Here's some hints and starting points for you to try to ensure the success of your experience with Video or Web Conferencing.
Planning
Planning is essential for the successful execution of any web or video conference. Information Technology Services can help you with these aspects in at least two ways:
Initial Consulting
Before you begin to use any conferencing tool, feel free to
contact us to discuss how you are thinking of using the tool.
Support/Troubleshooting Registration
Before you begin an event or class, contact the ITS Help Desk to "pre-register" with them for support purposes.
Testing
It is also important before you use a conferencing tool to adequately test:
- the functionality and capability of YOUR videoconferencing unit or computer,
- the functionality of the network and INTERNET between you and your participants,
- AND the functionality and capability of the videoconferencing unit or computers of remote participants.
Please feel free to
contact us for information/consulting on how to test prior to an event.
Contingency Planning
ITS has implemented both network traffic shaping and Quality of Service (QoS) on our campus network to ensure web and video conference traffic on our campus network is able to reach its destination. However, we still cannot guarantee a 100% success rate for your session due to the many external factors impacting the session. For example:
- the quality, speed and reliability of the internet service that a remote participant is connecting with;
- the videoconferencing unit, computer, web camera and/or microphone that the remote participant is using;
- general congestion on the commercial internet routes;
- firewall and network security policies of the organizations of the remote participants might prevent or slow down conferencing traffic.
As the above factors are usually totally beyond your/our control, it is important for you to consider what "Plan B" you can put into place in the event of a failure. We in ITS make our best effort to help you choose the tools that will work best to accomplish your goals and to provide other technical advice you may need regarding both using these tools AND having a contingency plan.
Contact Us for more information.
