Created by: BRIAN STABINGER on 09-09-2013 02:44:37 PM I have a customer who would like to implement some functions of TMS through their (many) control systems. These functions mainly revolve around dialing through the TMS, and sceduling and modifying meetings. For instance, they'd like to be able to connect all parties using the Crestron UI, and be alerted via that same UI as to meeting lengths, if the meeting is running over, etc.
Has anyone worked on something like this? I've looked at the API, and I can tell it's going to be quite a lot of work. Atop that, it's something we'll probably only do this once. I'm looking for some guidance, as this sounds like a massive pain.
Is Crestron (or AMX) the best option for this? Or is this something where we'd be better off just selling them a bunch of TelePresence Touch UI's? And to that extent, would this even work?
Sorry for all the questions. I appreceiate any feedback, constructive or otherwise.
Cheers.
Brian
Subject: RE: TMS Integration through API and Crestron Replied by: Enrico Conedera on 09-09-2013 02:58:56 PM
BRIAN STABINGER:
I have a customer who would like to implement some functions of TMS through their (many) control systems. These functions mainly revolve around dialing through the TMS, and sceduling and modifying meetings. For instance, they'd like to be able to connect all parties using the Crestron UI, and be alerted via that same UI as to meeting lengths, if the meeting is running over, etc.
Has anyone worked on something like this? I've looked at the API, and I can tell it's going to be quite a lot of work. Atop that, it's something we'll probably only do this once. I'm looking for some guidance, as this sounds like a massive pain.
Is Crestron (or AMX) the best option for this? Or is this something where we'd be better off just selling them a bunch of TelePresence Touch UI's? And to that extent, would this even work?
Sorry for all the questions. I appreceiate any feedback, constructive or otherwise.
Cheers.
Brian
Hi Brian -
I'll give you my thoughts on the subject, and possibly someone else can respond with more detail or corrections.
If you consider two options:
1) Use TelePresence Touch 8 instead of a Crestron / AMX touch panel. Pros: you will get automated meeting connect, One Button to Push, meeting reminders, etc etc. All of that work has been done on the touch panel when using TMS to schedule meetings Cons: You need a separate mechanism for actually scheduling the meetings - through Outlook for instance, or through the revamped Scheduler web-based application that is still included with TMS. Cons: You cannot control the room elements - drapes, lighting, projectors, etc - with theTouch 8.
2) Continue to use AMX / Crestron control systems and touch panels. In order to schedule meetings from the touch panel, and to have all of the meeting information displayed on the touch panel, etc, you definitely need to have a talented programmer. TMS has an API that you can use. Probably you will need a Windows server to run the API into TMS, and then have that communicate with the program running on the AMX / Crestron. You would use the endpoint APIs as well. So yes, possible. It may be possible to have the AMX / Crestron program use TMS APIs directly, but I don't have that level of knowledge. In order to actually schedule meetings from the control system touch panel, you need an intelligently-designed UI to enter the meeting information. API calls from the program, through the middleware server, into TMS, and back to the touch panel, will confirm the meeting information. No small amount of work there. Pros: You still have the room control functionality you are accustomed to. Cons: A fair bit of development work is involved.
Subject: RE: TMS Integration through API and Crestron Replied by: BRIAN STABINGER on 10-09-2013 09:12:03 AM Thank you for your input, Sir. This does indeed sound like an intensive programming effort, and one that we may not want to take-on. I do like the idea of using the Touch 8, and using other methods to schedule meetings may not be the end of the world. Our issue is that we've already developed fully integrated rooms (using endpoints and Crestron), and to them, it probably seems like it shouldn't be an issue at all to just add TMS functionality to teir curren UI/program. So we'd have to sell them a different UI, and limit some of it's functionality, whilst passing-on all codec/TMS control to the Touch 8.
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