Videoconferencing Plan

Executive Summary
The State of Louisiana has used videoconferencing technology since the early 1990’s. The early adopters of the technology were the higher education community and the medical community. These early adopters established networks to meet their individual needs and these networks functioned as islands separate and apart from one another. In the mid 1990’s various users recognized the need for these separate islands to communicate effectively with one another. The Office of Telecommunications Management (OTM) became involved and in 1998 put in place a set of contracts to provide a full service H.320 network and a full line of videoconferencing equipment options. The pent-up demand for videoconferencing services is shown on the charts below by the high initial utilization and steady growth through Fiscal Year 2002/2003.
Figure 1 - Total Minutes per Fiscal Year
Figure 2 - Total Number of Conferences per Fiscal Year
The videoconferencing industry is undergoing an evolution in technology from the H.320 standard to the H.323 standard. The trend can be identified on the charts by the decline in usage of the H.320 network in Fiscal Year 2003/2004. The decline noted above shows a migration away from the H.320 network and to individual agencies’ IP networks utilizing H.323 technology. It should be noted that these charts represent only the videoconferencing usage under the OTM contracts. In addition to the OTM network there are other large independent H.320 and H.323 networks within the state with significant usage. The following organizations operate independent videoconferencing networks:
Figure 3 - Independent Agency Videoconferencing Networks
Agency
Primary Application
Number of Sites
Technology
LSU Health Sciences Center
Medical education at remote medical facilities around the state, administrative meetings with remote sites.

H.323
Department of Public Safety
Emergency planning meetings and Training
15
H.323
Department of Corrections
Pardon board hearings, Parole board hearings, Telemedicine with LSU-HSC
16
H.323
Department of Social Services
Departmental meetings, family team meetings for OCS (FTC’s) ,training, seminars, and interstate meetings
26 conferences rooms and 20 desktop units
H.323
Department of Health and Hospitals
Conferencing, Tel Med., Education, Legal, Bio Terrorism and audio conferences
100
H.323

Additional information concerning videoconferencing activities at state agencies can be found in Appendix D. Appendix D is a summarization of a survey sent to state agencies in July 2004 in preparation for this planning activity.

It is the evolution of technology described above that has prompted the need for a strategic plan to manage the migration of the existing H.320 users base to a H.323 environment and to provide a comprehensive, integrated solution for videoconferencing in state government.

The current and future users of H.320 and H.323 technologies represent various scenarios that will require different migration strategies to ensure that the state has an effective enterprise wide videoconferencing network. This plan documents each scenario, develops an enterprise wide strategy and identifies individual initiatives to provide a means to move the existing videoconferencing users from the current fragmented situation of today into a comprehensive, integrated H.323 network of the future. The network strategy and architecture developed here allows for a variety of options, such as:
· A full service option for agencies who want to out-task their H.323 network requirements
· A point of interconnection for agencies that have their own internal H.323 capabilities
· Shared services for agencies that want to out-task portions of their H.323 requirements, such as scheduling services
· Videoconferencing facilities for agencies with ad-hoc videoconferencing needs

The conceptual vision of this network is illustrated below.
Figure 4 - Conceptual IP Video Network Environment
The network diagram illustrates the IP video core network interconnected to existing statewide networks, agency networks, the current H.320 video network, the commodity Internet and Internet2. Full network management services are also indicated.
A key element to the success of an enterprise wide environment is a set of standards that all participants agree to adhere to. Since standards continuously evolve the strategy developed in this plan provides for management on an ongoing basis.
This plan recommends a set of initiatives to accomplish this vision. The initiatives are:
· Implement a videoconferencing advisory group
· Implement videoconferencing network infrastructure and lines of service
· Provide for existing H.320 users and establish a migration path to H.323
· Establish an environment to facilitate high quality and convenient videoconferencing for state government

The successful implementation of these initiatives will provide the State of Louisiana with a state-of-the-art videoconferencing infrastructure and management strategy capable of meeting the videoconferencing needs of today and positioning the state for future technology evolutions.

Full Document (approx. 55 pages) available upon request

LA Board of Regents' Postsecondary Education IT Priorities 2005-2006

Louisiana’s postsecondary education system is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the state’s citizens.

The following three priorities have been proposed by the Postsecondary Education System IT representatives( LSU System, Southern University System, Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and University of Louisiana System), and the Board of Regents office of Information and Learning Technology. The priorities are global in nature; can serve as focal points for project development over the next three years. The priorities are not listed in any particular order of importance.

Promote and Encourage Investment in Sustained Strategic Technology
Alliances

B. Provide Affordable and Convenient Access to Electronically
Delivered/Enhanced Academic Resources

Identify and Encourage Best Practices Technology Implementations Across
the Academic Enterprise.

Each priority has been tested against the SMART criteria( Specific, Measurable, Attainable,Realistic,Time–bound), and has been created in full compliance with the following authorization documents:

VISION 2020: 2003 Update
The Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education :2001
LAConnections: Louisiana’s Blueprint for Digital Government
ACT 772 of the 2001 State Legislature
State IT Master Plan

State Video Action Team

With the results of the OTM Video Services RFP around the corner, plans for the new video network will soon need to be in place. Mike Abbiatti, Associate Commissioner for Information and Learning Technology, will convene the Video Network Action Team (VNAT) on Friday 15 July in Alexandria in order to make important choices, and to move forward with the new video network strategy, design, and deployment. The VNAT will meet regularly over the next year to ensure that the new statewide interactive video network is up and running by September 2006. There are some exciting potentials to be realized.The VNAT will be made of a mix of technical and administrative representatives. The mission of the group is to create a diagram, assumptions, and a cost structure. The first meeting will be on July 15 in Alexandria at the Learning Center of Rapides Parish (9:30am-3:30pm). During this meeting the mission, basic assumptions, regulations, and resources will be explored. This interactive network will serve educational institutions (K20), research institutions, and governmental agencies.

Says Abbiatti, “We have a tremendous opportunity to create the type of network we need to move forward. The keys will be affordability and scalability. I anticipate some other user communities joining us to create a truly statewide resource. LONI also may have some utility as we progress.” LONI is the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative which is part of the National Lambda Rail (www.nlr.net).

The new network will be seen as a utility or a tool with quality of service rather than a unique technology. Also part of the process will be the conversion from H.320 to H.323. Contact Mike at abbiatti@bormail.regents.state.la.us to be added to the listserv.