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SCOPIA™ v.5 Worldwide Launch
The events surrounding the release of SCOPIA version 5 in
June kept the offices in all our regions quite busy.
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Richard Li,
Country Manager, China
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The Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada recently chose RADVISION’s powerful SCOPIA™ v.5 infrastructure and iVIEW Suite management software to keep their 300 Polycom endpoint system up-to-date – ensuring future-proof growth.
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RADVISION announced the availability of its newly released PC-to-Mobile™ solution.
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France is one of the largest markets for visual communications in Europe. RADVISION Country Manager James Lellouche tells NEWVISION editors about the local scene, and the activities of RADVISION’s newest office in the French capital.
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Zeev Bikowsky, General Manager of RADVISION’s Technology Business Unit and Adi Paz, Senior Marketing and Product Management Director, share some insights into the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) phenomenon and what it means for developers today... and tomorrow.
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RADVISION Powers Texas Instrument’s New Converged Platform for Multiple Video Services
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Sign up for updated SCOPIA v.5 platform courses
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Read about RADVISION's latest contributions and efforts with the ITU-T, IETF and 3GPP.
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NEWVISION belongs to you. So please tell us what you think. We will do everything possible to make it relevant, current and interesting to all. newvision@radvision.com
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The information contained in this newsletter is RADVISION confidential. While the content is believed to be true, RADVISION does not certify or warrant the reliability of any of the information contained in this newsletter. RADVISION and various other trademarks are owned by RADVISION Ltd. Other trademarks may be owned by third parties.
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At InfoComm in Las Vegas, RADVISION held several executive briefings with resellers, distributors and partners. Demos of SCOPIA v.5 and High Definition demos of LifeSize endpoints in both room-based and desktop scenarios were a highlight of the show – as was the cocktail reception attended by over 120 participants.
Over 120 key representatives from RADVISION Channel Partners in Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA) attended a series of conferences held in Germany, France and the UK. Participants enjoyed live, hands-on demos of all RADVISION offerings, and experienced the many new features for the first time. Breakout sessions enabled EMEA Channel Partners to gain real hands-on experience using RADVISION’s solutions with 3G mobile handsets, Aethra and LifeSize endpoints.
In RADVISION’s Asia Pacific (APAC) region, the launch of SCOPIA v.5 was a major focus of the 2006 Rich Media Unified Communication Road Show. Events and HD demos were held in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Urumuqi, and ShenYang. All together over 600 resellers, distributors and customers came to see SCOPIA v.5 in action, and over 20 trade journals and media outlets covered the events – including local TV broadcasts.
Richard Li,
Country Manager,
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InfoComm in
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Partner Conference,
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Betting on SCOPIA™ v.5 in Las Vegas School District
Distance learning is one of the most exciting and rewarding applications for visual communications. When deployed intelligently, visual communications becomes a mission-critical component in educating scores of children and adults, and enables educators to maximize teaching resources. The Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada recently chose RADVISION’s powerful, scalable SCOPIA v.5 infrastructure and iVIEW™ Suite management software to keep their 300 Polycom endpoint system up-to-date – ensuring many years of future-proof growth.
In February 2006, the District issued a tender for a video network infrastructure solution. No less than twelve consortiums submitted bids for the large-scale project. After an exhaustive selection process, RADVISION partner Wire One Communications was awarded the lucrative contract.
The deployment, throughout the District, encompassed two SCOPIA 72 bundles, for a total of 144 ports; two ECS (Enhanced Communication Servers) gatekeepers and ECS alternates; two SCOPIA PRI gateways; and 200 iVIEW Suite licenses.
When the four candidates on the “short-list” were asked to make onsite presentations, the focus was on technology differentiators and overall network configurations that would best meet the District’s needs. According to Adi Regev, AVP Sales Development for the Americas, it was continuous presence and 2MB transcoding on every port that outrivaled the other bids. “This technological superiority also enabled the Clark County School District to approach the project from a ‘total solution’ perspective – where the sum was greater than the parts. It was the combination of the SCOPIA MCU, the ESC gatekeeper’s sophistication, and the robust scheduling capabilities of the iVIEW Suite software that won the deal.”
