VeaMea
Encyclopedia
VeaMea develops and markets videoconferencing
and business collaboration software
from its headquarters in McLean, VA
, USA. Its products work in traditional conference room environments, as well as on more mobile devices such as desktops and laptops. VeaMea offers the quality audio/visual interaction of a traditional videoconferencing solution, coupled with the broad feature set and cost effectiveness of a software system. Its clients include healthcare systems, trade associations, retail and commercial businesses.
Over the years, Hitcast migrated to ISDN, then IP
based transmission networks, and has expanded beyond the basic audio and video transmission to include a broad array of collaboration tools including: Presence Information
/Buddy Window, Desktop sharing
and Desktop Control Sharing, Chat/IM+, Web conferencing
, Shared Virtual Flipchart, Calendar/Scheduling, Testing and Polling with automatic tabulation, and Session Statistics.
Although the available network infrastructure has improved, Hitcast’s philosophy has continued to be to try to provide the best user experience with the most economical use of system and network resources. Hitcast’s core development team has been focused on this challenge for nearly two decades.
HitCast was represented by a wholly owned subsidiary in the US from 2008 through 2010. In 2009, Hitcast and VeaMea began working together to develop a Cloud computing
or Software as a service
("SaaS") version of the product. After working together, the two companies decided to rebrand HitCast and sell it exclusively as VeaMea in the Americas. HitCast continues to be sold in Europe under the HitCast brand.
, Tandberg/Cisco
, and LifeSize
.
At the same time, its software will run on mobile devices such as a laptop computer with a low-cost webcam, so it provides the capability to span both the formal conference room setting and casual desktop environment.
As a software vendor, VeaMea is compared to other software video conferencing vendors such as VSee, ooVoo
, Vidyo
, Nefsis, WebEx
and Microsoft Lync.
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously...
and business collaboration software
Collaborative software
Collaborative software is computer software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve goals...
from its headquarters in McLean, VA
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, USA. Its products work in traditional conference room environments, as well as on more mobile devices such as desktops and laptops. VeaMea offers the quality audio/visual interaction of a traditional videoconferencing solution, coupled with the broad feature set and cost effectiveness of a software system. Its clients include healthcare systems, trade associations, retail and commercial businesses.
History
VeaMea is the brand name used in the Americas for HitCast video conferencing and collaboration software. HitCast was developed in 1998 to meet the needs of a European technology company that wanted to demonstrate their products in distant towns without having to travel. A combination of satellite links to send video and content, and dial-up connectivity for voice communication, were the only reasonable options available. None of the existing commercial applications would run reliably in this environment. Hitcast was developed to work under the tight bandwidth constraints and transmission challenges inherent in satellite communications.Over the years, Hitcast migrated to ISDN, then IP
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
based transmission networks, and has expanded beyond the basic audio and video transmission to include a broad array of collaboration tools including: Presence Information
Presence information
In computer and telecommunications networks, presence information is a status indicator that conveys ability and willingness of a potential communication partner—for example a user--to communicate...
/Buddy Window, Desktop sharing
Desktop sharing
Desktop sharing is a common name for technologies and products that allow remote access and remote collaboration on a person's computer desktop through a graphical Terminal emulator.The most common two scenarios for desktop sharing are:* Remote log-in...
and Desktop Control Sharing, Chat/IM+, Web conferencing
Web conferencing
Web conferencing refers to a service that allows conferencing events to be shared with remote locations. Most vendors also provide either a recorded copy of an event, or a means for a subscriber to record an event. The service allows information to be shared simultaneously, across geographically...
, Shared Virtual Flipchart, Calendar/Scheduling, Testing and Polling with automatic tabulation, and Session Statistics.
Although the available network infrastructure has improved, Hitcast’s philosophy has continued to be to try to provide the best user experience with the most economical use of system and network resources. Hitcast’s core development team has been focused on this challenge for nearly two decades.
HitCast was represented by a wholly owned subsidiary in the US from 2008 through 2010. In 2009, Hitcast and VeaMea began working together to develop a Cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
or Software as a service
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
("SaaS") version of the product. After working together, the two companies decided to rebrand HitCast and sell it exclusively as VeaMea in the Americas. HitCast continues to be sold in Europe under the HitCast brand.
