Evaluation of the Univago Video Calling Service

Transcription

1 June 2016 Evaluation of the Univago Video Calling Service Hands-on testing of Yorktel s Pexip-powered offering This evaluation sponsored by

2 Background Founded in 1985 by Dr. York Wang, Yorktel Telecom Corporation (Yorktel) is a privately-held, 450 person visual collaboration integration and managed services provider offering solutions to corporate (including many Fortune 1000 firms), government / federal agencies, and other customers. According to the company, in 2015 Yorktel generated ~ $140M in revenue. Key product offerings include audio-visual and video conferencing technology from numerous vendors (e.g. AMX, Cisco, Crestron, Polycom, Vidyo, and many others). Key service offerings include video managed services, collaboration / hosted services, staffing services, system design and integration services, event / media / content creation services, and professional services. The company is headquartered in Eatontown, NJ, and maintains field offices in Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Illinois and Virginia. In addition, Yorktel supports EMEA customers from its offices in the United Kingdom, and France. While able to support the requirements of many different vertical markets and geographical areas, Yorktel has made focused investments in: - Healthcare / Telehealth Yorktel offers telehealth-specific products and services including a telehealth-friendly help desk. In 2015, the telehealth division reported 77% revenue growth. - EMEA in 2006, the company opened an office in the UK, and has posted annual revenue growth of > 30% in the last two years (2014 and 2015). In March 2013, Yorktel launched VideoCloud, a portfolio of video conferencing services including: - VideoCloud Virtual Meeting Room a reservation-less, on-demand video conferencing service powered by technology from Avaya (decommissioned in Q1 2016), Cisco, Polycom, and Vidyo. - VideoCloud Managed Conferencing Service includes pro-active system monitoring, incident management, device maintenance, reporting, etc. - VideoCloud B2B Service enables inter-company (B2B) video calling between organizations. In October 2015, Yorktel announced Univago, a suite of cloud-based video conferencing services that resides within the Yorktel VideoCloud and includes the following: - Univago Meeting Rooms (a.k.a. URooms) powered by Pexip, URooms are a significant upgrade to Yorktel s prior Virtual Meeting Room offering. - Univago Enterprise Gateway provides interoperability between customers Microsoft Lync / Skype for Business deployments and their existing SIP / H.323 video conferencing environment. - Univago Virtual Receptionist a video-ivr that allows external callers to access only specific meeting rooms and extensions. In Q1 2016, Yorktel commissioned Wainhouse Research (WR) to provide a thorough, 3 rd party assessment of the Yorktel s Univago service. To facilitate this effort, Yorktel provided WR with a company-wide Univago subscription including access to all available features and options. This document contains the results of our hands-on testing of the Univago cloud service Wainhouse Research Page 2

3 Understanding the Univago Service Univago is a multi-party, high definition (up to 720p) capable, cloud-based video collaboration service with native support for various video clients including WebRTC, SIP / H.323, Skype for Business / Lync, and Yorktel-provided apps for desktops / notebooks (Windows, Mac) and mobile devices (ios, Android). The Univago VMR service provides subscribers with virtual Univago Meeting Rooms (dubbed URooms by Yorktel, but called VMRs by the rest of the industry). Univago is a meet-me video calling service in which all participants (users, rooms, etc.) connect to Univago-hosted VMRs. In other words, Univago does not currently support direct (person to person / point to point) calls. The Univago service leverages Pexip technology installed in Equinix data centers in Secaucus NJ, Slough UK, and Singapore and managed by Yorktel. The table below highlights some of Univago s main features and functions. Feature / Function Description The Univago web portal supports two different access levels: User Roles and Types 1. Admin Mode allows system administrators to manage basic settings, and create / modify user accounts and VMR s. 2. User Mode allows subscribed users (a.k.a. meeting hosts) to manage their personal account settings, schedule and/or start video meetings, and join meetings hosted by others. Univago meeting hosts can schedule meetings in several ways: Meeting Scheduling Options - Using the Univago Microsoft Outlook plug-in - Via the Univago web portal Univago also supports non-scheduled (ad-hoc) meetings. Univago supports a wide range of connectivity options including: Connectivity Options - Using a WebRTC compatible web browser (no-plug-in required) - Using any SIP / H323 hardware or software endpoint - Using a Skype for Business / Lync client - Using any standard telephone (PSTN) Multiple VMR s Support for Hybrid Deployments Support for Dedicated Network Links Univago provides each meeting host with a single URoom supporting up to 30 simultaneous participants. Up to two additional URooms may be purchased for each meeting host. Univago customers have the option to install Univago software (a virtual machine running a Univago / Pexip Conferencing Node) within their facility or data network. Univago customers have the option to use a private / dedicated MPLS connection between the Univago cloud service and their corporate WAN Wainhouse Research Page 3

