Videoconferencing Booking Service
Contact JVCS : +44(0)131 650 4933
The Booking Service provides a number of facilities through a web based user interface that enables registered schools, colleges, universities, research organisations and content providers to arrange and manage videoconferences (VCs).
It allows conference bookers to:
- launch a videoconference (VC) immediately;
- book a VC in the future;
- make recurring bookings of a meeting, e.g. book all staff meetings each Monday for 20 weeks;
- arrange conferences between IP and ISDN endpoints;
- have the meeting in Standard or High Definition (if their equipment is capable);
- add frequently booked venues to a Favourites List;
- bring unregistered organisations (national & international) into a VC as a Guest (see below);
- manage a VC before and during the session;
- record a videoconference (see Videoconference Recording).
How to Register
To begin using the Booking Service, the first step is for an organisation to Register itself (schools may need to have their LA/RBC register them), it's endpoints and who their organisational administrator(s) will be for the service. Note, when an endpoint has been added to the Booking Service it is then called a venue.
Once registered, an organisation must schedule a QA (Quality Assurance) test for each of their venues with the JVCS Operators to ensure the equipment is capable of meeting quality requirements for a videoconference. Please see the Quality Assurance (QA) Testing link above for further details.
For an organisation to allow it's users access to the Booking Service, their users must Register themselves and associate (choose the venue they are most likely to use for videoconferencing) themselves with a venue in their organisation. After completing and submitting the registration form, their organisational administrator receives an email asking to authorise the request. Once a request has been authorised or rejected the user will be notified by email of the outcome.
If a venue has not been added to the Booking Service, users need to contact their relevant organisational administrator (or LA/RBC) to request that the venue be registered.
Please see our flash movies on Registering a User and Adding a New Venue for more information.
Booking or Launching a Videoconference
When using the Booking Service to book or launch a conference there is information the conference booker needs to know in advance. A Quick Guide is available with helpful checklists to ensure all of the necessary information is gathered prior to arranging a session.
More extensive on-line help is available within the Booking Service itself or user and administrator guides can found in our Admin & Policies section.
For more information also see the flash movie on how to Book a VC.
Videoconference Management
Management of a videoconference may greatly improve the quality of the attendees' experience. The Booking Service offers a number of features for managing a VC depending on whether the session has started or not. When launching or booking a videoconference VC bookers are able to:
- change from continuous presence to Lecture mode
- choose the screen layout based on number of participants
- enable H.239 data sharing to share a laptop, desktop or document camera
- set the network speed (rate) for each venue
- choose to record the conference (see Videoconference Recording)
During a live videoconference a the VC booker may choose to manage the conference themselves or allocate the job to another user at another venue. Whoever is monitoring the session is able to:
- change screen layout based on number of participants
- mute venues
- add venues
- drop venues, e.g. if there are issues with the endpoint and it is disrupting the session
Guest Organisations
Organisations not eligible to register with the Booking Service, e.g. international schools, may be brought into a videoconference by adding them in as a Guest. Those who are eligible to register should do so as they may not be brought into videoconferences as a 'Repeat Guest'*.
*A Repeat Guest is defined as the same unregistered endpoint that is included in any booking more than 6 times within an academic year (September 1st to August 31st).