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Patent and Trademark Office Rolls Out Nationwide Desktop VTC This March

A big move is coming in 2011 to implement more nimble, flexibly-configurable video teleconferencing solutions at the Pentagon's Warfighter Capability Demonstration Center (WarCap).

In an average month, the WarCap's VTC team supports one major exercise, and two or three demonstrations of emerging technology, and many smaller-scale events. End users and subject matter experts join in classified and unclassified briefings and conversations with top military leaders.

"Warfighters themselves can talk to the leadership. Guys on the floor of an Air Operations Center brief capability of the technology and its value -- or lack thereof." Anna Santos de Dios, Director of the Air Force's Warfighter Capability Demonstration Center told us more. "Using VTC for exercises lets us bring the field experience right into the Pentagon. Senior decision-makers based here, who may lack the time or budget travel to event, can get in one room or on the same call, and bounce ideas around about what they've just seen."

The WarCap has three VTC options.

• DISN VIDEO SERVICES GLOBAL (DVSG) uses Tandberg systems to link multiple sites but each participating site is a fixed conference room and must be equipped with DSVG-specific hardware. AT&T schedules the VTC and allocates bandwidth.
• Internet-Protocol (IP)-Based VTC is about to get a lot more popular. This approach connects two points theirusing a Tandberg MXP-IP coder/decoder (cCodec) or similar gear (like the Polycom VSE-7000) on the exercise network. 

"Even some guy in the field with a webcam and internet access can be on the call," said Santos de Dios. "We've had guys doing VTC's standing next to their HUMVEE's talking about how systems perform, and that's much more powerful and memorable, than someone briefing from a PowerPoint."
  
  But the WarCap wanted the flexibility to arrange those calls itself, to multiple points, and do it more quickly. The WarCap's senior NCO colloborated with the office's SAIC support team to come up with the solution. By 2011, General Dynamics IT and its subcontractor, PPI, will have installed a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU), the Tandberg MCU-4150 to improve service by decreasing scheduling lead times.
• Defense Connect Online (DCO), a web-based VTC system, is the low end: just an invitation via URL weblink plus a USB-plug-in web cam, and you're good to go. It's a good solution for informal meetings and document sharing, or linking sites without higher resolution options.

"The people we support -- those running exercises, and those advocating more resources for work in the field -- feel that VTC helps them reach audiences they wouldn't have access to any other way. "The senior leadership appreciates the opportunity to see exercises or evaluate technologies without disrupting their schedules with additional travel. The big challenge is that, with constant turnover in personnel that's simply part of military life, we always have to keep educating people that this resource is available, so we're always doing outreach about the WarCap's VTC capabilities."

Traditional two-way conference-room-based VTC, to communicate with Embassies, patent offices and other federal agencies. That's deployed via about 6 large conference rooms that hold several dozen people.

Today, for peer to peer interaction within PTO; later this year, PTO expects to offer applicants for patents and trademarks the option to discuss their applications with examiners via videoteleconference, too.

Broadcast events, both within the agency for internal meetings and education as well as for consultations and working groups with PTO's customers and the public. An auditorium that seats over 300 people and offers PTO multiple camera angles and full video production capability.

CISCO's hardware and software dominate PTO's VTC technology. That includes Tandberg equipment in dedicated videoteleconference rooms, and the suite of CISCO desktop software, including WEBEX, all running on CISCO's networks and expanding bandwidth.

Big changes are afoot. Starting in March, Owens and his team roll out a massive technology upgrade to 10,000 employees and about 5,000 contractors that includes desktop video teleconferencing capability no matter where they work, from headquarters to home offices. The contractor who'll support the implementation has been selected; watch for an announcement of the award soon.

What will they get? "Brand new secure metal-jacketed HP laptop with Voice-Over-IP, plus a handset and headset. The laptop, telephone, and WEBEX all launch together in March, running Windows 7...it's in Beta, and the people that have it in their hands now cannot believe the improvement in quality they experience in their daily work." VTC is a critical capability for communication among PTO's increasingly dispersed workforce. Owens says he's been told to expect the agency's 3,000-strong teleworkforce to grow by over 15% this year.

What three things would Owens like PTO employees to keep in mind about the new desktop VTC capability?

• "Be patient and learn to use the technology for what it is.
• "Provide constructive and timely feedback through the appropriate channels; and
• "Remember that desktop VTC isn't broadcast television. We have plans to increase our capability and use better tools as they become available, but you're getting the cream of the crop of what's available today."