4 System Configuration and Administration To initiate the testing, the WR test team accessed the Univago portal with an Admin user account and stepped through the various admin functions within the Univago portal. Administrator Roles The Univago portal allows for the creation of numerous administrator levels or roles with different privileges (see screenshot on right). For example, one type of admin might be able to only view a list of users, while another admin could edit user accounts. While not strictly necessary for our testing, we created a few admin roles and verified that the roles work as expected. User Management Within the Univago portal, administrators can create additional user accounts by following a very simple process requiring only the entry of the user s name and address (see screenshot). Once a new account has been created, the user receives an (see screenshot) with a validation link Wainhouse Research Page 4

5 Note that the Univago system automatically creates a single URoom (VMR) for each user. Admins can then modify the settings for each VMR, or create additional VMRs (for a monthly fee per VMR) for a particular user, within the portal. Meeting Room / VMR / URoom Management Each meeting host can schedule and host an unlimited number of meetings, each with up to 30 simultaneous participants / connections, within each of his URoom(s). The Univago portal allows admins to manage all VMRs in the organization. In addition, each user can manage his personal VMR(s). Available settings include changing host and participant codes, changing a room s alias, and selecting a room template which includes the maximum number of participants, the maximum call length and bit rate. Our Univago instance included only a single room template, and according to the Univago manual, templates can be modified only by a Yorktel account manager. Billing / Usage Information Within the billing section, admins have access to the following information: - Billing information shows current charges, payment history, billing frequency, etc. - Plan Overview shows the number of VMR and user licenses purchased and used, etc. - Room Templates shows the current settings for VMRs within the user s account - Usage Data allows users to generate / download a CSV file containing usage data (CDR list) for a particular month on a per-vmr and per-user basis Wainhouse Research Page 5

6 Summary While easy to use and entirely functional, the Univago portal as it stands today - offers admins access to a very limited number of settings and functions. For example, admins cannot define system-wide VMR settings (e.g. default connection speeds, on-screen layouts, security settings, etc.), implement custom branding or color schemes. Today, these things are provided by Yorktel as a part of customer account provisioning and onboarding. In addition, the usage reporting engine is extremely basic. Scheduling and Joining Meetings The Univago portal is also a go-to place for meeting hosts to schedule and join meetings. Scheduling a Call Univago meeting hosts can host scheduled or ad-hoc calls. Meeting hosts can schedule calls in two ways; via the Univago portal (see the screenshot below) or using the Univago Outlook plug-in available from the Univago website. Scheduling a meeting via the portal is quick and easy, requiring only the selection of date and time, the entry of a meeting name, and the optional entry of invitee addresses. After the Send button is clicked, the host and all invitees receive an invitation with an.ics attachment (see screenshot on the next page) Wainhouse Research Page 6

7 Scheduling a meeting using the Outlook plug-in is even quicker. One click on the icon and the system automatically inserts detailed meeting information into the meeting invite. Users with more than one URoom can select which room to use for each meeting (see screenshot at right). The calendar invite sent to the invitees (see below) provides instructions for joining the session from Lync / Skype for Business, a SIP / H.323 video system, using an Internet browser, and over the phone. We tested all of the methods for joining a call listed in the calendar invite as follows: The URL for the first option, Join using Microsoft Lync or Skype, actually opens the default SIP client on the user s PC or mobile device. For the majority of Lync / Skype for Business users, this should work fine. The URL for the second option, Join using a SIP or H.323 VC System, should not be a URL at all. The idea is to give the user the dialing string he should enter into his group VC system. Outlook, however, automatically displays any string that looks like a URL as a clickable URL. To be clear, neither of these issues are really Univago issues, and we ve noted the same issues with many other conferencing solutions. The URL for the third option, Join using a Web Browser, works exactly as expected. Note that Univago VMRs are always live and ready for use. Therefore, the concept of scheduling a meeting in the Univago world really means distributing meeting-join-information within a calendar invite for the convenience of the meeting host and invitees Wainhouse Research Page 7

