Using TelePresence at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This document outlines the various ways to use TelePresence at Minnesota State University, Mankato, as well as critical information for setting up and supporting TelePresence.

Questions related to the use of TelePresence

1. Is high-quality video important?
2. Is your meeting going to be held synchronously?
3. Are you trying to create a sense of “being all together” for people in two or more distinct locations?
4. Will you try to engage both sides of the meeting in a dialogue?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then TelePresence may be a good solution.

Scheduling a TelePresence Connection between MSU, Mankato and 7700 France in Edina

TelePresence rooms are scheduled differently based on a) which room needs to be scheduled, and b) the use of the room (academic or administrative). The scheduling protocols for each room are identified below.

Wissink Hall, room 116 and room 117

For academic uses of these rooms, please schedule through the Registrar’s Office through Course Input, https://secure.mnsu.edu/courseinput, or by contacting Karen Fluegge, karen.fluegge@mnsu.edu, 507-389-6303 or Erica Johnson, erica.johnson@mnsu.edu, 507-389-5254.

For administrative uses of these rooms, please refer to the University Scheduling web page at http://www.mnsu.edu/scheduling or by e-mail at university.scheduling@mnsu.edu or 507-389-2223.

Contact Ruth Gregory, ruth.gregory@mnsu.edu, 507-389-8888 in Edina to reserve a room there.

If you aren’t sure if your need is academic or if it is administrative, contact University Scheduling.

ML 94B

To schedule ML 94B please contact Mary Van Duynhoven in the Faculty Resource Center, mary.van-duynhoven@mnsu.edu, 507-389-5899.

MH 215

To schedule MH 215  contact Renee Grams in the Dean’s Office in the College of Business.  507-389-5419.  renee.grams@mnsu.edu

To schedule a TelePresence room in Edina, contact Ruth Gregory at 507-389-8888. ruth.gregory@mnsu.edu.

The TelePresence rooms on our campuses are:

1. Mankato campus:

1. Wissink Hall, room 116, seats 30, priority for academic uses
2. Wissink Hall, room 117, seats 10, priority for academic uses
3. Memorial Library, room 94B seats 10, priority for administrative uses
4. Morris Hall, room 215, seats 10, priority for College of Business

2. Edina campus, 7700 France Ave.:

1. Room 345, seats 30, priority for academic uses
2. Room 307, seats 10, priority for academic uses
3. Two “personal” TelePresence units, priority for administrative uses

Ways to Use TelePresence

There are a number of strategies for using TelePresence . Some supporting documents can be found below.

• 10 strategies document

Ways to Connect Via TelePresence

There are two main ways to connect via TelePresence -- direct MSU system to MSU system, or through the Minnesota Learning Network bridge. The details of each of these types of options are outlined below.

1. Direct MSU System to MSU System: The easiest way to use TelePresence is to go from a pre-established TelePresence room or system at MSU to another pre-established TelePresence room or system that is also within MSU. These systems have been pre-configured to connect to one another with an interface that is as easy to use as making a standard telephone call.

        Training for this type of connection can be found at http://link.mnsu.edu/MSUTelePresencetraining1 *NOT a working link at this time.

2. MSU to other Enterprise TelePresence Systems: It is also possible to connect via “bridge” technology, supported by the MN Learning Network. The Learning Network bridge allows us to connect to MSU TelePresence from a host of other systems, including:

1. Other university’s, organization’s, or commercial entity’s TelePresence  systems,
2. ITV systems, both within MnSCU and external to it, AND
3. Jabber video, which allows people to connect from their personal computing devices, such as laptops, desktops, or iPads.

3. Here are several critical steps to setting up the bridging technology, outlined below:

1. First, schedule your TelePresence room at MSU. See above for instructions.
2. Next, determine the capabilities of your remote site -- if they will be connecting to your MSU TelePresence  system by an enterprise TelePresence system, by ITV, or by Jabber video. Instructions for setting up each of these systems can be found below.
3. Reserve a Virtual Room (Vroom) by contacting Jerry Anderson jerald.anderson@mnsu.edu or 507-389-6921.

1. Schedule a practice run if at all possible to ensure that as few challenges happen during the event. Remember, live technology can be extremely flakey, so do as much due diligence in advance as possible, particularly if you are working with a new endpoint.

4. To dial in to the bridge on the day of the event, follow these instructions on each end:

1. From the MSU TelePresence room, on the touch panel select the “favorites” tab on the control panel and scroll down to the v-room number that was assigned to your meeting, and then click the “call” button.
2. From the remote site (non-MSU enterprise TelePresence, ITV, or Jabber video), have your remote participant type the address provided through the reservation process, into the input mechanism on your system.
3. Once you have both dialed into the system, you should both be in the appropriate Vroom and the video should begin immediately.

Connecting to the MSU Systems from a Remote Enterprise TelePresence  System

1.        Remote TelePresence systems may or may not be able to connect to the MSU TelePresence  systems.  It depends heavily on whether or not the remote TelePresence system is capable of connecting to a Vroom as described above.  Contact Jerry Anderson to arrange a test connection.

Connecting to the MSU TelePresence  Systems from ITV

1. Remote ITV systems may or may not be able to connect to the MSU TelePresence systems.  It depends heavily on whether or not the remote ITV system is capable of connecting to a Vroom as described above.  Contact Jerry Anderson to arrange a test connection.

