CIS_485, CSULA, 2004_ Fall

viaIP Gateways as a Cutting Age Internet Video Communication Technology.

By Anna Anahit Paitian

"Gateway" is a term that once used to refer to a routing device.  Today, in the TCP/IP world, the term "router" is used to describe such a device.
The term gateway now refers to special-purpose devices, that perform protocol conversions.  Gateways implement application layer conversions of information recieved from various protocols.

Examples of gateways found on todays markets are:

VocalTec Gateway: A gateway that converts human speach travelling on analog phone lines into local area network protocol data, and visa-versa. (http://www.vocaltec.com/)

RadVision Gateways Converts video from digital phone lines into local area network protocol data, and visa-versa. (http://www.radvision.com/corporate/radvision).

Today, hundreds of thousands of end-users around the world communicate over a wide variety of networks using products and solutions with rich media communications platforms and/or software development solutions.

-RADVISION is today's award-winning videoconferencing infrastructure builder such as its highly scalable IP/ISDN interworked gateways, feature-rich conferencing bridges, and advanced gatekeeper applications.

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a new emerging communications protocol that joins the power of presence and Instant Messaging with integrated video, voice and data conferencing to enable desktop personal communications over IP.

• And, by virtue of the viaIP's full gateway and H.323 support, Glowpoint customers using SIP-based devices will be able to have multipoint and point-to-point calls with virtually any other video device - including those based on VidIP, ISDN (legacy H.320), and even new 3G wireless mobile video handsets (H.324M).
• RADVISION solution features;
• powerful multipoint conferencing units (MCUs) ,
• scalable H.323,
• SIP,
• 3G and ISDN gateways and gatekeepers,
• and easy-to-use management and scheduling tools for the IT manager and end user.
• RADVISION also provides businesses and service providers with integrated solutions that deliver converged IP-based video telephony applications to employee computer desktops and residential broadband homes worldwide.

• System Deployment: RADVISION standards-based equipment was installed easily on FastWeb's existing IP infrastructure. At subscriber sites, the plug-&-play set up is extremely easy. All subscribers need is a standard television set, a touch-tone telephone, and a small FastWeb TVcam video camera adjacent to the television set. The TVcam connects easily to the FastWeb set-top box, which provides connectivity to the network and to video-ondemand services, and to the telephone/Internet jack and television set. To make a video call, users simply press the asterisk key on their telephone before dialing the destination number. The TVcam at the call destination rings, and when answered with a standard telephone, a conventional voice call commences. The person at the call destination can elect to accept the video call by pressing the asterisk key. Only then can the parties see each other on their television screens.

  Within the core network of carriers, RADVISION deploys a complete network infrastructure equipment that makes visual communications service possible.  The the RADVISION equipment includes: the gateways, the MCU and the ECS gatekeeper to provide a complete video telephony service.  Gateways support connectivity between H.323/SIP IP endpoints and ISDN H.320 endpoints and H.324M mobile videophones. Gateways provide the ability to connect any phone to any other phone, over any network and any protocol.   MCUs provide multipoint bridging capabilities, about 23% of phone calls are 3 people or more, MCUs create sticky minutes carriers are always looking for.  ECS gatekeepers performs like a video soft-switch and provides the network brains, intelligence and the platform to integrate the complete solution into the carriers' network topology, dial-plan and services profile.

• The via IP Gateway features include:

  • Video and Audio Coding - large variety of audio/video coding and transcoding options
  • Web-based Management - for easy-to-use configuration, management and administration
  • T.120 data collaboration - seamless support for T.120 data collaboration
  • Incoming Call Routing - including Interactive Voice Response & Direct Inward Dialling
  • Interoperability - supports existing & emerging protocols such as H.323, SIP & 3G-324M
  • Line Quality - supports Line Echo Cancellation for high voice quality
  • Load Balancing - supports H.323 load balancing mechanism using RAI/RAC
  • Dial Plan - supports a simplified dial plan for outbound calls using a single prefix
  • ISDN Line Registration - unregister/register from gatekeeper according to Line status
  • Network Specific Facility (NSF) - improve interworking between administrators
  • Seamless Integration with PBX systems - supports all common switches
  • Quality of Service (QoS) - supports IP TOS and DiffServ for best quality media traversing

  Designed especially for service providers, the gw-P20/M is an add-in card to the via IP-400 chassis that integrates Video Telephony communications between 3G-324M enabled Mobile Networks and traditional IP and ISDN Video Conferencing Networks.

  example of gw-xxxx gateway;

  http://www.teamsolutions.co.uk/acrobat/viaip3g_gateway.pdf

• 

  Global Communication Technology in China :

  "China Railcom chose RADVISION's viaIP technology for the network because it is the most optimal hardware for pure IP videoconferencing, it offers the best gatekeeper on the market and its interoperability with VisionNex's videoconferencing management system is second to none." said Wei Chen, Vice President of Software Development of VisionNex, Recognizing RADVISION's leadership in IP voice, video and data communications, VisionNex and China Railcom examined and tested the RADVISION network infrastructure products and determined that they were the most advantageous solutions available. With innovative multipoint conferencing features, such as cascading and high port density, and exemplary service and support from RADVISION's local presence in China and the home office in Israel , the combination of technical expertise and business support made RADVISION's solutions stand out.

  China Railcom chose RADVISION's innovative ECS to manage and monitor the enormous network. A hierarchical management system with gatekeeper functionality, the ECS could simplify the administration of the network by allowing a master gatekeeper to provide updates and provisions to all of the other gatekeepers managing remote zones of the network. RADVISION's chassis -based viaIP multi-service platform provides gateway functionality for IP and ISDN connectivity and multipoint conferencing units (MCU) for up to 400 simultaneous conference participants.

China Railcom's total telephone service capacity is 20 million subscriber lines. With the videoconferencing infrastructure in place, and a scaleable solution that can grow with network demand, China Railcom is poised to overcome the challenges it will face with competition through its dynamic and robust service offerings and strong installed base of customers. http://www.visionnex.com/products002a.html

Survey;

http://www.wainhouse.com/surveys/wr-survey-rmc04v3.pdf

Video MCU, Gateways ;

http://www.wainhouse.com/links/4.cfm

THANK YOU!