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Adi Regev
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Linda Bickelman
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In the announcement stating that Wire One had won the tender, RADVISION’s technology was rated as the highest overall. "It was a pleasure working with the RADVISION team on this RFP response and implementation,” says Jeff Prestel, Wire One Senior Vice President, Sales. "The SCOPIA v.5 platform is an exciting technological breakthrough, and demonstrates how deploying interoperable infrastructure and complementary management applications offers the best value for our customers. We look forward to partnering with RADVISION on many more similar bids this year.”
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The Clark Country School District deployment was the first SCOPIA v.5 and iVIEW Suite implementation in the U.S. For RADVISION, it was a true team effort. “Joe Baltes, Senior Sales Engineer and Ryan Quinlan, Senior Support Engineer, did an exceptionally smooth and seamless implementation,” says Linda Bickelman Region Sales Director. ”From start to finish this significant win was accomplished through a solid team approach that included Engineering, Product Management and Manufacturing. “The industry buzz about SCOPIA v.5 and the iVIEW Suite software, and the Clark County School District success, are a great foundation for the U.S. sales team that will open many more sales opportunities for the rest of 2006.”
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In July, RADVISION announced the availability of its PC-to-Mobile™ solution, a robust solution that helps operators increase 3G traffic and revenues. Using a Web-based branded PC client, subscribers can initiate and receive billable 3G video calls from PCs or 3G mobile handsets.
With the PC-to-Mobile solution, growth in 3G usage will no longer be restricted by the fact that only one in ten people own a 3G phone. The solution taps into the inherent potential of the vast number of video-enabled PCs in use today. With PCs turned into “virtual” 3G devices, business travelers, for example, can simply use a 3G phone and conduct a live video call with their families on a home PC. This kind of bi-directional, interactive experience is quite a compelling offer.
The PC-to-Mobile solution embodies RADVISION’s message that now is the time to deploy interactive video services. “Lack of a critical mass of handsets is preventing subscribers from using their 3G handsets to communicate with family, fiends and communities,” says Alon Barnea, General Manager of the Mobility & Service Provider Group. “By extending options to the PC, subscribers will enjoy a service that is worth every cent.”
The release generated a great deal of interest in the professional press, including coverage by Mobile Entertainment, Global Mobile, and the Informa Group.
Read what other industry experts are saying about RADVISION PC-to-Mobile solution:
RADVISION Fuels 3G Video Calls
Inquirer - Harrow,Middlesex,UK
PC to Mobile Video Conferencing over 3G Data Channel
Mobile Europe - London,UK
Business Take Up 3G Applications at Last
ITPro - London,UK
RADVISION Debuts Circuit-switched Video Platform
Telecoms.com
RADVISION Announces Availability of PC-To-Mobile™ 3G Solution
TelephonyWorld.com
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In a country sensitive to the nuances and beauty of its language, it is no wonder that the French embrace a communications medium that leaves virtually no room for misinterpretation. France is one of the largest markets for visual communications in Europe, with demand in new and emerging markets growing at a steady pace.
Recognizing the importance of the French market, RADVISION opened an office in central Paris in June of this year. Headed by James Lellouche, Nati Moya-Montoya and Lucien Mochk, the Paris office makes certain RADVISION partners receive all the help and support they need quickly – and via local reps – in French.
According to James, this is crucial. “We are very active in the education sector here in France, with a large installed base for Click to Meet. In this market, the need for localized support and service is very important. The foundation in the French education market was always strong, since the 'Renater' national network that links educational and research institutes went online 12 years ago. So students and educators are quite used to having a strong IP infrastructure and adopted visual communications relatively early on.”
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(l to r): James Lellouche, RADVISION Country Manager, France; Rafael Barak, Chargé d'Affaires, Israel Embassy; Boaz Raviv, RADVISION CEO and Yann Bole-Feysot, Business Development Manager at the opening of the Paris Office. |
This strong foundation laid the groundwork for conservative, but growing, demand for more advanced services from consumers and enterprise customers. This is evident in the healthy demand for 3G video services, with multiple trials already underway with several large carriers.
In the industrial sector, RADVISION played a role in deploying one of the largest videoconferencing installations in Europe at Renault, with Hypcom (Génédis Group).
