IP Videoconferencing With SBC PremierSERV Network-Based Virtual Network (NVPN)

IP Videoconferencing as a medium has been lingering with great potential over the education landscape for a few years now. For the past ten years, ISDN videoconferencing has been the number one choice because of its stability for providing a direct point to point connection over the telephone network. At the same time educational videoconferencing has been limited in some ways by ISDN. Per minute costs and rigid mobility are a few of the constraints that have held back a wider adoption. Fortunately IP videoconference is quietly emerging as more viable medium for videoconferencing in education. With nearly every school in America connected to the Internet, the former restraints of per minute cost and limited mobility might soon be obsolete. The future might behold every classroom as a potential video conference outlet to the wonders and experience of the outside world. Imagine students being able to call on a scientist as part of a discussion on the solar system or to be able to connect with a class of students in Alaska as part of a cultural exchange. Students might even be able to witness first hand the thrill of exploring an Egyptian pyramid on the heels of an archeologist. Teachers too will greatly benefit from the increased mobility of vidoeconferencing. They will be able to collaborate more easily with teachers outside of their school setting and could even connect with busy parents in a more personalized way.

Comparison of IP and ISDN based videoconferencing

	IP	ISDN
Protocol	H.323	H.320
Delivery	Over Internet	Over ISDN/Telephone Lines
Connectivity	Need to connect to others who are using IP. Technically possible to connect with ISDN with extra hardware.	Connect with others through a ISDN dialed connection, but with extra hardware can connect to IP.
Portability	Technically wherever there is a high speed connection.	Needs to have access to ISDN lines.
Content Access	Fewer providers offer content through IP. This should change in the future as more users migrate to IP protocol.	Many content providers began offering services in the time when ISDN videoconferencing was the best option and continue to connect via this protocol.
Cost	Dedicated Internet connection or subscription to SBC's PremierSERV Network-Based Virtual Network	ISDN connection charges.

One new exciting technology innovation that will help with this forward movement is PremierSERV Network-Based VPN (NVPN). This is a new service that SBC is beginning to offer that will provide a secure and efficient mode of transporting voice and video that is suited well for IP videoconferencing. Without a dedicated path, IP Videoconferencing data has to fight with all other activity on the network which results in disruption in service and connection with other videoconference sites. The PremierSERV Network-Based VPN creates a secure and dedicated connection through SBC's national IP backbone, which then frees the videoconference from the traffic on a site's existing network. The NVPN uses a tag-switching technology that can distinguish between types of data and will give priority to video and voice data that needs to be delivered without delay. SBC also centrally supports the NVPN network with 24 x 7 monitoring.

To find out how you can take advantage of IP videoconferencing and SBC's PremierSERV´Network-Based Virtual Network contact your SBC Account Manager or your local SBC Education Advocate.