Video Communications

Network Video Solutions for the U.S. Federal Government

As a result of the increasing global need for real-time collaboration to support a wide variety of mission-critical and routine business activities, the U.S. Federal Government is increasing its use of video solutions to support missions around the globe. These solutions not only enable more effective meetings and expedite decision-making, but also reduce travel costs, and save time and money.

While traditional video solutions relied on proprietary, analog-based platforms, today’s modern network video solutions are IP-based and increasingly integrated with the information technology infrastructure of U.S. Federal Government agencies. This makes the evolution to next generation network video solutions a complex undertaking, requiring a highly trained staff, extensive network experience, and a comprehensive knowledge of current and emerging technologies.

It is critical for Federal agencies to select network video solutions that can technically address their video requirements. They need a reliable, “always-on” solution that can handle many high-quality video streams and accommodate the convergence of video, voice, and data traffic. The network architecture must be capable of handling future growth, including significant increases in bandwidth

Transforming U.S. Federal Government Communications

The convergence of data, voice, and video technologies is transforming the way Federal government agencies communicate. The development of future network video solutions is closely linked to the burgeoning growth in multimedia content, with video being the most significant element. Transporting huge volumes of video data, whether streamed peer-to-peer or downloaded for later viewing, is placing enormous capacity demands on networks.

Network video solutions help the U.S. Federal Government make mission-critical, remote communications timelier and more cost-effective. In addition, to address the high turnover rate among U.S. Federal Government employees, agencies are increasing their use of secure video teleconferencing solutions to provide important benefits to employees such as flexibility and telework options. These kind of solutions and corresponding job benefits not only keep aging government employees working, but also attract the best new talent into public service.

From the largest auditoriums and campus-wide networks to executive boardrooms and the smallest portable systems, network video solutions can boost productivity and, given today’s budget constraints, provide an excellent alternative to costly travel. 

LGS Innovations: Your Trusted Partner

LGS Innovations has consistently delivered innovation, quality, and technical excellence with secure, reliable, standards-based network video solutions for the U.S. Federal Government. Providing a full portfolio of video solutions and services, LGS Innovations helps its customers simplify management of video networks, from planning and design to implementation and operation.

As a video systems and solutions integrator, LGS Innovations is vendor-independent, maintaining strategic relationships with the leading video technology companies including TANDBERG, Polycom, and AMX. This access to all the new technologies, coupled with our extensive experience with multi-vendor environments, enables LGS Innovations to select the right combination of hardware, software, and services to meet U.S. Federal Government mission requirements. LGS Innovations engineers maintain multiple vendor and industry certifications, including the InfoComm Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) and certifications from TANDBERG, Polycom, AMX, and Crestron. LGS Innovations is a TANDBERG Premier Partner and a Polycom Federal Certified Partner. 

Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)-Approved Solutions

LGS Innovations has developed a DISA-approved hardware and software solution for secure video teleconferencing systems operating on the DVS-II network. This system allows the user to switch between networks from a centralized control panel using a sequenced checklist, enabling VTC systems to be utilized in both secure and non-secure modes without compromising the integrity of the secure network. This system has been tested by the DISN Video Services Lab and approved for use in VTC systems on the DVS-II network.

Key system features:

• Reduces human risk factor of security breach between secure/non-secure conferences
• Allows connectivity and functionality of multiple network types, including IP, ISDN, and Peripheral
• Approved Ethernet A/B switch for switching between Classified and Unclassified networks on a single CODEC solution, allowing remote sanitization of the CODEC
• External indicators of secure/non-secure status via an AMX control system
• User-friendly AMX control solution with on-screen sequenced instructions
• AMX controller allows CODEC access through password protection

Global Expertise and Experience

LGS Innovations consistently delivers superior designs and implementations using our Network Engagement Methodology (NEM), a process-oriented approach of best practices developed over thousands of network engagements. Our engineers have immediate online access to the tools, templates, and library of solutions that have worked best for similar projects.