The Optimal Choice
RADVISION’s offerings are well positioned for the diverse needs of French industry. In the defense sector, the French team works very closely with Thales, a homegrown French integrator that today is a global leader in the aerospace, defense, and security industries. “RADVISION’s technological expertise made us the perfect partner for Thales in a huge deployment for the French army,” relates James. “Our infrastructure equipment was not only able to work with Thales’ encryption devices, which was a prerequisite of course, but also supported T.120 data collaboration as well as being endpoint agnostic. This is another example of where our unique combination of capabilities and functionality enables us to stand up to the competition.”
The team is quite optimistic about the future of visual communications in France. If the Paris office inauguration event and the partner conference are any indication, the sentiment is shared by local resellers and partners. “There are exciting things happening in the French market. From close up, we can really keep a finger on the pulse of the local scene. In addition to being able to identify new opportunities, we are delivering the localized support and service our partners and their customers are asking for.”
We mean what we say – in French too! View this article in French:
Focus Régional - Coup d’œil en France
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RADVISION in the IMS Market
Zeev Bikowsky, General Manager of RADVISION’s Technology Business Unit and Adi Paz, Senior Marketing and Product Management Director, share some insights into the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) phenomenon and what it means for developers today... and tomorrow.
IMS is a standardized Next Generation Networking (NGN) architecture.
It was developed to answer an important need in the growing trend towards fixed, wireless and mobile network convergence.
The IMS core network enables operators and service providers to deliver identical IP services to both fixed and mobile customers from calls whose destination is either an IP or circuit-switched (CS) network. |
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Zeev Bikowsky (l), Adi Paz
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The IMS network architecture is defined by a set of standards established by the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) and the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).
By definition, IMS-based services are the power behind multi-mode communications – including voice, text, location, pictures and video, or any combination of these. IMS enables users to access networks from either fixed wireline devices, cellular phones or mobile devices, such as WiFi-enabled PCs, PDAs and smartphones and use them for revenue-generating multimedia services in converged environments. Most of these services are familiar from the cellular world – like voice, text, location, presence, pictures and video, or any combination of these. IMS will take them from the exclusive realm of the mobile world and make them available in the fixed environment. Since IMS has become the mandatory architecture for both mobile and fixed networks, the business potential has expanded significantly.
According to Adi, developers need tools to ensure their devices and network systems are IMS-compliant. “The new IMS network architecture demands we provide developer tools with an IMS ‘twist’ in order to meet the requirements of operator trials, tests and proof of concept deployments. This is to ensure that the devices they develop support the IMS services of the future.”
These services are limited only by our imagination. “Suppose everyone walked around with dual-mode VoIP ready devices that support voice, video and data,” explains Zeev. “Where would this leave mobile operators? That’s where IMS comes in. IMS provides the subsystem where a bundle of multimedia applications can be offered and managed by operators. Using the IMS architecture in their networks, operators can offer their own VoIP services and charge for them what they please. Operators will also be able to set policies to restrict VoIP traffic to ensure that subscribers can’t use the network to “piggy-back” free public Internet VoIP communications.”
The Technology
The IMS network separates between the network’s access plane and the user plane. In the IMS subsystem, the user plane is actually a Packet Switch network. This level is the transportation plane for all media and signaling within and outside the IMS network. Above the user plane is the control plane. Entities in this layer control the media streams and signaling links between other entities – for example call control and media control. The application level, above the user level, handles delivery of advanced services that require service logic beyond session setup/teardown.
Leading IMS Deployment
“Early IMS network deployments present several challenges. Issues such as Quality of Service are not yet fully resolved. This raises questions regarding real-time streaming media such as video,” notes Adi Paz. “At RADVISION we understand this challenge and believe that the true path to IMS deployment will be a phased one. Early IMS deployments will enable mobile service providers to offer IMS services, such as presence and Instant Messaging, while still using existing 3G networks to deliver real time video over the 3G-324M protocol.”
