Video to the Desktop: A Louisiana Model

Louisiana Board Of Regents, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

A state-of-the-art H.323 video communications network will be built to promote systemic reform in research in Louisiana. The network will interconnect eleven institutions of higher education and the Board of Regents and offer linkages to other networks and campuses. Specifically, a state-of-the-art desktop-to-desktop video conferencing research system will be developed at institutions that provide leadership of state-wide research and educational programs such as the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) or the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). The network will: (1) provide Louisiana researchers with tools for participating in inter-institutional scientific sharing and strategic planning session; (2) showcase EPSCoR's strategy for enhancing the state's research competitiveness; and (3) build a prototype statewide H.323 network in Louisiana. The project will upgrade existing audio/video network from H.320 to H.323 and install sixty H.323 desktop endpoints, 5 at each of the 12 sites. A Multipoint Control Unit will be purchased to create a Network Operations Center that allows for network management from remote sites. The network will reduce geographical barriers so inter-institutional collaboration can figure strongly into the state's systemic plan to enhance academic research competitiveness. The initiative will become a component in a regional network being built on a robust Abilene/vBNS connection to Southern Crossroads.