Cisco Introduces New Technology for Optimal Streaming over Wireless Networks

Today Cisco (News - Alert) announced a new bandwidth-efficient technology, called VideoStream, to deliver streaming video over wireless networks.

 

VideoStream comprises an innovative set of new features that ensures the optimal performance of video and multimedia over the wireless network, according to Cisco. In doing so, VideoStream removes the challenges associated with streaming video over the wireless network. It runs on a reliable and consistent platform that enhances user experience for video passing from the wired to the wireless network.

 

Even better, the new technology will help at least one major university bring high-quality video and multimedia over wireless networks.

 

Cisco also announced that Rochester Institute of Technology (News - Alert), in New York, is using new media-ready WLAN capabilities as part of its Cisco Unified Wireless Network to deliver innovative learning applications to its students. With a combination of its existing Cisco 802.11n wireless network and Cisco VideoStream, RIT is bringing a wealth of new applications to students and faculty, including mobile, closed-captioned video for its deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

 

“The ability to deliver video and multimedia applications over the wireless network – with the same quality and performance users are accustomed to receiving via a wired network – has inherent challenges,” said Ray Smets, vice president and general manager for the Cisco Wireless Networking Business Unit. “The new Cisco VideoStream technology addresses those challenges for the growing demands around delivering real-time visual collaboration and a need for new sustainable business practices, especially to support a distributed workforce. RIT is a perfect example of how the right wireless infrastructure not only delivers key applications for the broader population of students, faculty and IT staff, but can be the launching pad for the innovation of new applications like the video lectures RIT is offering to its deaf and hard-of-hearing students.”

 

RIT encompasses nine colleges and institutes and serves more than 17,000 students including a population of 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students. In order to deliver pervasive coverage across its 5.3 million-square foot campus that includes residence halls, RIT deployed a Cisco Unified Wireless Network including 3,400 802.11n access points, 15 Wireless Service Modules and Cisco’s Wireless Control System.

The resulting wireless network gives students and faculty access to a variety of mobile collaborative applications and services including video channels for redistribution of educational materials and replays of major campus events.

 

RIT’s National Institute for the Deaf college is deploying the Cisco VideoStream technology to deliver video relay and transcription services that allow students to use laptops and other mobile devices to view close-captioned lectures, visual signing and transcription services in real-time.

 

“We wanted to work with a leader that could provide the most proven and innovative 802.11n network in order to support the long-term mobile academic and recreational needs of our active and diverse student population,” said Jeanne Casares, chief information officer, Rochester Institute of Technology. “RIT deployed a Cisco media-ready wireless network that delivers converged data, voice and video services anywhere on campus that serves as the foundation to support a growing number of mobile video and voice applications that can make a positive difference by enhancing the collaborative learning experience for students, which ultimately can help drive student success.”