Statement of Work Summary

PI: Dr. Wayne Carlson

The Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design, and the Ohio State University Department of Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication Design, joined together to execute this project. The project was funded through the Ohio State University Research Foundation (OSURF). The objective was to establish the Future Automated Systems Technology Laboratory (FAST Lab) to research, develop, design, evaluate, analyze, test, integrate, and prototype automated data processing equipment both hardware and software into a final videoconferencing ready configuration. The final configuration provided a VISN 10 wide network that supported videoconferencing, document/imaging sharing, distance learning and telemedicine. The VISN's network supported national and international requirements for voice, data, video and imaging systems.

Vtel network diagram

VISN 10's Information Management Council (IMC) was a partner in this endeavor. To facilitate the review and evaluation of all potential manufacturers and distributors, VISN 10's IMC utilized the contracting authorities and methods of the Federal government. The IMC issued two synopses in the Department of Commerce's, Commerce Business Daily publishing the agreement VISN 10 entered into with OSURF and secondly to notify all interested and qualified manufacturers and distributors of this research project. The synopsis provided involvement instructions to interested manufacturers and distributors. Involvement was at no cost to the VA and OSURF. The VA desired to evaluate industry's latest and greatest, commercially available hardware or software (Global Telemedix, Lucent, Vtel, Multimedia Systems, AEPCO) for inclusion into it's enterprise wide desktop/pc-based video/telehealth network. Therefore, involved vendors received instructions which listed our proposed system configuration and operating requirements. The instructions also provided sufficient latitude and time for a vendor to propose a solution configuration which was tested in the VA's prototype network center.

VISN 10's IMC evaluated the submission of all interested vendors and made a determination as to whether the vendor complied with the instructions and had the potential for successful evaluation. They also made a determination that the vendor's alternate proposal had the potential for meeting our requirements or it offered VA a different prospectus for success.

OSURF and FAST Lab, utilizing the performance requirements desired by VA and the technical specifications furnished by VA researched all available technology. During each phase of their research, OSURF/FAST Lab evaluated, tested, and analyzed all the products submitted for evaluation (using a MADGE switch to create a telecom simulated switching circuit) and determined which components/ combined components presented VA with the best solution ensuring success. The best solutions were derived within twelve months from the execution of this contract.