Here are 10 tips network managers should follow for a successful video deployment.
1: Use network monitoring tools to discover the extent of existing video traffic on the network.
2: Develop a corporate policy that spells out what users can and can't do with video applications.
3: Assign a priority level to video applications.
4: Increase LAN bandwidth to Gigabit Ethernet with 10-Gig uplinks.
5: Make sure the company Internet connection is not a bottleneck.
6: Use content filters to weed out applications that aren't mission critical and access to Web sites that aren't approved..
7: Deploy traffic-shaping and QoS tools to compress, cache and prioritize traffic.
8: Think about using a content-delivery network and multicast technology to deliver video more efficiently.
9: Pay attention to storage. It's necessary to store and retrieve videos.
10: Don't neglect security. Video traffic is yet another data stream that can open a company to vulnerabilities if its devices aren't configured and patched properly.