Hardware-Based Videoconferencing Endpoints
When an organization is ready to being implementing a videoconferencing system, they will need to make a detailed plan for configuring, deploying, and supporting the equipment. The locations, installation types, room configurations, and infrastructure changes will all need to be well documented prior to putting in equipment.
Locations
- In how many different environments will the equipment be installed?
- Outpatient clinics
- Inpatient clinics
- Intensive / emergency care facilities
- Administrative / conference rooms
- Doctor’s offices
- Non-clinical offices
- Do the rooms have adequate lighting and provide a professional ?
Networking
- How will the endpoints connect to the network?
- Wired / Cat 5 cable
- Wireless
- Dedicated or shared network
- Is the wireless network capable of supporting the equipment, if connected?
- Are there dead spots in wireless coverage?
- Are there weak signals or overly-congested access points?
- Do the wireless networks support other mission-critical applications that may slow down if shared with videoconferencing ?
Installation Types
- What types of endpoints will be installed?
- Wall-mounted, stationary
- Hand-moved cart
- Robotic cart
- Desktop, all-in-one unit
- Videophone
- Mobile, hand-held unit
Infrastructure Requirements
- Are there sufficient network resources within the hospital to support multiple simultaneous videoconferences?
- Do you need to provide additional functionality on your network to support videoconferencing, such as Quality of Service?
- Will you be providing access to your videoconferencing to people outside of your network?
- Will you allow people inside your network to call out to other systems or organizations?
- Are there existing resources or videoconferencing capabilities within the organization that need to be connected to the new equipment?
Software-Based Videoconferencing Endpoints
Assuming that your organization has taken steps to choose the appropriate product(s) that meet your needs, the next step is to look into planning how you will move forward with implementing your selection. You will need to think through how many users will be accessing the system, where they will be accessing the system from, and how you will work with any external partners or patients that will be using your implemented system.
User Population
- How many will users will there be – where will you need to install the software?
- Your organization may decide to allow only select departments to access this software, or may choose to open it up to any interested participants.
- This will impact how many licenses are required for your organization.
On-Campus
- Will you begin with a limited number of select departments?
- Staging the deployment with smaller groups can help work out any problems before impacting a broader user base.
- Are there champions willing to beta test?
- Dedicated groups that understand the nature or a test deployment can help provide feedback about the experience.
- Champions can encourage the use of the software within their department.
- Will you start with intra-campus use only?
- Limiting access to the software on your network may reduce some of the cost and complexity.
- Users may eventually request access to the software from home or remote offices.
From Satellite Office
- Will they have direct access to your network?
- Standards-based systems may require you to plan for supporting either a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or a proxy device to allow for external users to access resources that are internal to your network.
From Home
- Are there justifications for telecommuting? Is this fulfilling a need?
- Standards-based systems will require you to plan for implementing either a VPN or proxy device.
- You will need to decide if you will be providing hardware for them to use, or if they will be using personal computing and video equipment. This applies to employees as well as patients.
- Minimum bandwidth and computer requirements will need to be met to ensure sufficient quality in videoconferencing sessions.
- You will need to establish how support will be provided to users outside of your network.
Usage Requirements
- How many users will be engaged in simultaneous, separate videoconferences?
- Simultaneous videoconferences will require additional bandwidth.
- Some applications have licensing limits for the number of simultaneous connections with your users.
- This will impact the infrastructure and licensing needs of your organization.
- How many simultaneous users do you have that will need to participate in the same conference?
- Multicast videoconferences may require additional planning and configuration of virtual conference rooms.
- This may require the purchase of additional bridging devices.
- This may impact the infrastructure and licensing needs of your organization.
Connections
- Will users be using desktop videoconferencing to communicate with other organizations?
- Your organization will need to ensure sufficient bandwidth and connectivity to the other organizations.
- Gateway devices may be needed to manage interoperability between different standards-based applications.
- Will your organization be using desktop videoconferencing to communicate with existing hardware-based VTC systems?
- Gateway devices may be needed to manage interoperability with hardware systems.
- Will your organization be communicating with patients through this system?
- Standards-based systems may require additional licenses for each patient using the system.
- Consumer-grade systems will require users to install, configure, and manage the selected software clients.
- Sufficient bandwidth will be required to the patients’ homes to ensure sufficient connectivity and video quality.
- Your organization will need to assess and mitigate any risks associated with using these products, and may want to prepare educational content for your patients and providers regarding these plans.
Considerations for a Standards-Based Software Product
- Will your organization be hosting the core infrastructure, or will your organization use a service provider?
- Hosting the core infrastructure will require additional work to ensure that it is properly configured for your organization.
- Using a service provider may reduce how much immediate control your organization has over the equipment in the case of a technical problem.
- Will your organization be purchasing or leasing the devices from a vendor?
- Video equipment changes rapidly; purchasing equipment may mean that you are supporting legacy equipment until your organization can afford another large capital expense.
- Additional funds may need to be set aside for software upgrades and extended warranties to adequately maintain this equipment.
- Leasing equipment may include fees for upgrading to new equipment before the lease has ended, or may require a time- and resource-intensive upgrade of equipment for your organization.
- Will your organization need additional hardware infrastructure to meet all of their needs (bridges, gateways, proxy servers, etc.)?
- The need to support multicast conferences, connect to existing devices or outside organizations, and home-based users may all require additional devices.
Considerations for a Consumer-Grade Software Product
- Does your organization currently block any of the ports or IP addresses required to communicate with the manufacturer’s system?
- Manufacturers may utilize a different IP addresses or communication protocols for logging in, videoconferencing, and sending files.
- Will your organization provide physical media for users to install the software, or will it direct users to a download location?
- Users may select the wrong version of an application if using the internet to find the correct software.
- Malicious websites may provide downloads of viruses posing as popular software.
- Will your organization be providing a “Business” or “Professional” edition of the software to your users, as opposed to the free version?
- Free versions might not have options to be controlled by available administrative interfaces.
- Business editions will require an additional cost for each person to use the software.
Network Requirements
- Does your organization have sufficient bandwidth to support the demands of videoconferencing?
- Videoconferencing can require immense amounts of bandwidth, especially with multiple simultaneous calls. Bandwidth requirements vary by manufacturer, video resolution sent and received, and other factors. Look at the manufacturer recommendations to decide if you need additional bandwidth in your organization.
- Quality of Service tools may help control traffic, but will add more costs to implementing a VTC program. QoS can be useful, as it can prioritize delivery of certain content, meaning that video content may be sent in real-time, while email and asynchronous communication may be sent as bandwidth is available.
Hardware Requirements
- Do your users have sufficient computing power to run the desktop videoconferencing software?
- Achieving some of the high-resolution capabilities of these applications requires more modern computers than some organizations may have for all of their users.
- People accessing the software from home computers may not have the budget to purchase a computer that can handle the demands of videoconferencing.
- Do your users need USB webcams?
- Built-in webcams may be sufficient, but often have lower resolution, cheaper optics, and microphones that are close to both the speakers (causing feedback) and the spinning parts of a computer (hard drives and fans cause background noise).
- Do you users need USB headphones with microphones?These are an additional cost, but depending on location that conference are taking place, can provide additional privacy and reduce background noise in open office environments.
- There may be support issues related to any additional equipment that is used in conjunction with desktop