The Power of Shared ResourcesConference Room Intergration in the SoundStation VTX 1000™/VSX™ Environment

Connect. Any Way You Want.

Author:Jeff RodmanFellow/CTO

June 2, 2004

2

IntroductionWith the introduction of the ConferenceLinklocal infrastructure in its recent VSX 7000, VSX8000, and SoundStation VTX 1000 video andvoice conferencing systems ("The DistributedDawn" Polycom Whitepaper), Polycom has enabledthe next stage in deployment of The PolycomOffice within the conference room environment.

The first implementation of such a system occurs inVTX Software Version 1.4 and VSX SoftwareVersion 7.0, which began shipping in July 2004.This paper discusses the major characteristics ofthis integration, and its relation to the overall con-cepts of ConferenceLink distributed integration,simplified conferencing, and improved performance.

Behavior of the Integrated SystemMaking available resources such as microphones,keypad, and processing power to all conferencingfunctions within the room satisfies a need that hasbeen long apparent in the conference environment.

MicrophonesConference rooms with a conventional video sys-tem usually require two microphone systems: onefor the videoconferencing system, and one forthe speakerphone (Figure 1).

Not only does this take more space on the tableand add another cable to the tabletop, but itusually means that people sound very differentat the other end when they talk on the videosystem, as compared to when they are talking

on the speakerphone. The video microphonemay be pushed next to a projector fan exhaustduring an audio meeting, for example, and thisis not noticed for half an hour of painfully badsound during the next video meeting. Or aparticular talker may be sitting right next to thevideo microphone and think they're being heard fine on a speakerphone call, but they are fifteenfeet from the audio microphone that's actuallythe one turned on. We are all familiar with thesesituations, and the time wasted in cautious "Okay,I am whispering into the other microphone now,

can you hear me yet?" experimentation duringan important meeting.

In the VTX-VSX Integrated system, a single setof microphones is shared among the systems

(Figure 2). These are the high performancewideband microphones in the SoundStation VTX1000 console. This eliminates the one or two

extra microphone modules that are usuallyassociated with a separate videoconferencingsystem, but also takes advantage of the fact thatthe speakerphone is the device most often giventhe preferred central location on a conferencetable anyway. The SoundStation VTX 1000 EXmicrophones are also available to both systems,as is the auxiliary input in the SoundStation VTX1000 interface module, often used for the Polycom wireless clip-on microphone duringformal presentations and stage settings.

Speakers In the integrated VTX-VSX system, speakeroperation is determined by human interfaceconsiderations. When in a voice-only conferencecall, people expect the sound to come from theconference table device, and they also tend totalk to the same device. However, in a videoconference, they perceive the far-end participantsto be localized at the video display device, andso they expect the sound to come from there aswell. Consequently, the integrated VTX-VSXsystem directs the loudspeaker audio according tothe mode in which the system is being operated.

Call and System controlThe LCD and keypad of the VTX console are twomore functions that are available to both systems.The immediate benefit of this is that all callscan be placed from the same place, so the userdoes not have to swivel from controller tocontroller while placing successive calls. Theconsole LCD displays the status of theConferenceLink and of the Video call, in additionto its speakerphone functions. But one of themost exciting demonstrations of the power of theVTX-VSX distributed architecture is one-button call

Figure 1. Duplicated three-element microphone units inconventional audio/videoconferencing environments

Figure 2. Microphone sharing in VTX-VSX inte-grated system

3

elevation: the ability to elevate a call from POTStelephony to video with a button press, yet withoutprior arrangement between the participants.

Adding Video to an Audio CallIt is not uncommon for participants in an audiocall to decide that they want to change to avideo connection. This is normally done by askingeach other for their IP or ISDN connection numbersand any additional routing information, waitingwhile the other end figures out just what thosenumbers are, listening as the far end finallyreads off that number, copying the number on acorner of a notebook or napkin, hanging up thespeakerphone, and dialing the new call on thevideo number.

If they have copied it down correctly, the callmay go through but if not, they call back onaudio or cellphone and try to troubleshoot theproblem. Or they may use a company directoryand hope that the number has not changed, or thatthey have gotten the meeting room name right.

The VTX-VSX distributed architecture eliminatesthis entire process. The elevation to video isinitiated from a button on the SoundStation VTX1000 console. When the two participants are in aVTX Wideband speakerphone call, either can pressthe "Add Video" button that appears on theirSoundStation VTX 1000, and the video systemsautomatically connect. Once connected, theSoundStation VTX 1000 POTS connection isautomatically terminated, leaving a full video callestablished and the transition complete. This ismuch faster and simpler than the traditionalmethod, and results in a lot of saved time andfrustration. Its fast, accurate operation is a directconsequence of the unique VTX-VSX integration.