Connecting to the MSU TelePresence Systems from Jabber Video

To connect to one of MSU’s TelePresence systems from your personal computing device, such as a laptop, an iPad, or a desktop machine, you’ll need to download, install, and configure a software tool called Jabber video. The instructions below will walk you through this process.

1. Instructions for installing and using Jabber on a Windows computer.
2. Instructions for installing and using Jabber on a Macintosh computer.
3. Once your computer is configured and you have logged into the Jabber server from your Jabber client you can proceed to the step above that describes connecting to a Vroom.

Connecting to the MSU TelePresence Systems by Phone - “MeetMe”

Phone connections can be simultaneously established to allow phone-in participation in a TelePresence  meeting.

The following MeetMe phone numbers have been assigned to each Telepresence room.

1750 – WH 116                (507) 389-1750

1751 – WH 117                (507) 389-1751

1752 – MH215                (507) 389-1752

1753 – ML 94B                (507) 389-1753

1754 – ML 2057                (507) 389-1754

1755 – FR 307                (507) 389-1755

1756 – FR 345                (507) 389-1756

1. Provide the phone number to the participants who will be dialing in.  They would dial all 10 digits from a mobile phone or long distance landline.  If it is a call that is local to Mankato they can dial the last 7 digits.  If it is a call from on the Mankato campus they can dial the last four digits.
2. Each TelePresence room has a separate phone available for classroom technology support.  The phone is also used to establish the “MeetMe” connection, which allows callers to connect into the meeting.         

1. Press the New Call button located just below the display on the phone.  You should get a dial tone.
2. Press the “more” button near the bottom right corner of the phone display.
3. Press the “MeetMe” button.
4. Dial the last four digits of the “MeetMe” number that is assigned per the list above.  This action will activate the the number so others can dial into it.
5. DON’T hang up the phone yet.

3. Connect the Telepresence system into the MeetMe call.

1. On the Telepresence control screen press the Call button.
2. Press keypad tab.
3. Dial the last 4 digits of the MeetMe number that corresponds to the room you are in.  The Telepresence system is now connected to the MeetMe call.
4. Click “Add” on the Telepresence system display
5. Select the room you want to dial into from the Favorites list and click Add to Meeting.
6. Select “Merge”.  The MeetMe call and the Telepresence call should both be active now.
7. Hang up the phone on the wall where you activated the MeetMe call by clicking End Call.

Disconnecting the TelePresence and/or MeetMe Call

When the meeting is finished press the “Hang Up” button on the TelePresence  display.  This action will disconnect both the TelePresence call as well as the voice call.  No further action is required.

Using Telestration from your iPAD

Still in Development

NOTE: (Support # being added on documents and assure it is listed in TelePresence rooms - 389-3221)

Using the Smart Podium with Telepresence

The Smart Podium is currently behind the telepresence machine. To use:

• Place it on the table with the VGA connected into your computer and then have the telepresence VGA connected to the smart podium.
• To use a smart podium as a smart board you need the smart board software installed and the smart receiver USB cable on the smart podium connected to your computer.

• Go http://www.mnsu.edu/its/academic/smartboard.html to learn more about the smart board sotware and to install it.

• When aligning the smart podium you have to draw through the maze. Make sure your pen is in the maze part, but don't worry where the ink is going.
• Once you have completed the maze, complete the 4 spot alignment.
• Once the alignment is complete, you can use your smart podium as a touch screen and it will display on the screens in both telepresence rooms.

Tutorials on how a smart podium works:

• Documentation: http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/services/quickreferences/pdf/english/using-the-smart-podium-id422w.pdf
• Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_l8BaS2ZEA

Appendix A: Checklist for Scheduling a TelePresence Room

When someone calls to schedule a TelePresence room, follow these steps.

1. Determine where *all* points where the people connecting will be.
2. Determine how many people will be at each endpoint at MSU. For all endpoints that will be at MSU, identify and reserve the appropriate endpoints. For a reference on room capacity and available TelePresence and ITV units, the matrix of available TelePresence and ITV rooms.
3. Determine if any endpoints will *not* be at MSU. You must also confirm what technology they have at the remote endpoint. Options for connecting to our telepresence systems are:

1. Other Cisco TelePresence systems;
2. Most ITV or other enterprise videoconferencing codecs; and
3. Jabber video (like Skype for TelePresence, that runs off of your personal computer).

4. Once you have identified all endpoints, determine if the rooms are available and schedule them on each end. To schedule a room in Edina, contact Ruth Gregory, ruth.gregory@mnsu.edu, 952-818-8870. If you are only connecting two endpoints and they are both telepresence and are either on the MSU, Mankato or Edina campuses, then you are finished. If your situation does not meet the above specifications, proceed to step 5.
5. As far as TelePresence is concerned, any rooms that are not MSU TelePresence to MSU TelePresence must go through a networking bridge. This means that, for any configuration below, we must schedule the COMET/METNET bridge in addition to scheduling the physical rooms. Options for endpoints requiring a bridge are:

1. MSU TelePresence to MSU ITV
2. MSU TelePresence to TelePresence outside of MSU
3. MSU TelePresence to jabber video. For instructions on installing and getting started with Jabber video, see the
4. MSU TelePresence to multiple sites (including multiple MSU sites)

6. Once you have reserved the appropriate rooms on our campus, you must reserve the appropriate ports on the bridge with COMET/METNET. Contact Jerry Anderson jerald.anderson@mnsu.edu 507-389-6921.
7. Please forward the room request confirmation to the room requester as well as to Jerry Anderson when the room has been successfully reserved and all V-Rooms have been set up.