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Frequently Asked Questions

  Who needs an upgrade?
  Why is the upgrade necessary?
  What will be the cost of this upgrade?
  Is there grant funding available to do the upgrades?
  Who are the approved Vendors?
  What can I expect in terms of contact with approved Vendors?
  What work can I expect to be done at my site as a result of this upgrade?
  How much time will be needed to perform the upgrade at the district building site?
  What issues could cause my scheduled installation date to change?
  Was the VTEL Vista Pro tested as part of the upgrade?
  As stated, IVDL and Telecommunity sites have been awarded a maximum amount of $1,200 per videoconfer
  Can ONEnet grant funding be used to pay for the upgrades, replacement wiring, or circuit testing?
  What do I need to do to begin the work at my site?
  What responsibilities does my IVDL and/or Telecommunity site assume in the project?
  What is the deadline for completing the upgrades?


Who needs an upgrade?     Top
It is recommended that K-12 districts that have or are currently participating in an IVDL and/or Telecommunity grant and have purchased an ATM-based videoconference system with grant funds participate in the upgrade. It is further recommended that all other ONEnet Ohio video network customers that have ATM-based videoconference systems in their building participate in the upgrade.
Why is the upgrade necessary?     Top
The purpose of the upgrade is to implement ONEnet network configurations identified in the "ONEnet Ohio Network Guidelines for Successful Video Conferencing" report - PDF. The report is a result of extensive prototyping and overall network testing performed at a number of ATM Host Providers and a subset of K-12 customers who participated in implementing and validating these configurations in live network tests involving Cisco, Marconi and FVC ATM Switches and VTEL and Zydacron Video Conference endpoints. The recommendations in this report are based on the goal of a long-term solution that will result in stable and reliable videoconferencing, extending the life of the systems involved and protecting the customer investments. While these recommendations may not be appropriate in every situation, they cover the vast majority of topologies currently deployed on the network.
What will be the cost of this upgrade?     Top
Implementing the Required Minimum Services - PDF will cost approximately $1,200 per videoconference system. In addition to the Required Minimum Services, sites may elect to perform the following approved Additional Services - PDF through special pricing provided by an approved Vendor, providing that the site agrees to assume any additional costs to implement one of these options:
  1. Repair and/or replacement of defective Cabling, Grounding and Power Components;
  2. Hardware upgrade to existing Videoconference system; and
  3. Hardware exchange of existing Videoconference system.
Is there grant funding available to do the upgrades?     Top
All IVDL and Telecommunity sites were eligible to apply for funding to perform the upgrade. Approximately 780 IVDL and Telecommunity sites have been awarded a maximum amount of $1,200 per videoconference system in order to implement the Required Minimum Services - PDF. These sites may elect to apply their $1,200 award towards performing the Additional Services - PDF providing that the site agrees to assume any additional costs to implement one of the options. The application period for additional upgrade funding is closed at this time. A list of eligible IVDL and Telecommunity - PDF sites can be found in the Distance Learning Video Upgrade document library on the Ohio SchoolNet website.

