Inland AV recently introduced Managed Services to help organizations get more from their videoconference (VC) investment. When an organization is considering expanding their videoconference system, it is an excellent time to evaluate a Managed Services package.
Organizations typically take a graduated approach to adopting videoconferencing technology. The first step likely involves the purchase of a small number of VC endpoints deployed in a few locations. The network bandwidth requirements can be satisfied using business-grade DSL or cable connections and usage is typically making “point-to-point” video calls. One or more units may support “Multisite” calls which provides the equivalent of four-way calling where one endpoint can dial up to three other endpoints in a single call. Network bandwidth requirements are increased with each simultaneous call and often push their existing DSL or cable connections to the limit.
Given today’s lower cost of entry into videoconferencing and the ability to realize a significant return on investment when considering reduction in travel expenses as just one factor, an organization can quickly find itself wanting to expand their VC presence and usage. However, they are now faced with a significant financial investment in building out a server infrastructure to support their growing needs. What was once an ad-hoc meeting between three or four endpoints now needs to be a virtual conference connecting all of the organization’s endpoints. A separate Multipoint Control Unit (commonly referred to as a Bridge) now must be purchased with dramatically increased network bandwidth requirements. What was once a relatively inexpensive DSL or cable connection now must be a Leased Line, increasing the monthly cost anywhere from four to even eight or ten times what was paid in the past. Additional VC infrastructure products may be purchased based on growing requirements, such as gatekeepers, management servers, conference recording servers, and firewall traversal products.
As the scale and complexity of your VC network increases, so does the demands on your IT staff to support this newly-risen central infrastructure of VC servers and ever increasing number of VC endpoints. The often overlooked additional administrative overhead in scheduling meetings, booking equipment and resources and monitoring ongoing calls can overwhelm staff. While a larger organization may have the depth in their IT departments to support such an expansion, many do not.
Inland Managed Services provides organizations with another option. Managed Services can provide the VC server infrastructure, bandwidth requirements and technical and call management support. Costs can be controlled and the technical issues are managed so that your staff just has to book their meeting and show up for their VC session. Less capital and operational costs and less frustration, what could be better than Managed Services?
A Managed Services Gold, Silver or Bronze package can be customized to match your organizations ongoing and short term videoconference requirements.
Click here for more information on Managed Services.
Ask your Inland AV representative to understand how Inland AV Managed Services can increase your videoconference return on investment.
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