Cisco VT Advantage

Cisco Video Telephony (VT) Advantage extends the capability of Cisco IP Phone models 7940, 7941, 7960, 7961, 7970, and 7971 to include video telephony functionality. Cisco VT Advantage is a desktop video application for the PC that is co-located with a supported Cisco IP Phone model. VT Advantage enables you to use your PC to display the video. As you interface normally with your IP phone, the application is notified and sends (if your PC is equipped with a Cisco VT Camera) and receives video if both you and the other party in the call are video-enabled. With Cisco VT Advantage, video is as easy as making a phone call. To be able to send video from Cisco VT Advantage on your PC, you need a Cisco VT Camera. For added security, Cisco IP Phones only communicate with Cisco VT Advantage running on a PC that is co-located and connected through the PC port on the phone. Figure 3-13 shows the Cisco VT Advantage.

Figure 3-13. Cisco VT Advantage

Cisco VT Advantage automatically establishes a video stream during a basic call to or from another video-enabled device, which could be another Cisco IP Phone with Cisco VT Advantage, an H.263-enabled endpoint, or an H.323 terminal, including most H.323 conferencing MCUs. VT Advantage is notified of the call activity and automatically establishes the video and pops up a window on your PC when video is established. The video stream is activated when the audio stream is active. If the audio stream is stopped while initiating a hold, transfer, or conference operation, the video stream stops as well. The video functionality mirrors the audio functionality. If you initiate a consultation transfer and the current call is placed on hold while you establish a call with the target of the transfer, if so equipped, a video connection is established during the consultation transfer, just like the audio. Bandwidth controls have been expanded to cover video, and Cisco VT Advantage is regulated by the bandwidth restrictions you configure. Cisco VT Advantage provides icons to give you visual state information to indicate Idle, Connected, Video Muted, or No IP Phone, and you can configure Cisco VT Advantage so that you are prompted before a video call connects.