Rational IMS deployments must take the limitations of early IMS adoption into consideration. Service providers will need to find creative solutions, such as combinational service, in order to reap the benefits of IMS without compromising on high standard services.
| As the recognized market leader in IMS developer solutions, RADVISION was first-to-market with several IMS developer tools and IMS-ready infrastructure products. “Our comprehensive product line delivers all the necessary protocol toolkits, IMS application servers, IMS testing tools, and an IMS client package for terminal developers – complete with application engines in addition to the underlying signaling and media technology,” says Adi. “Our offerings are also classified by segments, with dedicated solutions for server-side developers and client developers, to meet the specific needs of each. As the market advances forward, we intend to be there for our customers with the technology solutions they require.” |
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IMS Protocol Toolkits |
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IMS SIP Toolkit |
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IMS MEGACO/H.248 Toolkit |
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IMS Advanced-RTP/RTCP Toolkit |
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IMS Application Server |
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ProLab™ IMS Test Solution |
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Download RADVISION IMS SIP White Paper
Industry's First IMS Compliant IMS SIP Toolkit
ProLab IMS Test Solution
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RADVISION Powers Texas Instrument’s New Converged Platform for Multiple Video Services
RADVISION’s Multimedia Terminal Framework, a new offering that allows application developers to focus on functionality rather than standard specifications, made headlines at the September International Broadcasters’ Conference held in Amsterdam.
The open framework combines flexible and cost-effective integration of converged applications – from IP Set-Top-Boxes (IPSTBs) and video telephony to portable multimedia players. Texas Instruments used RADVISION's Multimedia Terminal Framework in the converged platform for multiple video services unveiled at the conference.
The Multimedia Terminal Framework frees developers to focus on application development, hardware integration and user interaction, rather than VoIP standards. This new RADVISION framework is helping usher in the age of widespread use of IP video telephony – anywhere and over any device.
RADVISION’s Multimedia Terminal Framework includes a fully-interoperable Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) stack and call control management. In addition, the Multimedia Framework integrates a 3G-324M stack, so that the IPTV world can now truly address interoperability with the 3G world.
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Using its DaVinci™ technology, TI has extended application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow converged functionality. This means that an existing set-top box application can provide video telephony functionality without requiring another processor.
All that is needed, in addition to a camera and microphone, is the introduction of new software.
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Knowledge is Power
Sign up for updated SCOPIA v.5 platform courses and more
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RADVISION’s highly-trained Customer Support Engineers are ready and available to meet all your training needs. The RADVISION Training Center offers a one-stop-shop for everything partners and customers need in order to get the most out of their RADVISION video network equipment and systems. The Training Center’s hands-on courses cover all the company’s products, including a fully updated curriculum for the recently released SCOPIA v.5 platform. The curriculum is comprehensive, and flexible, with customized courses available on demand. Every region maintains a fully-equipped training center, but onsite training programs are also available. |
Available Courses:
Visual Communications Infrastructure I
Visual Communications Infrastructure II
Visual Communications Network Management
Click to Meet™
Click to meet Software Development Kit
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3G Visual Communications Infrastructure I
3G Visual Communications Infrastructure II
Interactive Video Platform
Interactive Video Platform Controller API |
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Since its establishment, RADVISION contributes significantly in the development of new and existing standards. In fact, several RADVISION employees are charged with the sole responsibility of participating and contributing to relevant standard bodies. This activity evolved with customer needs and requirements in mind.
H.324 Annex K (MONA) Approved
As an active member of the ITU-T Study Group 16, RADVISION was instrument in the approval and adoption of H.324 Annex K (MONA) protocol to reduce call setup time, complementary to the WNSRP windowing mechanism developed by RADVISION. The ITU and the 3GPP have already adopted WNSRP and are now adopting H.324 Annex K. RADVISION’s 3G-324M Toolkit already supports this protocol and is available to RADVISION customers.
SIP Control Framework
RADVISION plays a critical role in the IETF’s SIP Control Framework efforts (http://tools.ietf.org/wg/
sip/draft-boulton-sip-control-framework-03.txt) and its related control packages.
The Control Framework allows application deployment where the application logic and processing are distributed. This Framework is needed to provide a suitable interface that meets the requirements of a distributed, centralized conference system, as defined by the XCON work group of the IETF, as well as by the 3GPP.
The potential scope of the generic Framework has much broader ramifications. It is eventually envisioned to be useful for a wide variety of de-coupled control architectures between network entities and to serve as the interface between AS (Application Server) and MRFC (Media Resource Control Function) entities.