In addition to extensive technical qualifications, the LGS Innovations video network solutions experts maintain the ability to operate in secure, restricted environments. Our consultants and engineers have unsurpassed skills and experience in video conferencing design and implementation, network configuration, software engineering, room design, and physical construction. Our expertise extends to more than 100 different components from a wide variety of vendors, enabling you to have a video solution with the functionality you need for your agency. Together our skills and technical knowledge provide everything needed to deploy and operate your system in virtually any environment.

Proven Expertise: Secure Video Teleconferencing, IPTV Solutions and More

28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard

LGS Innovations conducted a secure video teleconferencing upgrade project for the 28^th Infantry Division. The Video Teleconferencing (VTC) facility serves as a communications hub for command and control meetings as well as ongoing training initiatives with other units throughout the state of Pennsylvania and across the country.

The existing video facility was upgraded by LGS Innovations to provide better screen resolution, sound quality, and new monitors to give users the ability to view simultaneous video streams. The customer provided a Tandberg MXP 770 video teleconferencing unit, which is mainly used for monitor-top mounting and small group viewing. LGS Innovations integrated the system and made it into a projector-based conferencing unit that can handle larger numbers of participants and still provide quality audio and video.

Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Tier 3 VTC Laboratory

LGS Innovations worked with the DISA to create a VTC laboratory that includes a large conference room/classroom, a server room, and several adjacent small conference rooms. The purpose of this facility is to provide a place where most of the configurations for secure VTC systems that DISA supports worldwide can be replicated and used in a learning environment. The server room has a Polycom MGC 100, an Adtran ATLAS 890, multiple KIV-19s and KIV-7s, dial isolators, and fiber VTC extenders, all connected via patch panels and automatic switching. This room supports multiple VTC systems located throughout the suite connected by fiber to the server room, including Polycom VSX 8000 and VSX 7000, TANDBERG MXP codecs, and Polycom, TANDBERG and Sony IP codecs. Multiple network configurations are available, including commercial and DSN, ISDN PRI and BRI, and IP. In addition, commonly used conference room systems such as acoustic echo cancellers, control systems, touch panels and various peripherals are installed and available for use in this facility. 

U.S. Army

LGS Innovations was contracted by the U.S. Army to upgrade three existing VTC rooms, design and install a new room, and create a Video Operations Center (VOC) where all equipment for the four VTC facilities is collocated. From the VOC, a single operator is able to monitor and control four simultaneous conferences. The solution from LGS Innovations provided separate secure and non-secure video and audio communication links from each VTC room to the VOC, utilizing eight pair of existing dark fiber between the buildings. The solution also provided ISDN and T1 connectivity, and utilized LGS Innovations’ proprietary software on the AMX touch panel control system to provide room control and VTC session control on a single panel. After the system was installed and operational, LGS Innovations provided staffing to operate the system and provide training to Army personnel.

In another notable project, LGS Innovations worked with the U.S. Army to create a state-of-the-art, top-secret command and control facility capable of handling multiple networks with different levels of classification. The facility includes two large “Infinitely Expandable” multi-PDP video walls driven by large matrix switches. The system was designed to locate all soldier workstations in a central server room, and extend network and control of all classifications to the seats. There are also three conference rooms, five IP VTC systems, and multiple AV devices such as cable TV, DVDs and DVRs. A multiple-zoned audio system distributes sound from the various sources throughout the facility with local control of source and volume for each zone. Any of the facility’s 90-plus Sun or Window PCs can be displayed anywhere within the facility, under control of a unified AMX NetLinx control system featuring five separate touch panels. 

Redstone Arsenal

LGS Innovations conducted a video conference upgrade project for Redstone Arsenal, home to the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), the Space and Missile Defense Command, numerous Program Executive Offices (PEOs), and major components of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Missile Defense Agency.

