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1. 1. James Tighe: Making Video Communications as Easy as a Phone Call - News@Cisco

   newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/innova - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/23/2004   Last Visited: 2/23/2004

   James Tighe: Making Video Communications as Easy as a Phone Call
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   James Tighe: Making Video Communications as Easy as a Phone Call
   
   Innovator seamlessly integrated desktop computers and USB cameras with Cisco IP Phones to provide simple and affordable video communications
   
   James Tighe
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   James Tighe
   
   James Tighe literally takes his work home with him. Tighe, a technical leader in Cisco Systems' IP Communications business unit and an expert in video technologies, manages an elaborate surveillance system at his house, with video cameras watching everything from the baby's room to the mailbox. The cameras even help him keep an eye on his robotic lawn mower when he's not in the yard.
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   James Tighe and John Restrick: An Innovation Worth a Thousand Words
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   Tighe explains that creating an application that allows Cisco IP Phones to use a PC screen made much more sense then trying to create a new "video phone" with its own monitor. Not only would this device be expensive, it would also require companies to replace their existing IP Phones. Also, by using the computer monitor rather than a small videophone screen, users benefit from the high-quality image possible on those larger, more refined devices.
   
   "It is really the concept of linking the computer monitor and the processing power of the desktop PC to the IP telephony network," Tighe says. "The phone basically co-ops the PC monitor and uses it to display the video information it receives."
   
   Tighe says the "light bulb" moment came three years ago when he realized he could adapt universal serial bus (USB) hardware interface technology-relatively new at the time--to send the camera video data across a Cisco IP Phone network to a computer screen. But because other projects were in development, Tighe's concept sat on the shelf. Then out of the blue about a year ago his boss asked Tighe for a working prototype of his idea in 60 days to show Cisco executives. Despite the tight turnaround, he put together a demonstration version of his concept that was more than impressive enough to gain the enthusiastic support of the executives.
   
   Though VT Advantage harnesses the display power of desktop computers, all calling functionality runs through the phone. Tighe refers to it as "call video." He says a PC monitor provides an ideal viewing screen. And since most any office worker with a Cisco IP Phone on their desk will have a PC as well, using the image quality of the monitor seemed a natural pairing.
   
   Tighe says the most challenging aspect of creating VT Advantage was programming the application in "kernel mode" to assure that other PC applications and functions did not interfere with the video feeds. Kernel coding has highest priority in a PC's processing hierarchy. That way, other applications or operations running on the computer will not disrupt the video stream. But kernel coding is much more painstaking than typical programming.
   
   "Though it was arduous work, it paid off with exceptionally high performance video for such a small application," Tighe says.
   
   VT Advantage video images run at 30-frames a second with a broadcast-quality picture in an image about one-forth the size of a typical computer screen.
   
   Until VT Advantage, video communications had been expensive and fraught with technical hassles. Tighe hopes his innovation changes all of that, bringing video to everyday interactions. Tighe notes studies have discovered that at least 60 percent of communications is non-verbal, conveyed by facial expressions and body language. Given that, he believes VT Advantage can greatly boost productivity and collaboration by more closely tying together widely scattered workforces.
   
   It's not surprising Tighe helped invent such a breakthrough communications technology. Throughout his career he has been involved in cutting-edge video and IP-based telephony systems. After graduating from Texas A&M University in 1989 with bachelor degrees in computer science and manufacturing engineering, he joined Intecom, a company focused on developing products for running data over office phone systems, a radical idea at the time. Later, he was one of the first employees of Insite, a subsidiary or Intecom. There, Tighe helped develop video telephony over Ethernet, another cutting-edge concept for its day. Later Tighe worked for Selsius Systems, a maker of IP-based PBX office phone technology. Tighe joined Cisco when it acquired Selsius in 1998.
   
   Tighe's interest in communications technology goes beyond his resume. It's in his blood. Tighe's grandfather was a communications pioneer when he worked for AT&T in the 1920s, the period when phones became a part of everyday life. Perhaps Tighe was simply channeling his grandfather during his work on Cisco VT Advantage. Like video communications today, the telephone took a while to catch on as technology improved and people became used to a new way of interacting.
   
   "My hope is VT Advantage will help spur the growth of video communications, eventually making it as widely used as the phone," Tighe says.