German Research Network adopts Pexip videoconferencing solution

In order to improve its communications services to the scientific and university community, the German National Academic and Research Network you have installed the Pexip as a videoconferencing infrastructure in your meeting rooms.

Founded in 1984 by universities, institutions and research companies to promote connection by computer means in the country, the German National Academic and Research Network (Deutsches Forschungsnetz – DFN) currently has more than nine hundred affiliates, that connect to the high-performance network of DFN-Verein, of which more than 550 also use the video service.

The organizations belonging to DFN-Verein have traditionally had a very heterogeneous IT equipment, made up of videoconferencing devices from different vendors (with access through H323/SIP) in their meeting rooms, and with participants who needed to connect both by phone and with their laptop.

As the videoconferencing platform that was used from 2003 no longer corresponded to the requirements, DFN-Verein sought a new solution with the aim of offering a service that would respond to its high demand with a secure solution, flexible and interoperable for all environments.

After calling for a public tender, multiple systems were tested with the help of a group of trusted users who chose the solution Pexip Infinity “por sus características de interoperabilidad, which meant that I could connect different solutions and conferencing systems with the various devices of the different DFN members.", Explains Christian Meyer, Director of DFN's Collaboration Services Division.

On the other hand, demanding requirements had to be met in terms of bandwidth and security. the selected solution had to run on the dfn servers themselves and all nodes on the network had to operate independently.

Pexip's approach to security was a decisive element. Researchers and scientists using the platform need to discuss the innovations and results of their projects, for which it is often necessary to have secure video meeting rooms. "With Pexip, they could trust that their conversations would be protected.", Meyer acknowledges.

Other specific requirements of the DFN association were the support quality of the supplier, in which the solution of this manufacturer again stood out from the rest of the proposals. "We not only received support from the Pexip team as part of the proof of concept," meyer said., but we were also able to talk directly with the developers and thus find solutions together.".

Although the original plan was to have a limit of a thousand concurrent calls, it had to be increased rapidly in March and April of 2020 due to the huge increase in demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the semester of this year it was already possible to attend to 5.000 users simultaneously, each with its individual licenses. "A project that would normally have lasted two years was completed in just two weeks," recalls this official.. By having the servers of the universities we were able to expand the hardware resources very quickly. Thanks to Pexip, DFN centers connect to the video service over the Internet, H323/SIP telephone or videoconferencing systems from meeting rooms and remote devices".

As Christian Meyer emphasizes, “nuestra plataforma de videoconferencia es principalmente un lugar de encuentro virtual para investigadores y científicos. The new solution has been very well received by users, and Pexip is highly appreciated for its interface, intuitive and easy to use".

Other articles on Pexip, Red Nacional Académica y de Investigación de Alemania-DFN