8 The Join a Call / Start Meeting Wizard The Current Meeting page within the portal (see screenshot below) offers meeting hosts guidance and help joining meetings. Unfortunately, this wizard is not available to guests. Joining from a PC Desktop and notebook PC users (Windows or Mac) can participate in Univago meetings in two different ways: using a WebRTC-capable browser, or using the Univago-branded version of the Pexip desktop app. Option 1 = WebRTC-Capable Browser PC users with a WebRTC-capable browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox) installed can join a Univago meeting by clicking on the Join using a Web Browser link in the calendar invite, which opens the user s browser and initiates the join-a-meeting workflow requiring the user to complete the following: - Enter his name - Select the camera and microphone source to use for the session - Enter the conference pin number (either host code or participant code) - Click Connect Option 2 = Univago / Pexip Desktop App For those using a non-webrtc-capable browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.), clicking the Join using a Web Browser link routes the user to a this web browser is not supported page which offers the user the following options: - Join the call using the installed client (Univago / Pexip app) - Install and use a supported WebRTC-capable browser (see Option 1 above) 2016 Wainhouse Research Page 8

9 Hands-On Testing WR tested both of the options above, and we were able to join meetings successfully. However, our testing revealed a handful of minor issues: - Even logged-in meeting hosts have to enter their meeting host ID in order to join a meeting. This is an extra step that should not be necessary. - When joining a meeting using Firefox, the system required us to approve the use of the camera and microphone several times. We d categorize this as an annoying but not critical issue. - When joining a meeting using the Univago / Pexip application on a Mac, clicking the Join the Call button opens the desktop app, but does not automatically connect to the call or populate the meeting URI / dialing string into the app. The user experience participating in Univago meetings from a desktop / notebook was very good, offering high quality video and audio to both browser and Univago app users. Joining from a Mobile Device Mobile users (both meeting hosts and guests) can join Univago meetings in one of two ways; using the Pexip mobile app (available on Google Play or the Apple App Store), or using the Android version of Google Chrome. Option 1 = Pexip Mobile App Both meeting hosts and guests can participate in Univago meetings using the Pexip mobile app. The first time the app is launched, the user is asked to allow the mobile app to access his calendar. If allowed, the Pexip mobile app automatically scrapes the calendar and displays information about each meeting (Univago and non-univago meetings) five minutes before each meeting s scheduled start time. For Univago / Pexip meetings, the entry includes a URI which the user can click on to join the meeting. To participate in ad-hoc meetings, the user can join the meeting by typing (or cutting and pasting) the meeting URI (e.g @univago.com) into the first page of the Pexip mobile app Wainhouse Research Page 9

10 Option 2 = Android Version of Chrome Android users can join meetings quickly and easily by clicking on the Join using a Web Browser link in the meeting invite, which automatically opens the Chrome browser and initiates the join-a-meeting workflow described in the Univago Meetings from a PC section above. To participate in non-scheduled (ad-hoc) meetings, the user can join the meeting by opening the Chrome browser, going to Univago.com, clicking on the Join button, entering the Conference ID, etc. (see the join-a-meeting workflow for WebRTC-capable browsers described above). Hands-On Testing WR tested all of the options above and successfully joined and participated in meetings from both ios and Android devices. In all cases, the meeting experience (audio and video quality) was quite strong. One minor nit during our testing we found that clicking the Join via Browser URL within the meeting invite does not automatically redirect the user to the meeting. Instead, this URL opens the user s web browser, which asks the user to either install or open the Pexip app. Once installed, the user can press the Open button to open the Pexip app, but the meeting URI (e.g @univago.com) does not auto populate within the Pexip app. To join the meeting, the user then has to enter the meeting URI into the Pexip app. We suggest the addition of a Join from a Mobile Device link within the meeting invite. Once clicked, this link should automatically launch the Pexip mobile app and connect the user to the meeting. As it stands today, mobile users have to complete a few extra steps to join a Univago session. Joining from SIP, H.323, and Lync / SfB Univago also supports connections to/from standards-based (SIP, H.323) and Skype for Business / Lync systems and software clients. 1 Dialing-Out from Univago Meetings Meeting hosts can dial-out from Univago meetings to SIP, H.323, and Skype for Business participants in two ways; - From the Current Meetings page on the Univago portal - From within the meeting itself on the WebRTC browser or the Univago / Pexip app. 1 Within this section, Skype for Business is used to mean both Microsoft Skype for Business and Microsoft Lync Wainhouse Research Page 10

