Delivering video traffic requires monitoring quality metrics.
There’s long been talk of video becoming standard traffic on enterprise networks and it seems the technology in 2012 could reach critical mass in terms of adoption. But with the addition of video by way of desktop, phone or corporate conferencing systems is also posing some unique management challenges, according to recent research.
According to the Network Instruments 5th Annual Global State of the Network Study, 71% of some 163 network professionals polled will have deployed video in 12 months, 56% already have and 15% plan to do so. Of those with enterprise video deployments in place, 75% said they have standard video conferencing rooms. Sixty-three percent reported using desktop PC video conferencing, and 30% established a telepresence room in their organization. One-fifth said they have implemented videophone technology.
“Video has now made it and it is here to stay,” says Brad Reinboldt, senior product manager at Network Instruments. “Telepresence is lagging a little bit, but that is not surprising considering the infrastructure needed to support it. And as with any new technologies, there is always that initial promise of reduced costs and improved IT service delivery, but IT departments still need to get up to speed and make sure nothing else suffers because of video.”
In the case of video technologies, the study found that many are resorting to the tools and metrics used to monitor and manage the quality of voice over IP (VoIP) deployments. Because there is no formal video mean opinion score, or MOS, Reinboldt says, network professionals are turning to measurements such as jitter, latency and packet loss.
Graphic Source: Network Instruments
Still, challenges persist. Network professionals cited several hurdles they encounter with their video deployments. The biggest problem is more cultural than anything else and could be solved with a bit of education. More than half (53%) said the lack of user knowledge and training was a challenge. Then the results get more technical. Nearly half (49%) said allocating and monitoring bandwidth is an issue, and 47% cited implementing and measuring quality of service (QoS) as a challenge to their organization. Forty-three percent pointed to a lack of monitoring tools and metrics as a concern, and 19% said they were challenged by ensuring adequate computing power for processing video.
Graphic Source: Network Instruments
“Given the real-time visibility and cost of some of these video implementations such as telepresence, there is a heightened sensitivity among executives and the people in the trenches are getting those calls,” Reinboldt says.
Is video a reality in your environment? How do you measure quality and manage traffic to ensure video performs as expected? Please leave a comment here, let me know via Twitter @DDubie or e-mail me directly at Denise.Dubie@ca.com.
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