State and County Government entities in Pennsylvania are exploring new opportunities via the MAGPI network.

Advanced Video Technologies

Advanced video technologies and collaborative tools are allowing organizations on the MAGPI and Internet2 networks to communicate in new and exciting ways.

Access Grid® is a suite of collaboration technologies that enable large scale (wall or room sized) group collaboration including live video, audio, and data sharing. The Access Grid® is an ensemble of resources including multimedia large-format displays, presentation and interactive environments, and interfaces to Grid middleware and to visualization environments. These resources are used to support group-to-group interactions across the Grid.

Microsoft Research's Conference XP software allows for distributed interactive collaboration spaces using a virtual venue. It integrates recent advances in high-performance audio, video, and network technologies to seamlessly connect multiple, distant participants in a rich, immersive environment for distance conferencing, instruction, and collaboration. ConferenceXP provides an extensible foundation for interactive collaborative environments and serves as a research platform for designing and implementing distance conferencing and learning applications. Currently, it is being used for multi-institutional instruction, distance learning, and advanced research collaboration. MAGPI runs a Conference XP test node that is available to MAGPI Members.

The Digital Video Transport System (DVTS) is a simple and inexpensive method of transmitting high-quality video and audio over the Internet. DVTS uses 30 Mbps uncompressed video to provide high-quality images with low latency. DVTS can also be used in multicast mode to allow three or more sites to participate in a single conference. More broadly, DVTS is a step toward a world in which you will be able to tune your computer to a series of educational channels the same way you tune your television to satellite channels—send and receive high-quality video across the Internet with the same ease as sending and receiving email - - and do all this without any significant capital expenditure.  DVTS-based telemicroscopy is used for real time clinical case consultation between pathologists at the three Philadelphia hospitals that make up the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The Office of Cultural Affairs at Montgomery County Community College used DVTS to conduct dance critiques between dancers in Pennsylvania and choreographers in Japan.

Interactive Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing allows people in geographically distributed locations to see and hear each other and collaborate in real-time. Increasingly, videoconferencing is becoming part of the standard set of tools used by teachers, students, faculty, staff, librarians and researchers to enhance communication, training, and instruction. Public and cultural organizations are using videoconferencing to expand their outreach opportunities and reach audiences beyond their geographic proximity through virtual lectures and field trips. MAGPI supports the use of videoconferencing within our member community through interactive educational programming, training and technical support.

MAGPI Members can facilitate multisite videconferences through MAGPI’s Internet2 Commons subscription. This service provides a large-scale deployment of tools for one-to-one, one-to-group, and group-to-group collaborations enabling the Internet2 research and education community to hold distributed working groups, classes, meetings, and events. As of July 1, 2009, this MCU service available to our members for $15/connecting site/ hour for your events. Through this service offering, MAGPI members can conduct multi-site videoconference events, as well as webstream those events live and archive them. Click here to find out more or schedule a session.

The Internet2 Commons

Supported by and developed with its members, the Internet2 Commons has deployed an H.323 Videoconferencing Service for multi-site connections. Standards-based, vendor-neutral videoconferencing through this scalable service allows subscribing members to schedule and hold distributed working groups, classes, meetings, and conferences in support of research and education.

The Internet2 Commons encourages the large-scale deployment of tools for one-to-one, one-to-group, and group-to-group collaborations. The services provided by The Internet2 Commons are available to Internet2 members, Internet2 Network participants, and other Internet2 partners. The Internet2 Commons provides multi-party videoconferencing services with advanced features such as simultaneous streaming, archiving, high-bandwidth support, and multiple video layout options. Internet2 members and partners can connect to their peers, independent of endpoint brands, through an existing Internet2 network connection.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is the simulation of a real or imagined environment that can be experienced visually in three dimensions: width, height and depth. Typically, a virtual reality system uses stereoscopic goggles that provide the 3-D imagery and a tracking device (for example, goggles for tracking head and body movement or a "data glove" that tracks hand movements). MAGPI is currently working with the Virtual Reality Development Lab to create new and exciting Virtual Reality programs for all of our communities.