*VidMid Conference Call*
May 29, 2001

*Attendees*

Ken Klingenstein (chair) - Colorado/Internet2
John McNair - Tennessee at Knoxville
Mary Fran Yafchak - SURA
Renee Frost - Michigan/Internet2
Ellen Vaughan - Internet2
Tyler Johnson - UNC Chapel Hill
Karen Krivaa - RADVISION
Mary Trauner - Georgia Tech
Art Vandenberg - Georgia State
Ted Hanss - Internet2
Phil Galanter - NYU
Mark Poepping - Carnegie Mellon
Amy Philipson - Washington
Egon Verharen - SURFnet
Ivana Belgers - SURFnet
Ben Chinowsky (scribe) - Internet2

*Discussion*

After approving the minutes of the May 1 meeting, the group addressed several administrative issues. [AI] Ken will negotiate a new conference call schedule via the VidMid list, planning on a maximum call length of 75 minutes. Ken is still looking for a chair or co-chairs for VidMid; contact him if you are interested. Internet2 has established new standards for distributing documents from middleware conference calls; action items are due out by two days after the calls, and minutes by seven days after. [AI] Internet2 staff will review the current Internet2 glossary, and consider a separate glossary for VidMid. [AI] Internet2 staff will look at options for audio capture of the VidMid calls. [AI] Over the next few months, Internet2 staff will survey the videoconferencing capabilities of VidMid participants, with a view to holding at least some of the VidMid meetings via videoconference.

Ted reported that he has tried unsuccessfully to recontact Todd Needham. [AI] Ted will try again to contact Todd Needham. Tyler stressed the need to get Polycom gatekeeper and directory people involved in VidMid. Bob Dixon, who VidMid asked to contact Polycom, has asked for more documentation of VidMid's plans; [AI] Ken will reply to Bob Dixon's request for VidMid promotional materials, suggesting that he use the VidMid web site, which will soon feature an expanded VidMid mission statement. Tyler noted that he's had extensive design discussions with RADVISION, and that their thinking is very much in line with VidMid's. He also noted that Polycom has acquired Picturetel.

The group reviewed the VidMid web site. Tyler commented that "the overarching vision has not been articulated", and there was general agreement. [AI] Ted will send Ken the why-you-need-video outtakes from his EDUCAUSE article, to form the basis of an expanded VidMid mission statement. [AI] Ken will add a why-video-needs-middleware section to Ted's material. [AI] Ben will edit Ted and Ken's VidMid mission statement and send it to the list for review. [AI] Ben will update the web site, a) creating separate Overview, Standards, and Technical sections, b) adding Ted's and Bob Dixon's EDUCAUSE articles to the Overview section, and c) structuring the Standards and Technical sections by organization. There was also general agreement that the site could use some explanatory graphics.

The group reviewed the scope of VidMid's planned activities. Ken restated his understanding that the group is to produce scenarios for a broad range of services, but focus its initial problem-solving efforts on authentication, security, and accounting & billing for videoconferencing; there was no dissent. Phil is interested in working on enabling inter-vendor interoperability of equipment used for production-quality video on the Internet; it was agreed that this is out of scope for VidMid, but in scope for both the Internet2 Commons and the ResearchChannel. [AI] Ted will produce an overview of the Internet2 Commons effort. The group also discussed how to address the very large topic of video metadata; it was agreed that VidMid would address metadata issues as they come up in particular scenarios, but not take on implementation of Dublin Core and other standards for metadata for video archives. Tyler noted that the proposed technical directions he'd sent out are "very much short-term stuff"; he's looking for specific feedback on how to move forward with directory support for H.323. [AI] All will review Tyler's "Technical Directions" email, for in-depth discussion on the next call.

Finally, Ken noted that he'd done some SIP-related browsing, and found that there's a lot going on; [AI] Ken will send Ben more SIP URLs for the site. Egon noted that he'd received comments on eduPerson from a European perspective; [AI] Egon will get David Chadwick's comments on eduPerson forwarded to the VidMid list. [AI] Ken will forward David Chadwick's comments to MACE-Dir and others to whom they may be of interest.

*Action Items*

[AI] Ken will negotiate a new conference call schedule via the VidMid list, planning on a maximum call length of 75 minutes.
[AI] Internet2 staff will review the current Internet2 glossary, and consider a separate glossary for VidMid.
[AI] Internet2 staff will look at options for audio capture of the VidMid calls.
[AI] Over the next few months, Internet2 staff will survey the videoconferencing capabilities of VidMid participants, with a view to holding at least some of the VidMid meetings via videoconference.
[AI] Ted will try again to contact Todd Needham.
[AI] Ken will reply to Bob Dixon's request for VidMid promotional materials, suggesting that he use the VidMid web site, which will soon feature an expanded VidMid mission statement.
[AI] Ted will send Ken the why-you-need-video outtakes from his EDUCAUSE article, to form the basis of an expanded VidMid mission statement.
[AI] Ken will add a why-video-needs-middleware section to Ted's material.
[AI] Ben will edit Ted and Ken's VidMid mission statement and send it to the list for review.
[AI] Ben will update the web site, a) creating separate Overview, Standards, and Technical sections, b) adding Ted's and Bob Dixon's EDUCAUSE articles to the Overview section, and c) structuring the Standards and Technical sections by organization.
[AI] Ted will produce an overview of the Internet2 Commons effort.
[AI] All will review Tyler's "Technical Directions" email, for in-depth discussion on the next call.
[AI] Ken will send Ben more SIP URLs for the site.
[AI] Egon will get David Chadwick's comments on eduPerson forwarded to the VidMid list.
[AI] Ken will forward David Chadwick's comments to MACE-Dir and others to whom they may be of interest.