TelePresence FAQ
Q: What is Cisco TelePresence?
A: Cisco TelePresence is a new technology that creates unique, “in-person”, experiences between people, places, and events in their work and personal lives. It combines innovative video, audio, and interactive elements (both hardware and software) to create this experience over the network.
The first application, the Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution, delivers life-size images, ultra-high-definition video (1080p), spatial audio, and a specially designed environment that creates a meeting room between multiple sites. The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution enables users to have a live, face-to-face meeting experience as if they were all in the same room together, empowering them to interact and collaborate like never before.
Q: How is TelePresence different from traditional videoconferencing?
A: The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution is based on an entirely new technology, one that goes beyond videoconferencing in many important ways:
Quality and environmental factors —The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution combines life-size video images, ultra-high-definition clarity, and CD-like spatial audio, as well as environmental conditions, to create a unique, “in person”, experience. Users will actually feel as if they are in the room with the parties they are conversing with, sitting at the same “virtual table”, making direct eye contact, talking to and even talking over other participants, just as naturally as if they were together.
Simplicity —The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution is also designed to be very simple and user-friendly. It uses your campus calendar system (for example, Microsoft Outlook) to schedule meetings, and one button on the phone to launch a call. Because it uses the tools you use every day, minimal user training is needed.
Reliability —The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution is built to take advantage of a highly available network and the IP telephony infrastructure to offer users ultra-high reliability.
Q: What special capabilities does NLR have that facilitate Cisco TelePresence?
A: NLR has a nationwide research network facility, as well as Layer 2 (FrameNet) and Layer 3 (PacketNet) production services. The PacketNet service is best suited for TelePresence, with provider-level service and the ability to differentiate and support TelePresence service.
NLR has also installed TelePresence call signaling, multipoint conference capabilities, and network management equipment to facilitate specific backbone TelePresence services for NLR Members.
Q: What does it mean that NLR is “TelePresence Ready”?
A: NLR has put in place several network technologies that support the strict level of service required by TelePresence, as well as backbone support service for TelePresence. The three primary technologies and services are TelePresence Call Signaling and Control, TelePresence Multipoint Switching, and Quality of Service support.
Q: Is there an additional fee for using TelePresence?
A: No. TelePresence services are part of NLR’s base services.
Q: Since TelePresence is an end-to-end experience; do our campus and regional infrastructures also need to be TelePresence-ready?
A: Yes. An intelligent, QOS-enabled Layer 2 and Layer 3 network infrastructure between the TelePresence rooms themselves within your region, as well as to the nearest NLR Packetnet Point-of-Presence, is required for Cisco TelePresence.
Q: My campus utilizes a Regional Optical Network (RON) to connect to the NLR Backbone. How does the RON fit into the TelePresence picture?
A: The RON plays a critical role in carrying TelePresence traffic from your campus to the nearest NLR Point of Presence. NLR and Cisco will work with the RONs to ensure that they are able to meet the specific requirements required to be able to carry TelePresence traffic across their networks.
Q: How can a campus network become TelePresence-ready?
A: Specific Cisco Advanced Technology Partners (ATPs) have met detailed requirements to be able to conduct pre-deployment room and logistics assessments, pre-qualify and conduct network assessments, propose, and deliver the end-to-end TelePresence experience. These Cisco partners are prepared to work with you, to understand what is in place today, and recommend any room or network remediation that may be needed to support TelePresence. The specific path(s) in the campus network from a TelePresence room to another TelePresence room (wherever that may be) are involved in this network assessment.
The Cisco ATP Partners with TelePresence Certification in the US include the following. This list is subject to change.
AT&T Service, Inc.
Dimension Data
Sentinel Technologies
BT Americas
IBM
Verizon Services Corp.
Calence LLC
Nexus IS
Wire One Communications
Coleman Technologies
Presidio Corp.
World Wide Technologies
Q: I’m interested but would like to see a demonstration. Where can I see Cisco TelePresence in action today?
A: Over 170 Cisco offices worldwide have TelePresence CTS-3000 rooms installed and operational. Depending upon availability, these rooms may be scheduled for customer demonstrations as well as the opportunity to be used for your own meeting experience. Contact your local Cisco account team for a TelePresence demonstration opportunity.
If you don’t know your local Cisco account team, please send an email with your contact information including the name and address of your institution/organization to: nlr-telepresence@cisco.com
Q: I want to move forward with using our regional and NLR network arrangement with Cisco TelePresence. Who do I contact?
A: Please contact your local Cisco account team to discuss details surrounding the TelePresence system. If you don’t know your local Cisco account team, please send an email with your contact information including the name and address of your institution / organization to: nlr-telepresence@cisco.com
You may also contact the NLR Experimental Support Services group for additional information about Cisco TelePresence by sending an email to ess@nlr.net
Q: After we install our system(s), if there is a problem with our TelePresence experience, how do we get help?
A: Each group of sites within a state, or state organization (depending upon the organizational structure) has several choices for after-installation support. Most will likely choose to support it themselves, through their own video or network staff, while some may choose to outsource support to a Cisco Certified TelePresence Partner that provides after-installation support. NLR support of TelePresence is done through a specific network contact on each campus or RON, and not through direct end-user support.
We are developing an NLR – Cisco TelePresence Technical FAQ; please check back here often for updates.
For additional general information about Cisco TelePresence, please visit: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps7060/index.html