Videoconferencing Service

Video conferencing is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of providing users with the ability to communicate and collaborate interactively from across many different geographical locations.

The range of purposes includes meetings, research, teaching, staff development and recruitment panels.

At Ulster University, we provide hardware-based video conferencing rooms, of varying sizes, that are enabled for SIP connection to external guests, but also work in conjunction with Teams and the Teams web app.

This affords Ulster staff, students, and external guests the flexibility to choose the most suitable connection method for each scheduled video conferencing meeting.

Ulster University has several video conferencing room types to cater for different meeting types.

1. Immersive Telepresence Suites

These suites allow for a true immersive experience across the campuses, where connected participants are displayed on screen in true life size format to simulate live discussion across a table. Users can also share content with internal and external participants by connecting their device to one of the cables provided (HDMI or VGA + audio) in the room.

2. Standard videoconferencing Suites

These spaces have a standard V-shape or straight table layout, with boundary microphones, speakers, and dual large format display screens. They give users the ability to video conference across the 4 campuses or with external partners and share content by connecting their device to the cable provided (HDMI or VGA + audio).

Scheduling Video Conference Meetings

When users schedule their video conference meeting through their Outlook calendar, participants are automatically provided with the connection details to connect to the scheduled meeting by:

• Teams (or Teams web app) – requires webcam and microphone
• Dial-string - this is made up of a combination of the Unique Conference ID and UU Specific Address found in all Teams Meeting Invites. External organisations can use this to dial-string to join the conference. For more details on the dial-string, see How to Join a Video-Conference Meeting.

These additional connection methods make it easy for staff or guests to connect from anywhere in the world.

A full list of Video Conferencing facilities can be found in the Supporting Materials Section.

Video conferencing meetings are scheduled by the user/organiser, from within their Outlook Calendar.

As the video conferencing rooms are heavily used, University staff are encouraged to schedule their video conferences as far ahead as possible to avoid disappointment.

We would also advise a minimum of 5 days' notice where external guests are being invited, to allow them time to liaise with their technical staff and test their connection method. This will increase the chance of having a high quality, successful video conference meeting.

Please see Supporting Materials for information on how to schedule a video conference from your outlook calendar.

• List of Centrally Managed Video Conference Rooms
• How to Schedule a Video Conference Meeting
• How to Join a Video Conference Meeting
• Adding UU Video Conference Rooms to Large Teams Meetings
• Best Practice tips for Virtual Meetings
• Immersive Rooms Quick Guide

Additional support, such as Frequently Asked Questions, may be found within the Knowledge Articles accessed through the Self-Service Portal or available on our Service Catalogue FAQ pages.