11 Dialing-In to Univago Meetings To dial-in to Univago meetings, SIP and Skype for Business systems and users simply dial the meeting URI (e.g. and enter the conference pin code. The meeting URI is available to meeting hosts within the Univago portal, and to all participants within the calendar invite. Although H.323 dial-in connections are supported, the system does not currently show H.323 dial-in information within the portal. Hands-On Testing WR tested all of the connection options above using the following systems installed within our test lab: - Cisco EX90 - Cisco SX80 - Polycom Group Polycom RealPresence Desktop (RPD) - Skype for Business client on a Windows 10 desktop - Lync 2011 client on a Mac OSX (version 10.11) notebook In all cases, the test calls connected as expected and provided our testers with a very strong meeting experience. We specifically appreciate the ability for meeting hosts to dial-out from Univago meetings. This function is typically not available with cloud service offerings. One minor note - although Pexip currently offers 1080p support under what it calls a, technology preview, Yorktel has chosen to delay 1080p support until Pexip offers it as a standard feature. Content Sharing The Univago service supports high quality content sharing between connected users and systems (SIP, H.323, Pexip / Univago clients, Skype for Business, etc.) to the extent supported by each device or software client. For example: - Skype for Business users can share their desktop, and content shared by others is presented to Skype for Business users as it should be, within the content stage. However, since the Skype for Business client does not support sharing a specific application, Univago cannot possibly offer this functionality. - WebRTC-capable browsers (e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.) can natively receive content, but the current WebRTC implementation within these browsers does not support sending content. For this reason, Univago / Pexip offers a browser plug-in to enable this functionality Wainhouse Research Page 11

12 - Mobile (Android, ios) users can receive shared content and share pre-existing content items (e.g. images, documents, video clips, etc. stored on the mobile device). However, mobile users cannot share a specific application or the content on the device s display with other participants. In other words, AirPlay and Mirrorcast content sharing are not supported. To be clear the above limitations are NOT Univago issues. Based on our testing, Univago does a stellar job of leveraging the available content sharing options for each device / client. Additional Interesting Capability Univago allows each participant to enable or disable the audio, video, and/or content streams on each connection. In addition, Univago allows participants to connect multiple times to the same meeting (e.g. once from a group video system, and once using the Pexip / Univago app). Combining these features provides each person with additional control over his screen real estate. For example, a participant in a meeting room could disable content receive on the group video system in the room, and connect with and enable only content receive (disabling audio and video) on his notebook PC. The end-result would be a full-screen view of the far-end participants on the main display, and a full screen view of the shared content on his notebook PC. To be clear while we really appreciate this capability and the fact that Univago makes this Pexippower-feature available to its users, we think the current workflow is too complex for most users. Call Management Capabilities Univago offers meeting hosts two ways to manage calls in progress: - Via the Univago portal (see right screenshot) allows meeting hosts to mute, unmute, and disconnect each user. - Via the Univago meeting UI (e.g. WebRTC browser, Pexip / Univago app, etc.) allows meeting hosts to add new participants, lock the conference, mute all guests or a single participant, and disconnect all or only a single participant. (see left screenshot) In addition, within the meeting UI, all participants can mute their own video and audio, chat with other participants, or disconnect from the meeting Wainhouse Research Page 12

13 Note that the Pexip platform, and thus the Univago service, does not allow each user to choose his onscreen layout. Instead, the system uses a single layout that includes the current speaker in a large window, and either up to 7 additional participants in a single row filmstrip view, or up to 20 additional participants in a three row filmstrip view at the bottom of the screen. Hybrid Deployment and Testing The Univago service is one of only a handful of cloud-based video calling services that support a hybrid deployment including both cloud and customer premise (CPE) elements. In the Univago hybrid deployment, one or more Conference Nodes are installed on virtual machine(s) within the customer s network. These nodes are then connected to the cloud-hosted Univago Management Node and become a virtual extension of the Univago cloud service. Once installed and configured, video calls placed from within the customer s network will automatically be routed to and hosted on a local (meaning on premise) Conference Node. External calls will automatically be routed to the Univago cloud service. When necessary, a multi-stream cascade connection is established between the on premise and cloud nodes to merge the two sessions. The key benefits here include reduced bandwidth requirements because internal calls stay internal, and a superior user experience because the bridging platform is local for internal participants. To allow us to test the hybrid deployment option, Univago provided WR with a pre-configured Conferencing Node.ova file. The installation on our server farm took just a few minutes to complete. We then conducted a series of test calls involving both internal (from within our network) and external participants, and verified that both the on premise and cloud-based Conference Nodes were used to host the meeting. Both the hybrid approach and automatic cascading worked exactly as expected, offering a high quality meeting experience distributed across several servers. This Pexip-feature is clearly an area of strength for Univago Wainhouse Research Page 13

