BEFORE MAKING RESERVATIONS OR A PURCHASING DECISION,  FOLLOW THE QUESTIONS LISTED BELOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE... 

Q. What kind of application will the bridging be used for?

       For instance if your application is distance learning,  many users purchase a bridge due to large amounts of hours needed. This option can be a good choice if a person is assigned to the project as bridge administrator. A bridge administrator can be a full time job depending on the amount of hours that are needed.  Remember the person selected as bridge administrator needs to be technical with aspects of bridging as well as the video codecs connecting to the bridge. The other option to owning, maintaining, and operating a bridge is the use of a bridging provider such as Expedite. Various options and custom configurations are available for bridging through Expedite.

Q. Who are my endpoints?

                     When planning your future with bridging it is a good idea to map out sites that will be connecting to you. By mapping out a site plan you can determine the amount of ports needed, bandwidth needed, or extra pieces of equipment necessary. Over looking the endpoints for your bridge can be disastrous. For example, purchasing a bridge with no port expandability and not being able to have all sites needed participate in a conference. 

Q. How to plan for future growth?

     Planning for future growth can save many headaches and financial stress later. Establishing what you currently would like to do as well as leaving such factors as how much bandwidth you have now and how much you will need in the future can help in planning. We are not able to predict the future, but spotting trends as well as a three year plan can make for a safe future. Identify that what you have now still should be usable through upgrades for at least three years. By using this plan you can probably get three to six good years out of your bridge. After six years you may still be able to use your bridge, upgrade it, or possible purchase a new one. Expedite offers Technology protection for its bridges as well as leases and trade in options.

Q. How should I plan a budget for bridging?

              After you have decided on using bridging the need to decide on whether to buy or use a bridging service comes into play. If you elect to buy, bridges on average range between fifty to three hundred thousand dollars. Once a price for the bridge has been established a service plan and installation of the bridge should also be counted in. Providing lines and wiring for the bridge should come next, remember to try and calculate how much line usage you will have. An important factor often forgotten is the person/people needed to run the bridge and the dollar amount associated with personnel. If you elect to use a bridge provider try and calculate the cost of your average call. Once you have an idea of cost for your call, average it into your budget for the year, this is a common formula for budgeting bridge calls.

Q. What about the Latest features?

                                        Using videoconferencing's latest features make your bridge call better. Be aware some features that may be possible in point to point calls may not function during a bridge call. If you own your bridge an annual check-up of new software and features can greatly improve your conferences as well as keep your bridge in "like new" status. An advantage to using a bridge service is the saving of having to constantly check and upgrade your bridge. 

For more information on Bridging or to get started call:

1-888-YES-VIDEO

or e-mail us at:

Bridging@expeditevcs.com

                           * Please Note that if you do not see a Category or Product you are looking for please contact us at 1-888-YES-VIDEO or E-mail bridging@expeditevcs.com*