Solution Overview
Digital Media System: Simplify and Enhance Video Communications
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army
Challenge
Defense organizations that rely on video-based imagery
intelligence, briefings, and commander’s guidance face many
challenges. Most significant are the difficulties integrating older
video systems with network-based systems. These obstacles
often inhibit the use of rich media as a situational-awareness tool
for enhanced command and control. The typical video-distribution
systems in many defense organizations rely heavily on circuitbased transport technologies and specialized software, which
require customization with high cost of ownership. And delivering
large, un-indexed, multiformat video files and streams is costly
and time-consuming, requiring a high degree of administrative
overhead and technical transcoding and transrating. This can lead
to delays in delivery to the decision maker.
Streamlining Video Delivery
The Cisco Digital Media System (DMS) is a new, network-based
class of technologies that enable video creation, management,
and delivery as well as infrastructure consolidation. By IPenabling video, the DMS offers a high degree of standardization
for audiovisual collaboration services. This includes briefing
support and interfaces to video conferences for personnel in
the command briefing and display facilities located throughout
the HQ command center. When used to its fullest capability, the
DMS also enables the persistent surveillance and dissemination
of data from multiple interoperable sensors and renders that data
searchable in databases for pattern recognition.
Video Delivery for Strategic and Tactical Environments
The Cisco DMS distributes and optimizes critical video
information for large-scale, fixed defense command centers and
satellite buildings, joint operations centers, and deployed tactical
HQs. Its modularity allows the extension of video services from
the command center to the tactical edge. The DMS comprises a
set of appliances, modules, coders and decoders, and softwarebased solutions for large-scale, fixed defense command centers
and deployed tactical headquarters. The principal components
of the DMS are the Cisco Digital Media Encoders, Digital Media
Manager, Cisco Digital Media Players, LCD displays, Media
Experience Engines, and Cisco Video Portal connected to the
video-ready network.
Benefits of Reliable, Secure Video Delivery
The Cisco Digital Media System offers several benefits to defense
organizations.
Solution Overview
Video Editing and Creation:
• Operational staff can create a multimedia report with the DMS by
receiving imagery and video from various sources and using the
system’s powerful video-editing capabilities.
Global Broadcast System:
• Data and video feeds are received by the Global Broadcast
System over selected satellite bands and then transported by
the DMS for distribution as required.
• The staff can also author an original video update and distribute
it to other supporting echelons.
Video Helps Drive Operational Success
Video Management:
• Operational staff can select the devices that receive video
content and when, in accordance with security policies or rolebased requirements.
• Program listing and keyword search provide the ability to easily
locate relevant intelligence and target feeds by content category,
title, or keyword.
• Customizable playlists enable the user to choose from a
dynamic list of videos programmed by content publishers or
bookmarked by individual users.
• Supplemental content is available with each video, such as target
tickers, related intelligence reports, videos, websites, and downloadable materials.
Video Display and Access:
• Secure login and access to user-specific content allows users
to browse, search, and view digital media interactively at their
desktops.
• Easy-to-use storage capabilities facilitate future playback.
• Users can submit questions with live webcasts, video sharing, or
user-access reporting.
Briefings Support:
• The DMS supports the briefing equipment as well as video
and audio distribution systems, enabling all presentations to
be supported in a classified/secured environment at near and
distant ends.
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The DMS supports video delivery throughout multiple levels of
classification and bandwidths. The success of the joint operations
center lies in its interoperability and its secure video-distribution
capabilities as it accepts data from multiple sources. The DMS
enables multiple C4I collaboration services to include, but not be
limited to, the preparation, reception, storage, retrieval, display,
and transmission of briefing material, satellite intelligence feeds,
and other video streams. Moreover, the system’s capabilities can
be extended by the Common Operating Picture (COP) and by
sensors from Cisco’s solution partners. The Cisco DMS manages
video as a networked service, providing intrinsic advantages such
as in-line video transcoding and transrating for real-time decisionmaking cycles.
Innovative Global Government Solutions
The Cisco Global Government Solutions Group (GGSG) supports
governments and defense agencies around the world by
delivering innovative, integrated mission capabilities through
thought leadership and advanced technologies and services. The
GGSG staff comprises top experts from space, military, homeland
security, and public safety, and the intelligence community from all
levels of government around the world. They not only understand
the unique challenges of government, but also bring years of
personal experience to help meet mission requirements.
For More Information
Learn more about the Cisco DMS solution for critical military
operations and other global government solutions and services for
defense at www.cisco.com/go/defense.
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