Lifesize direct media introduces a streamlined call architecture for making and receiving video calls within your corporate network. When you make calls using the Lifesize web and desktop apps, Lifesize will now route your media (audio, video and content) through your company’s network for point-to-point calls instead of relaying it through our cloud-based service. This shorter path reduces latency and improves overall quality — perfect for quick chats with coworkers on the other side of the building.

Lifesize takes advantage of direct media for point-to-point video conference calls to shorten the path between devices, reduce latency and improve overall call quality.

While the implementation of direct media might be invisible to end users, it’s definitely visible when it comes to your video call quality. Connecting through your corporate network, or interconnecting directly between home offices or other local networks when possible, direct media shortens the path between devices, lowering latency and improving call performance.

So how does it work? Lifesize leverages a form of Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE), which automatically determines the best path to route the traffic in point-to-point calling scenarios between Lifesize clients. ICE sets out a logical approach to identifying the best route for the media with the least number of hops or devices to pass through. Deploying direct media ultimately allows you to route your calls locally, saving you bandwidth and effectively eliminating latency without risking your secure intranet.       

Make sure your organization is up to date on the latest Lifesize desktop app to experience the full benefits of direct media. For more information and assistance on deploying direct media, head to the direct media help page. We’ve also published instructions for updating firewall settings on the Lifesize Community.