Emblaze-VCON Provides Renault with a 500-User IP Video Communications Network

Emblaze-VCON endpoints and infrastructure solutions are deployed in the Renault Group to provide video communications to 500 users over its corporate network. The installation includes Emblaze- VCON's IP infrastructure servers and desktop endpoints.

Renault wanted to increase the usage of personal desktop videoconferencing among its employees and departments, while continuing its merger with Nissan’s infrastructures. Equipping all of Renault’s and Nissan’s PCs and meeting rooms with conferencing equipment is a long-term goal. To reduce the costs, management decided to move its video and telephony infrastructure onto the company’s IP backbone. It also needed a solution that would centralize the management and provide a range of services to this vast deployment of videoconferencing end points.

Renault required a vendor whose solution met the following criteria:

• An IP-based solution
• Lightweight codecs producing high-quality video Simple integration into existing network infrastructure Centralized management and configuration capabilities for a wide-range of conferencing products, such as end points, multipoint control units (MCUs), gateways Added value features such as scheduling, streaming, telephony, and multicast Very close partnership between Renault, the solution manufacturer, and the local reseller.

Emblaze-VCON met all Renault's requirements that included stringent feature requests and complete integration of the videoconferencing applications into the existing complex network environment. The large size of the installation required robust and reliable centralized management capabilities. Emblaze-VCON's Media Xchange Manager ® (MXM) server, which is based on ITU-T standards, was selected by Renault to manage the Emblaze-VCON endpoints as well as third-party equipment such as MCUs, gateways and videoconferencing room systems. Emblaze-VCON provides Renault with a global solution that enables multi-network multipoint conferences in addition to other advanced services.

Renault selected Emblaze-VCON's vPoint HD desktop software to allow users to conveniently engage in video calls directly from their PCs. vPoint HD employs the latest industry standards, providing users with the highest quality video, audio and security capabilities available today. The vPoint HD clients easily integrate into the existing IT infrastructure, an important requirement for Renault. To customize their solutions, the Renault team used an Emblaze-VCON development kit to adapt the vPoint HD application to their specific PC environment.

The Emblaze-VCON solution has also been completely integrated into Renault's Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory. This allows authorized users to automatically download, initiate and utilize the vPoint HD videoconferencing client from any PC on the Renault IP network via a web interface