What is videoconferencing?
Videoconferencing is a form of communication that allows real-time, two-way interaction between people at two or more physical locations via the Internet.
What types of videoconferencing solutions are available at OUHSC?
Academic Technology at OUHSC supports both Zoom and Poly (formerly Polycom) videoconferencing platforms.
What is Zoom?
Zoom is a communications software that combines videoconferencing, online meetings, chat and mobile collaboration. Zoom allows for HD video and high-quality audio for all meetings/classes. It contains collaboration tools that allow multiple participants to share their screens simultaneously and co-annotate for a more interactive meeting. You can schedule meetings using your OUHSC Outlook calendar as it can sync with it. Learn more here.
What is Poly?
Poly is a hardware provider of video and voice solutions. OUHSC hosts its own on-prem video infrastructure and has standardized on the Poly platform to sustain our vast distance education initiative. Learn more here.
Key terms and need-to-know information:
- A videoconference between two sites is sometimes referred to as a P2P (Point-to-Point) videoconference.
- A multipoint videoconference is a videoconference involving more than two sites/locations.
- A VMR (Virtual Meeting Room) is a virtual space where multiple participants can join a video call. A VMR provides virtualized bridging services and many options feature a WebRTC option allowing users with a webcam and browser to join a video call. A VMR is also known as a virtual meeting space or a video bridge room.
- A video conferencing bridge (also called a Multipoint Control Unit or MCU) is a hardware system that is able to connect multiple videoconferencing systems together into a single conference.