Competitors
VeaMea occupies a unique position in the video conferencing and collaboration marketplace. Given equivalent resources, it can provide a video conferencing experience similar to that provided by market leading vendors such as PolycomPolycom
Polycom is a multinational corporation with approximately 3,200 employees worldwide and an annual revenue of approximately $1.2 billion in 2010. The company manufactures and sells telepresence and voice communications solutions.-Company History 1990:...
, Tandberg/Cisco
Tandberg
This article is about the video-conferencing vendor, a Cisco company. Other companies with the same name such as Tandberg Television or Tandberg Data for data storage: see here and here...
, and LifeSize
LifeSize
LifeSize, a division of Logitech, is a video and audio communications company that provides high definition video conferencing endpoints and accessories, infrastructure products and a cloud-based video collaboration platform. LifeSize's worldwide headquarters is located in Austin, Texas...
.
At the same time, its software will run on mobile devices such as a laptop computer with a low-cost webcam, so it provides the capability to span both the formal conference room setting and casual desktop environment.
As a software vendor, VeaMea is compared to other software video conferencing vendors such as VSee, ooVoo
OoVoo
ooVoo is a proprietary instant messaging client developed by ooVoo LLC for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Android and iOS. It was released in 2007, and is similar to Skype and Apple's Facetime. Calls can be recorded in real-time and twelve-way video chatting is supported...
, Vidyo
Vidyo
Vidyo, Inc. is a privately held, venture funded company that provides both software-based technology and product-based visual communication solutions...
, Nefsis, WebEx
WebEx
WebEx Communications Inc. is a Cisco company that provides on-demand collaboration, online meeting, web conferencing and videoconferencing applications...
and Microsoft Lync.
Relative to traditional video conferencing
- Use existing networks and hardware resulting in low cost of entry
- Flexibility and mobility of end points
- Breadth of tools in "All-in-one" solution
- Integration with LDAP, H.323H.323H.323 is a recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network...
devices from multiple vendors
Relative to software-based video conferencing
- IT Management tools including user groups, profiles, domains, network management, reporting
- High quality "immersive" experience similar to traditional video conferencing
- FIPS 140-2FIPS 140-2The Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-2, , is a U.S. government computer security standard used to accredit cryptographic modules. The title is Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules...
compliant security model using AES 256 EncryptionAdvanced Encryption StandardAdvanced Encryption Standard is a specification for the encryption of electronic data. It has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. It supersedes DES... - Ability to integrate with H.323H.323H.323 is a recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network...
devices and SIP telephony systemsSession Initiation ProtocolThe Session Initiation Protocol is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol . The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party or multiparty sessions...
Products
VeaMea uses client-server architecture. Its products consist of:- VeaMea Streaming server—the central control for user authentication, streaming of audio, video and content and multi-party video conference bridging
- VeaMeaUC Client—software that resides on the client, or video conferencing "endpoint," typically a Windows-based PC
- H.323 GatewayH.323 GatewayAn H.323 gateway is an optional type of endpoint that provides interoperability between H.323 endpoints and endpoints located on a switched-circuit network , such as the PSTN, the ISDN or an enterprise voice network....
-- VeaMea endpoints may interoperate with traditional video conferencing endpoints through a software bridge that connects the two environments - SIP Gateway—VeaMea endpoints may integrate audio only participants into a video conference through a SIP gateway which bridges SIP compliant IP telephony systems to the VeaMea Streaming server
- WAN Saver / Relay Server—A software product that aggregates network traffic and reduces WAN bandwidth usage
- Consulting Services—Design, planning and implementation support
- Support—Ongoing Technical Support
- Custom Development—To customer requests, VeaMea has occasionally performed custom development
Common Product Uses
- TelehealthTelehealthTelehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Telehealth could be as simple as two health professionals discussing a case over the telephone or as sophisticated as doing robotic surgery between facilities at different ends of the...
- TelecommutingTelecommutingTelecommuting or telework is a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in working location and hours. In other words, the daily commute to a central place of work is replaced by telecommunication links...
- Distance educationDistance educationDistance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
- Business continuity planningBusiness continuity planningBusiness continuity planning “identifies [an] organization's exposure to internal and external threats and synthesizes hard and soft assets to provide effective prevention and recovery for the organization, whilst maintaining competitive advantage and value system integrity”. It is also called...
- CollaborationCollaborationCollaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...