Glowpoint enhances its telepresence and video conferencing offerings with an automated diagnostic application called Video Room Sweep.
Video communications solution company Glowpoint announced an automated
diagnostic application called Video Room Sweep that automatically performs
comprehensive "sweeps" and emulations of video sessions for all components of
telepresence and video conferencing rooms. Designed to offer a more automated
and scalable proactive level of managed service, VRS can help ensure higher
in-use rates of video technology and provide more predictable performance, the
company claims.
As a component of Glowpoint's cloud-based managed video services, VRS is
available for Glowpoint's Video Network Operations Center (VNOC) clients and
partner clients. Version 1.0 of VRS supports Polycom and Cisco technologies
and, beginning in the first quarter of 2010, Glowpoint plans to release
additional versions that will support other technologies, such as Tandberg and
LifeSize systems.
"Our new VRS application has been well-received by customers, partners and
end users, and we have a growing list of customers excited to have this service
activated in their environment," said the company's vice president of marketing,
Jonathan Brust. "This added level of automation enables our customers to
utilize their video technology with the highest degree of reliability and
consistency."
VRS can be programmed for automatic daily sweeps and can also be used as an
on-demand troubleshooting tool. VRS tests and diagnoses the health of all
components in a telepresence or video conferencing room, along with
functionality of the network to help ensure proper performance and readiness.
Following a room sweep, automated exception reporting and notifications prompt
the VNOC of any service, hardware, connectivity or compatibility issues, where
remediation measures are then implemented.
VRS features include accessibility verification-which verifies the
accessibility and status of every network device in a room, such as video
codecs, IP phones, control panels, PCs, projectors and switches-and quality of service
measurement-which tests local video to ensure proper functionality by measuring
video packet loss, audio packet loss and packet loss percentages through
electronic means as well as via an actual video call that is automatically
launched to visually gauge video and audio quality.
Additional features include room readiness-which checks the local video and
audio hardware components, such as speakers, monitors and projectors, to ensure
full functionality-and version inventory, which analyzes and compares all room
components and system/software/firmware versions to make sure they are
consistent with the VNOC's database.
The daily results of the diagnostics will be available to VNOC customers
through Glowpoint's Web-based user portal. Upcoming versions will also offer
VNOC customers the ability to activate on-demand sweeps independent of the
managed service technicians. The company's VNOC service includes online and MS
Exchange integrated conference scheduling, call launching, conference
production, 24/7 remote monitoring, trouble remediation and a spectrum of room
performance reporting features.
Nathan Eddy is Associate Editor, Midmarket, at eWEEK.com. Before joining eWEEK.com, Nate was a writer with ChannelWeb and he served as an editor at FierceMarkets. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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