The project involved upgrading a video room that serves as a central operations center for AMCOM’s conferencing capabilities. The central facility staff is actively engaged in video conferencing, with as many as 25 sites from around the world. LGS Innovations worked with the customer to create a flexible, touch screen central system that allowed Redstone Arsenal to control all elements of the video teleconference; the projection screens and other multimedia equipment could also be used for internal briefings.

The Redstone Arsenal system was upgraded to accommodate the upcoming transition to the new LGS Innovations video teleconferencing system (VTC) operating on the DVS-II network and approved by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). This system allows the user to switch between networks from a centralized control panel using a sequenced checklist, enabling VTC systems to be utilized in both secure and non-secure modes without compromising the integrity of the secure network. This system has been tested by the DISN Video Services Lab and approved for use in VTC systems on the DVS-II network.

Rock Island Arsenal Global Logistics Information Center

LGS Innovations delivered a high-visibility installation for the Global Logistics Information Center at Rock Island Arsenal, IL. The installation consisted of a secure VTC studio, a secure multipoint video bridge with the capability of adding voice-only participants via secure telephone, and a multimedia system for the operation center.

The videoconferencing studio was designed by LGS Innovations to permit displaying the seven theater commanders simultaneously on one monitor while the current speaker is also seen full-screen on a separate display. In the adjacent operation center, LGS Innovations installed a multimedia display and distribution system allowing video from any of 31 PCs as well as VCR/DVD and TV signals to be displayed on any or all of seven large screen displays.

LGS Innovations’ integration of the operation center with the secure video teleconferencing system provides the commanding general and the theater commanders with real-time data access. By routing video from the operation center to the videoconference studio, the commanding general and theater commanders can receive the data as it arrives.

U.S. Air Force

IPTV Solutions for Air Mobility Command (AMC)

LGS Innovations deployed a full turnkey IPTV solution for Air Mobility Command (AMC). The deployment was initially at the 12 AMC bases throughout the U.S.; Little Rock was added in 2008 when it transferred to become an AMC base. In this deployment, the Air Force provided the video content through a service provider, and desired a more flexible system to more cost-effectively handle user growth. They required distribution of eight video channels consisting of two local channels, the Weather Channel, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, the Pentagon channel, and a Base Commander access channel. Two portable encoders were included in the solution design for specialized live feeds.

The deployment design at the video head-end consisted of less than one rack of equipment. In addition to the encoders and servers for distribution of the program schedule and user authentication, a battery plant was included to ensure a high level of up-time for the configuration. LGS Innovations performed integration services at its Greensboro, NC office to mount, connect, configure, and test the equipment prior to shipping to each of the AMC bases.

One of the more compelling reasons that AMC adopted this IPTV solution for their video content delivery was the considerable cost savings. AMC’s analysis showed an annual savings of $1.8 million over their conventional cable TV design. This savings was based on current user load, and projected savings was projected to be even greater with envisioned user growth.

LGS Innovations was also awarded a maintenance support contract for AMC, and maintains a call center that is available for the customer to use as needed.

U.S. Naval Supply Command VTC Maintenance

LGS Innovations provides maintenance services and technical support for 41 VTC Community of Interest (COI) sites. Requirements include the operation and maintenance of a Maintenance and Technical Assistance Center that is responsible for overall coordination and management of all VTC maintenance services; on-site preventative and corrective maintenance of Customer Provided Equipment (CPE), including minor, routine and emergency repairs; and furnishing all personnel, materials, facilities, and services required to provide video maintenance and technical services. 

Specific tasks include:

• Staffing and operation of a Maintenance and Technical Assistance Center, including a helpdesk
• On-site preventative and corrective maintenance of CPE, including minor, routine, and emergency repairs
• Coordination of contractor’s repair process with the repair process of other customer-specified contractors
• Technical assistance to maintain integrity of all VTC CPE systems when the government adds or deletes GFE or modifies a VTC system
• Equipment spares
• Support for special project VTC requirements
• Identifying and proposing technical enhancements to VTC maintenance services and systems
• Providing periodic system maintenance reports to the customer and, as required, system information documentation for each specific system and network.