IP video technology, with its changing requirements, lack of standards, and vast proliferation of end-user devices, is turning the need for relevant metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) into a business imperative. As IP video and other new technologies are introduced on a service network, the KPIs driving network performance management and cost containment are rarely in place at the same time. This affects both operations and business.

Until now, this gap between metrics and IP video technology has been addressed by applying previous-generation tools and definitions within the new environment. This application of old tools to new technology has been only minimally successful. Increasingly, service providers are finding that the old measures of data or voice traffic quality of service provide little insight into the actual quality of a visual, video service. Thus, new quality-control measurements must be designed and developed to help ensure consistent levels of customer service experience over optimally sized network resources. Along with these new measures, accepted industry standards for services and equipment must be created.

This talk examines IP video metrics that provide end-to-end video quality measurements and techniques for gathering and evaluating sample data. It represents work in which network and video specific parameters are defined and objective KPIs for video quality are established.

Paul F. Gagen Director of Network Design, Operations, and Methods Bell Laboratories Lucent Technologies

Mr. Gagen is responsible for developing advanced network designs, tools, and methods applied to a multi-technology, global array of customers' network projects. These include advanced optical, data, broadband, video, and wireless networks. End-to-end digital video operations and QoS metrics are among the current investigation topics. He has a background in applied research; optical fiber communications; broadband access, including HFC; product and manufacturing process development, including the Manufacturing Leadership Program; and technical sales for network deployments as the Bell Labs senior field rep. Mr. Gagen also holds 12 patents.

Randy Fuller Senior Director, Alliances and Solutions Camiant

Mr. Fuller brings technologies to market. With more than 16 years of experience in marketing, sales, and business development, he is an expert in translating the framework, purpose, and appeal of complex technologies to customers and business partners. At Camiant, he focuses on developing business momentum surrounding the company's software platforms to emerging multimedia networks, businesses, and strategic alliances.

E.P. Matthews Distinguished Member of Technical Staff Bell Laboratories Lucent Technologies

Ms. Matthews holds a B.S. and an M.S. from Union University in mathematics and a doctorate from Rutgers University in numerical analysis. Her area of expertise is telecommunications operations analysis and solution design. She was awarded a patent for numerical analysis of a new video-encoding algorithm, is the author of several papers in operations and telecommunications, and is the chief editor for the International Telecommunication Union SG2 standard E41.TOC: Operations Competency Metrics. Most recently, she has been creating a mathematical model of network management operations, for which her team received the 2006 Bell Labs President's Gold Award.

Willy Verplanke Director of System Engineering Cisco Systems, Inc.

Mr. Verplancke joined Cisco Systems 11 years ago as a consulting engineer and is now the system engineering director of the techno-commercial team that supports the service providers in the European theater. During his career, he has led technical teams, supporting enterprise and service provider sales in Belgium and across EMEA. Previous to Cisco Systems, Inc., he worked for Motorola and Bell Alcatel in development, sales support, and management roles.