EUR-OCEANS Web Conference tool An efficient way to

EUR-OCEANS Web Conference tool An efficient way to broadcast lectures online and interact with a wider global audience CO 2 Think carbon footprint reduction! Think money saving! $ £ €

IMBER used the Web broadcast tool twice: 1) CLIMECO, a training for young scientists April 2008, Brest, France Broadcast led by EUR-OCEANS staff with “EUR-OCEANS Web. Conference tool” Doubled our audience to the lectures 2) E 2 E Eco. Model Summer School August 2008, Ankara, Turkey Broadcast led by local organizers with a tool developed by METU

What is EUR-OCEANS Web broadcast tool? • “Web conference tool” was develop by the EUROCEANS communication team • Gives the ability to stream live video of meetings, conferences, lectures etc…. • A worldwide audience can follow the talk from home and interact through a Q & A session • Possibility to use it on all platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS …). All it takes is a computer, a camera, a microphone and an internet connection.

What it looks like? presentation Q&A window Video window: Lecturer talking http: //www. eur-oceans. info/live/player. php

How it works? Broadcaster Lecturer and local audience Local network Internet Flash streaming server Viewers around the world

Solutions and Costs Option 1: EUR-OCEANS webconference tool as used during CLIMECO. Provides: • Capacity for web meetings: 10 platforms max • Capacity for summer schools: 150 connections, Q&A system, recording of lectures still in development Pros: cheap when split between EUROCEANS and IMBER; The IT guy from IUEM continues development Cons: no professional technical support; service is as good as the user IPO must be trained Cost for 2009: 1728€ VAT included Equipment: a microphone, a webcam, a decent laptop over 1000€

Solutions and Costs Option 2: An alternative Web conference tool, provided at IUEM, proposed by the developers and by Oceanopolis Provides: • Capacity for web meetings: 10 platforms max • Capacity for summer schools: Q&A system, recording done by user, 2 -150 connections Pros: full technical support Cons: cheap for Web meetings, but limited summer school capacity; expensive to have both! Cost for 2009: - 2 to 20 connections = 866€ VAT included + 0. 36€ per user per min (120 min meeting of 10 platforms = 400€ plus the monthly charge!) - 21 to 150 connections = 3500€ per year Equipment: a microphone, a webcam, a decent laptop over 1000€

Solutions and Costs Option 3: Professional sound & image for Summer Schools or Conferences Option as you see AAAS and AGU do all the time, example at http: //webtv. illipack. com/ Provides: • No web meetings capacity • Capacity for summer schools: full service, 150 connections, re-transmission Pros: full service provided, re-transmission of summer schools, optimal quality and back-up Cons: high price! (CLIMECO would have cost 10 000€) Cost PER DAY: 2000€ VAT not included for a professional staff of 5 -6

Pros Cons Increases the audience for free Quality depends on the internet connection Facilitates participation of scientists from developing countries Quality depends on the material Decreases the travel costs Ex: good for an Exec Meeting Decreases the Carbon footprint Quality depends on technical support: service is as good as the user Requires a full time person during the meeting, dedicated to this duty. Simple material required: a The user must have good computer, a good webcam, a micro, technical knowledge of the tool an internet connection Cheap …. …or expensive, depending on the chosen option

IMBER would like to use this system (or a comparable system) for next training activities or conferences. but there is an associated cost and technical constrains! QUESTIONS FROM IMBER Did the other projects use this kind of tools? Experience from every projects? Is there a sustainable need from each project?

If there is a need, maybe SCOR could: 1) bring a financial contribution 2) or 3) 2) develop a tool or work with a company ( as SCOR did with Conf Manager for meeting organization).

Other slides if needed: Technical aspect

Technical Aspect System based on “The Flash Streaming” The main advantage is the possibility to use it on all platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS …). Moreover it is less expensive than video conference systems requiring the renting of a RTC line and specialized material. Indeed, an Internet connection, a webcam and a microphone plugged on the computer are only needed.

The three components The system is composed of three inter-dependant components: The Broadcaster is responsible for creating and producing the content to be broadcast over the internet, audio and/or video and making it available to the content distributor. Generally through an Encoder and broadband connection to the distributor network. The Content Distributor (server) is responsible for accessing your broadcast, and delivering it effectively to your audience. The purpose of any internet broadcast is to deliver the best possible experience to an audience, and to make it as easy as possible for them to view a broadcast. All a viewer (or listener) needs to do is click on a hyperlink in a website, or in an email, to automatically begin receiving the broadcaster's stream (through the distributor). The viewer will need to have an internet connection with enough bandwidth to receive the data at the same rate you are broadcasting at, and have a player installed that is able to play the broadcast.

The broadcaster view

Technical features for an optimal broadcast -Internet connection: 256 kb upload and 512 kb download - Equipment: Computer : 1 Pentium 4, 500 Mb RAM, Windows XP (for the Encoder or the Player) 1 Centrino, 1 G RAM, Windows XM (for the broadcaster) Webcam with high quality image: minimum price ~70 € Unidirectional Microphone -Service of a flash streaming server (2 solutions): Limited number of connections and high pass band (in our case, 150 simultaneous connections and 3 Gb total pass band cost 150€ per month including all the pass band used by the broadcaster, and the viewers). or Limited pass band for a unlimited number of connections.

How it works Control room