Let us suppose that a call is placed between thetwo SoundStation VTX 1000 conferencephones. The users converse with VTX Widebandfidelity (7kHz over the standard POTS telephoneline). Meanwhile, in the background, theSoundStation VTX 1000 phones exchange videodialing information over the data side channel inthe VTX Wideband connection. Each phoneknows the local video number by virtue of itsConferenceLink connection to the VSX system. Atsome point the users decide that they want toelevate the conference from audio only to audio

plus video. One of the users presses the "AddVideo" button on their console.

When a user presses the "Add Video" button duringa POTS wideband call between SoundStation VTX1000 units, several actions are initiated (Figure 3).

1. The initiating speakerphone (the one whosebutton was pressed) sends video dialinginstructions to its attached VSX system.

2. The initiating VSX system calls the far-endVSX at the number it provided.

3. Once the video connection is establishedand verified, both VSX units instruct theirSoundStation VTX 1000 conference phones,via ConferenceLink, to hang up the analog calls.

4. Although the POTS line is now disconnected,the SoundStation VTX 1000 units continue tooperate as audio resources, with microphones,speakers, LEDs, keypad, displays available foruse. An add-on call can be dialed, for example,or the conference can be muted from the keypad.

Note that this sequence of operations is verysimilar to what would be done manually, withtelephones, notepads, and perhaps secretaries.The differences are that the procedure occursautomatically, the critical information (theconnection numbers) are automatically double-checked, and the audio connection is kept up

until the video connection is live and confirmed.The user's perception of this process, therefore,is nearly, and consistently, painless.

Other Shared FunctionsIn similar ways, most other functions of theSoundStation VTX 1000 console can be accessedvia ConferenceLink. The POTS telephone lineinterface, for example, is available for use whena video conference wishes to add an audio callfor a multipoint connection. Further, this callcan be added in VTX Wideband mode as well asnarrowband mode, demonstrating shared use of

the SoundStation VTX 1000 processing engineby the VSX system.

Conversely, functions of the VSX 7000 can beshared by the SoundStation VTX 1000. We sawone example of this above: once the call iselevated to video, the video data stream isavailable to the SoundStation VTX 1000 forcommand and control functions, as needed. Inanother, the VSX 7000 subwoofer in a VTX-VSXintegrated system is available to the SoundStationVTX 1000; it no longer requires its own subwooferfor low-frequency reinforcement.

Figure 3. VTX-VSX one-button elevation to video withno pre-configuration

ConclusionThis article has presented a description of theinitial feature set harnessing the capabilities ofthe VTX-VSX integrated architecture. It isapparent that this new configuration concept isan immensely flexible one, and enables a largeset of powerful new features to improve systemperformance and reliability, to simplify systemoperation, and to bring new functionality to theuser. This is the latest demonstration of Polycom'scontinued effort to make remote conferencingas transparent and flexible as possible.

The Polycom Office™With integrated video, audio, data, and Webcapabilities, The Polycom Office is the onlysolution that offers an easy way to connect, con-ference, and collaborate any way you want.Work faster, smarter, and better with ThePolycom Office.

Polycom, Inc. develops, manufactures and mar-kets a full range of high-quality, easy-to-use andaffordable voice and video communication end-points, video management software, web col-laboration software, multi-network gateways,and multi-point conferencing and networkaccess solutions. Its fully integrated end-to-endsolution, The Polycom Office, is supported bythe Polycom accelerated communicationsarchitecture and enables business users toimmediately realize the benefits of integratedvideo, voice data and web collaboration overrapidly growing converged networks.

Rev 7/04

www.polycom.com

Polycom Headquarters: 4750 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (T) 1.800.POLYCOM (765.9266) for North America only. For North America, Latin America and Caribbean (T) +1.925.924.6000, (F) +1.925.924.6100

Polycom EMEA: 270 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4DX, (T) +44 (0)1753 723000, (F) +44 (0)1753 723010

Polycom Asia Pacific: Polycom Hong Kong Ltd., Rm 1101 MassMutual Tower, 38 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, (T) +852.2861.3113, (F)+852.2866.8028

©2004 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.

Polycom and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks and VSX, SoundStation VTX 1000 and The Polycom Office are trademarks of Polycom in the U.S. and various countries.All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Specifications subject to change without notice.