In April of 1999, a committee was formed to determine the feasibility of incorporating VideoConferencing using Internet Protocol (IP) for the North Dakota University System (NDUS). The committee includes members from universities and colleges throughout the state as well as members from the state capital.
The committee established criteria based on the H.323 standard and began procuring equipment for testing. Vendors included: VCON, Intel, Vtel, Polycom, Zydacron and MaxIC. Evaluations included three types of sessions: Unicast, Multicast and Multipoint.
While testing continues today, certain characteristics have come into focus. One problem is the need to strengthen standards. It has been noted that certain codecs from one vendor do not match up with other vendors. Installation of the units can be quite troublesome. Quality of Service may be of issue, based on desired performance. It should be known that most of the early testing has been over Internet 2 network connections.
With entries from Sony and Philips, the field of vendors continues to strengthen. As the lure of the Internet continues to build, true standards should evolve.