ITS NCIH to NCVIP Migration Project

Mobile Ready

Your First Step - Call the ITS Service Desk at 919-754-6000 or 1-800-722-3946. You may also open a ticket by emailing the ITS Customer Support Center: its.incidents@its.nc.gov

ITS NCIH to NCVIP Migration Project View the Sept 27th, 2007 Presentation

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Sept. 27th, 2007 Migration Powerpoint Presentation

Sept. 27th, 2007 Real Media Migration Video

FAQ -Frequently Asked Questions

Important Network Recommendations Oct 17th, 2007

Migration Steps

Regional Coordinator Contact Information

County Map of Regional Coordinators

What is E-rate

http://www.ncwiseowl.org/erate/

Universal Service Administration - USAC

ITS E-Rate Team

Video/Multimedia Services Web Site

Ordering Forms

WAN Service Quote Request (STS-WSQ) (PDF)

WAN Service (STS-01)

WAN Service SLA

VNS01 Video and Multimedia Service Request Form

Video Services SLA

IP Video Service Certification Form

Overview of the ITS NCIH to IP Video Migration Project

ITS Video/Multimedia Services (VNS), which is a part of the North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services, administers the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH) videoconferencing services and the North Carolina Video Over IP (NCVIP) videoconferencing services. As many of you know in the summer and fall of 2005, VNS migrated the NCIH community college sites into the NCVIP environment. NCVIP videoconferencing is based on the Internet Protocol. Some of the high schools have already made the move to the NCVIP environment. For those of you who will be migrating in the future, there may be budgetary considerations.

Many High schools still have videoconferencing equipment that was manufactured by VTEL. The VTEL manufacturer is no longer producing parts and software for the AppsView(TM) or Galaxy(TM) product lines. The VTEL codecs operating with the AppsView(TM) software will NOT support the IP protocol and, therefore, cannot be used in the NCVIP environment. Because the VTEL codecs have now reached the end of their life expectancy, all sites with VTEL units should have in place a plan for the purchase of a new codec.

At eligible institutions, an E-Rate discount may apply to your purchase. Contact your local E-Rate coordinator for additional information on this subject.

Your Regional Coordinator can assist you in the migration from the NCIH network to the NCVIP network and guide you through the submission of the necessary Office of Information Technology forms. Since the NCVIP uses an IP based videoconferencing protocol, your site may be able to use existing network bandwidth. You will need to involve your Information Telecommunications Administrator in making certain decisions about the migration. Click on the Video Over IP Guidelines for a better understanding of the network and LAN needs of videoconferencing over IP Protocol.

Now is the time to begin planning your site’s migration to the NCVIP network. The first step in your migration is to contact the ITS Service Desk at 1-800-441-5296. A service request ticket will be opened in your behalf and the process can begin.

Benefits

All sites will operate under the same standard of Video Over IP (H.323).
Conferences appearing in split screen (CP) configurations may be scheduled from a selection of 16 different views.
Conferences scheduled in split screen configurations may be controlled and manipulated by each individual site during a conference.
Sites will have greater access to statewide, national, and international audiences/programs.
Sites will be in alignment with the industry standard movement from NCIH (H.320) to Video Over IP (H.323).

Network Recommendations

Consider the best solution to provide students and teachers a high quality video learning environment.

Opting for the least expensive solution may not always be the best solution.

The end users must be considered first when building your network.

Latency, jitter, packet loss and delay on network connections add up and can degrade the end to end video session reducing the quality and usability of your session.

Videoconferencing applications require a network with few errors and optimum conditions in order to transmit high quality video.

Data transmission through your network will also operate more efficiently if your network is optimized.

Typically, smaller localized telephone and broadband companies lease internet services from larger companies that have a nationwide internet backbone.

Larger companies may have their own internet backbone and would not have to lease connectivity from another company.

Currently some Telcos and broadband providers offer a basic service or an enhanced or managed service between your site and other local sites or to the internet.

It is important to be aware of the level of service your provider can guarantee when purchasing site connectivity.

When ordering your site's connectivity you should always analyze your total bandwidth requirements and ensure that you order adequate bandwidth for future growth.

You should always add a buffer of at least 20 percent above your peak estimated simultaneous bandwidth usage of both video and data at your site.

It is important to find out if the company that provides your circuit connectivity can also supply the internet gateway connection.

What level of service can they provide to your site.

Private ISPs have shown as many as 25 to 30 hops between the source and destination.

Minimize the number of hops between your site and the site you are calling.

Important Network Recommendations Oct 17th, 2007

Get Real Player

Updated October 10th, 2007