[March 03, 2009] Radvision Granted Patent Tweet Mar 02, 2009 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Radvision, a provider of video network infrastructure and developer tools for unified visual communications over IP, 3G, and emerging next-generation IMS networks, announced it has been granted a U.S. patent, numbered 7,461,126, for distributed multipoint conferencing with automatic endpoint address detection and dynamic endpoint-server (MCU) allocation. The widespread deployment of video conferencing endpoints along with the increasing use of high definition is driving the need for intelligent management across the enterprise network. While most enterprises have sufficient bandwidth in their LANs to support multiple video conference participants, bandwidth between sites over WAN connections is limited and expensive. Historically, multiparty conferencing was hosted on large centralized ISDN MCUs but today's IP environment requires a distributed network of MCUs at each location where there are concentrations of endpoints. Radvision's patented conferencing solution connects users to their "local" MCU over inexpensive LAN connections and those MCUs connect to each other when multi-site conferencing is required. This reduces bandwidth use across expensive WAN connections by creating a large, distributed "virtual MCU" across the network. This capability becomes more critical with the bandwidth demands of high definition along with the increasing numbers of room and desktop video conferencing systems deployed in an enterprise. When an endpoint first connects to a conference, Radvision's management system dynamically assigns the most appropriate MCU on the network to act as the endpoint's "local" MCU. The management system then automatically creates connections between individual MCUs as appropriate and manages the multipoint system topology including determining the connection types (e.g. unicast or multicast). Bandwidth utilization is enhanced using this technology. Video conferencing endpoints will send and receive conference media from the automatically assigned local MCU, which will intelligently manage sending media to other conference participants on other MCUs. Participants that are not being viewed by anyone else in the conference will not have their video stream transmitted across the network, thus conserving bandwidth. "Today's conferencing environment of telepresence, high definition and desktop video scalability must be deployed and managed in light of today's existing network infrastructures," said Zeev Bikowsky, General Manager, Networking Business Unit for Radvision. "Early on we recognized the importance of intelligently managing a distributed video network while other companies were still developing solutions for ISDN. Radvision's technology breaks new ground for effectively deploying these demanding applications in today's enterprises." ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]