3GPP
RADVISION is an active participant in several 3GPP working items, including CAT (Customized Alerting Tone), Multimedia Conferencing and the AS-MRFC. CAT defines how alerting tones (the tones heard by a caller before a call is connected) can be set by users and how they interact with supplementary services. RADVISION is particularly interested in standardization of video CATs. The Multimedia Conferencing group is studying the requirements for standardized multimedia conference service. And the AS-MRFC WI studies the necessary interfaces and protocols for communication between AS and MRFC. The recommendations of this group will eventually be sent to IETF to select the appropriate protocol.
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Product News
SCOPIA™ v.5
RADVISION launched SCOPIA v.5 and iVIEW™ Suite, the market's most powerful conferencing platform and network management application for unified communications. The high-definition-ready platform is a suite of Multipoint Control Units (MCUs) and Gateway products that enables unmatched video quality, dramatically improved ease-of-use and flexible configuration and scalability options. iVIEW Suite, RADVISION’s advanced software management application, intuitively manages SCOPIA components and conferencing endpoints providing advanced conferencing functions like conference management, scheduling services and distributed processing to unified conferencing applications.
The ProLab™ IMS Test Solution
The recently released ProLab IMS Test Solution is part of RADVISION’s ProLab Test Management Suite, providing IMS, SIP, H.323 and 3G-324M testing in a single, easy-to-use product. ProLab IMS is designed to play a critical and vital role in the product development cycle and quality assurance, and helps manufacturers achieve fast time-to-market.
Click To Meet®v.4.3
Newly released Click To Meet v.4.3 boasts support for Microsoft’s RTVideo advanced video codec and a new suite of high fidelity audio codecs, the addition of media encryption and improvements to bandwidth management and network boundary traversal.
The RTVideo codec is based on the SMPTE VC-1 Standard (SMPTE 421M) and is the preferred codec used by Communicator 2005 for point to point video calls. Now through RADVISION’s Click to Meet for Microsoft Office, it can be used for multipoint communications displaying high quality multiparty video inside Communicator 2005.
Additional enhancements to Click to Meet include a new suite of high fidelity audio codecs, encrypted communications for end-to-end security; network boundary traversal for secure and transparent communications in complex security environments; and advanced bandwidth management.
Industry’s First Fully Compliant IMS SIP Protocol Toolkit
The RADVISION IMS SIP Toolkit opens the door to the next stage in the evolution of converged, next generation IMS networks. for real-time communication applications. Based on RADVISION’s award-winning SIP toolkit, the IMS SIP Toolkit is a powerful and highly versatile set of tools that facilitates the development of IMS SIP applications while reducing development time and costs. The IMS-SIP toolkit is suitable for both clients and servers.
PC-to-Mobile™ 3G Solution
The newly released PC-to-Mobile solution empowers operators to increase 3G traffic and revenues and enables subscribers to send and receive 3G video calls from PCs and 3G mobile handsets. The solution transforms PCs into mobile handsets by opening a bi-directional channel for visual communication between 3G mobile devices and desktops. The PC-to-Mobile solution exponentially increases the 3G subscriber base to create a critical mass and expands 3G video call possibilities.
3G-324M Toolkit Supports Fast Call Set-up
RADVISION’s 3G-324m Protocol Toolkit now supports fast call set-up. The newly-released version aligns the industry-leading 3G video software toolkit with the recent improvements to the 3G standard established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) Study Group 16. The ITU has included RADVISION’s intellectual property related to fast call setup as an integral and mandated part of a revision to the H.324M standard for 3G video, known as H.324 Annex K MONA (Media Oriented Negotiation Acceleration).
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RADVISION’s best and brightest took to the road and hosted two very successful partner events in Boston and San Jose. Over 100 people participated in the forums, including the industry’s largest vendors, and offered a great opportunity for partners, customers and vendors to meet and share ideas. “It was an opportune time for partners to ‘dovetail’ timeframes and schedules,” according to Jeff Hoefgen, VP Sales, who spearheaded the event. “Our partners are now planning their IMS strategies based on our leading edge work – the first real carrier construct for IP.”
Steve DiEugenio, Director, TBU Software Sales, with Eli Cohen,
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Presentation in US |
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