NOTE: IVDL and Telecommunity upgrade grant awards cannot be used to purchase any other types of Vendor promotions outside of those cited in the Required Minimum or Additional Services pricing matrix.
Who are the approved Vendors?     Top
DataServ Inc., SBC, and TSI, Inc. - PDF, have been selected as the approved Vendors for implementing upgrades at the district building site
What can I expect in terms of contact with approved Vendors?     Top
After submitting the Vendor Selection Form and issuing Purchase Orders to your selected Vendor, the Vendor is required to conduct the following assessment prior to beginning the work:
  • Verification of videoconference system model and serial number;
  • Explanation of Required and/or Additional Services;
  • Confirm customer selection of desired services
  • Confirm site license for Microsoft Office 2000 for customers requiring re-installation of this application;
  • Explanation of vendor expectations;
  • Explanation of customer expectations; and
  • Scheduling of installation date.
What work can I expect to be done at my site as a result of this upgrade?     Top
The following Required Minimum Services will be performed by an approved Vendor at each district building site where the videoconference system is located:
  • Software upgrade and configuration of videoconference system and ATM NIC Card. Software upgrade will include re-installation of Microsoft Office 2000 on customer videoconference systems. Customer must provide an authorized licensed copy and product key for this application prior to installation.
  • Software upgrade and configuration of ATM Edge Switch;
  • Inspection and testing of physical cabling requirements of WAN/LAN connections;
  • Inspection and testing of grounding requirements of network components;
  • Inspection and testing of power requirements of network components;
  • Perform network certification test calls; and
  • Provide installation documentation, customer review and sign off.
How much time will be needed to perform the upgrade at the district building site?     Top
It is estimated that the approved Vendor will have technicians on-site for one day. In some instances, it may require technicians to make additional visits.
What issues could cause my scheduled installation date to change?     Top
Core network configurations to ATM Switches and testing of T1 circuits must be completed at your ATM Host Provider site before implementation can begin at your site. Issues that cannot be resolved prior to your scheduled installation schedule may require a revised installation date.
Was the VTEL Vista Pro tested as part of the upgrade?     Top
Ohio SchoolNet, in cooperation with VTEL Corporation, independently conducted tests for Vista products. In fact, the consulting engineer of the ?ONEnet Ohio Network Guidelines for Successful Video Conferencing? - PDF report participated in the Vista tests. While it is clear from the engineer's recommendations in the report that additional Vista testing should be conducted, we have concluded that the new Vista product exchange provided in the IVDL upgrade program addresses performance issues prevalent in older systems and is a viable option for school districts to consider.
As stated, IVDL and Telecommunity sites have been awarded a maximum amount of $1,200 per videoconfer     Top
For purposes of awarding IVDL and Telecommunity upgrade funds, a system was defined by its method of connection. A system qualified for funding if it connects to the network with an internal FVC VC-NIC ATM card that resides in the videoconference system or connects to the network via an FVC V-Room ATM card that resides in the ATM switch.
Can ONEnet grant funding be used to pay for the upgrades, replacement wiring, or circuit testing?     Top
ONEnet funds can only be used for this purpose after the connectivity requirements of ONEnet have been fulfilled. In other words, if a district or building has paid for their T1 or greater connectivity, and there are still remaining funds available, then yes, they may use these funds to offset the cost of completing the video network upgrade.
What do I need to do to begin the work at my site?     Top
In order to begin implementation, eligible IVDL and Telecommunity sites must complete a Vendor Selection Form and submit it to Ohio SchoolNet no later than Friday, September 26, 2003. Eligible IVDL sites have already received their $1,200 per videoconference system award and are responsible for issuing a district Purchase Order directly to their selected Vendor. Ohio SchoolNet will act as purchasing agent for all eligible Telecommunity sites and upon submission of their Vendor Selection Form Ohio SchoolNet will issue a Purchase Order to their selected Vendor. IVDL and Telecommunity sites eligible for funding will be solely responsible for assuming any additional costs above the $1,200 grant provided by Ohio SchoolNet.
What responsibilities does my IVDL and/or Telecommunity site assume in the project?     Top
IVDL and Telecommunity sites participating in the upgrade are responsible for the following:
  • The school district shall provide a building contact for access to the building during normal business hours and after hours work, if required. Normal work hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday;
  • The school district requiring reinstallation Microsoft Office 2000 must provide an authorized licensed copy of the application to the Vendor prior to installation;
  • The school district shall supply a secured area to warehouse the material required to complete the project.
  • The school district shall provide advance notification of any unique requirements, known hazardous locations, security precautions, access restrictions or other extraordinary conditions that may exist and which may affect execution of the project;
  • School districts will be solely responsible for assuming any additional costs above the $1,200 grant provided by Ohio SchoolNet.
  • School districts assume all additional costs to repair and/or replace defective Cabling, Grounding and Power Components identified through inspection and testing. School districts choosing not to repair and/or replace defective items identified through inspection and testing expressly assume all risks which may result in the failure of some certification tests or impair the quality of the videoconference calls. In addition, districts choosing not to repair and/or replace defective items identified through inspection and testing are obligated to pay approved vendor for services performed; and
  • Core network configurations to ATM Switches and testing of T1 circuits must be completed at your ATM Host Provider site before implementation can begin at your site. Issues that cannot be resolved prior to your scheduled installation schedule may require a revised installation date.
What is the deadline for completing the upgrades?     Top
We anticipate that all IVDL and Telecommunity sites will have completed the upgrade by Wednesday, June 30, 2004.

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