for you walking into the room - no faffing about with remote controls setting u calls etc. I believe you get software bundled with the cisco solution that allows multi point conferences, media sharing and so on etc.
If you give me some of the info or better still all of the above about to elaborate on your requirements I can try and give you a few pointers when im back in the office tomorrow and I can ask my contacts at cisco etc (indirectly of course) what they would recommend. they are actual gurus in this stuff!
in the mean time if you're looking for an internet based solution, look into webex.....now also owned by Cisco! internet based but very reliable in my experience, I think you can do pay as you go or pay for an annual usage cap.
cheers
malc
p.s. do you use cisco unified communications voice by any chance? if you did the presence tool I mentioned earlier (looks similar to msn) lets you right click on somebody in your address book and initiate a voice or video call, send an email etc....ill look into it more tomorrow for you and ost some links