Videoconference Services are made available to members at no cost. Connections to sites outside of the Ohio K-12 Network using ISDN PRI gateway services, satellite uplinks or downlinks, or other additional services may incur charges. Contact the eTech Ohio VNOC if you have questions about connection charges for a specific meeting.

To become a member, eligible applicants must register for eTech Ohio Videoconference Services. Before registering, new applicants are required to have:

• Ohio K-12 Network Video WAN service. Video WAN service is T-1 or ATM T-1 connectivity from the member's site to an Ohio K-12 host provider site. Typically, Ohio's Information Technology Centers (ITC) place orders on behalf of Ohio's K-12 school districts for this service.
  
  
• Video Endpoint Equipment. Videoconference systems may consist of large or small group systems, set-top systems, PC-based systems, or any system that is H.320 (Video Conferencing over ISDN) or H.321 (Video Conferencing over ATM) or H.323 (Video Conferencing over IP) standards compliant.
  
  

Registering for Membership

Step 1 - Site Registration

Once you have Video WAN service and Video Endpoint Equipment, new members must register a new Video Room and Room Contact with the eTech Ohio VNOC. Information required for registration includes:

• Video Room Information (name, address, telephone number, etc.)
• Administrative Information (organization, facility type, room features, fees, etc.)
• Network Information (video system type, static ip address, host service provider)
• Room Contact Information (Video room contact is the person that serves as the primary site contact who approves use of the room, schedules conferences and coordinates arrangements for conferences held at their site).
• Technical Contact Information (The technical contact is the person that provides technical support at the site videoconference system operation and connection to the network. Their primary function would be to provide onsite support in case of technical difficulties connecting to a conference.

Upon review and approval of registration information, a confirmation will be emailed to the Room Contact that includes Video Room Profile information and User Name and Password to access the VC Manager scheduling system.

NOTE: When a new video room is registered, the Room Contacts and Technical Room Contacts automatically receive a VC Manager scheduling account. Others wanting to schedule videoconferences only will need to submit a Request for Scheduling Account Only in the next step.

Registering New Video Rooms and Room Contacts.

Step 2 - Video Room Certification Testing

eTech Ohio recommends that users contact the eTech Ohio VNOC and schedule time to perform a series of test calls between your new video room and the eTech Ohio VNOC bridge. Test calls consist of a series of Dial-In and Dial-Out calls and will include any speeds that are planned for use in future videoconference calls (i.e., 128K, 384K). These tests are done to ensure compatibility between the video room equipment and eTech Ohio video bridges. Proper testing up front increases the success rates of future calls. Same day testing may be available. Upon successful completion of test calls, Video Room Profiles are marked as "Certified" in the VC Manager scheduling system.