14 Conclusion Based on several weeks of hands-on testing of both the cloud-only and hybrid versions of Univago, we are pleased to say that we like many aspects of this calling service. It s highly reliable, interoperates seamlessly with Skype for Business / Lync, supports WebRTC connections, offers strong content sharing, and provides a consistently good video and audio experience. In addition, we really like the hybrid deployment option and its simplicity, cost, bandwidth, security, and user experience benefits. While a hybrid deployment may be a bit advanced for some organizations today, over time we expect the hybrid approach to become very interesting to many enterprises. Furthermore, Univago s price is quite reasonable (list price starting at $35 / month / user) Univago also offers a concurrent connection model (basically a bridge port in old school terms) starting at $140 / connection / month. Many (but not all) of the features and benefits listed above are the result of Yorktel s use of the fieldproven and powerful Pexip platform to power the Univago service. This approach allows Yorktel to focus on its core value propositions (sales, customer service and support, integration with other platforms and customer workflows, etc.) without the headaches of developing and maintaining a core bridging platform. It also gives Yorktel the ability to create a differentiated offering by wrapping additional features and functions (e.g. scheduling, a user portal, etc.) around the Pexip engine. Our view is that Yorktel made a wise choice partnering with Pexip. However, our testing revealed a number of minor issues and limitations with the Univago service. For example: - The join-a-call workflow for those using the Pexip app is a bit convoluted and should be optimized. - The user, VMR, and admin management features are extremely limited. For example: o o Users cannot change their meeting IDs, create a one-time-only meeting ID, or create their own additional VMRs. The system does not offer a real-time reporting function or a list of calls in progress. In addition, although admins can download usage information, the system does not support configurable date ranges. The limited feature set makes system management relatively simple (which is a good thing), but may not satisfy the needs of some (especially large) organizations. Overall, we think Univago has excellent bones. It has a strong technology core, is backed by a longstanding reputable company (Yorktel) and its 24/7 help desk, and would work nicely as a set it and forget it bridging service for many organizations. It is especially well suited for companies leveraging Skype for Business / Lync and standards-based group video conferencing systems. However, as it stands today, IT managers seeking detailed information and control over their environment may be disappointed by the limited tools available to system admins Wainhouse Research Page 14

15 Contributing Authors / Research Team Ira M. Weinstein is a Senior Analyst & Partner at Wainhouse Research and a 20-year veteran of the conferencing, collaboration and audio-visual industries. Ira has authored and contributed to dozens of articles, white papers, studies, reports, and evaluations on rich media communications, video conferencing, streaming and webcasting, audio-visual design and integration, business strategy, and general business practices. Ira specializes in providing strategic advisory services to vendors, resellers, and end-users within the collaboration space. Ira can be reached at iweinstein@wainhouse.com. Saar Litman is a Senior Researcher & Consultant at Wainhouse Research and has 15 years of experience in the audio-visual and video conferencing industry. Saar s primary focus is the products, services, and companies within the audio-visual space. In addition, Saar provides AV design services, helps enterprise organizations define and implement global AV standard systems and designs, and manages the WR test lab in Coral Springs, Florida. Saar can be reached at slitman@wainhouse.com. Peter Schwarck is a Researcher & Technical Writer at Wainhouse Research. Peter has authored and developed content for private corporations, non-profits, and government organizations. In addition, Peter worked as an educational consultant while writing and developing textbooks and curriculums for foreign companies abroad. Peter can be reached at pschwarck@wainhouse.com. About Wainhouse Research Wainhouse Research, is an independent analyst firm that focuses on critical issues in the Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C). The company conducts multi-client and custom research studies, consults with end users on key implementation issues, publishes white papers and market statistics, and delivers public and private seminars as well as speaker presentations at industry group meetings. About Yorktel (Copy provided by Yorktel) Yorktel is a leading global provider of UC&C, cloud, and video managed services for large enterprise and federal government customers. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in New Jersey, with offices across the US, UK, and France, Yorktel enables customers to successfully integrate video into their operations -- from video conferencing to video event production; on premise or in the cloud. As Commercial Integrator s 2015 Integrator of the Year, Yorktel designs, integrates, and manages enterprise-wide unified communications solutions. For more information, visit Yorktel online at or knowmore@yorktel.com. Follow Yorktel on 2016 Wainhouse Research Page 15