No-Cost Service Enables Commanders to Speak Directly to Their Troops
The Defense Information Systems Agency’s Global Content Delivery Service (GCDS) now offers a simplified High Definition (HD) Streaming from Desktop solution that can be leveraged for ad-hoc streaming events, such as commanders’ briefings. This service is available at no cost to Department of Defense users.
Commanders have the ability to stay at their desks and brief their globally dispersed soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and/or civilians using the Unclassified-But-Sensitive Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet) or the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet).
This solution enables our mission partners to reach worldwide audiences through the use of streaming video, without building out a delivery infrastructure or website. The quick-start service builds upon GCDS' existing HD Streaming solution and Web delivery platform.
To use the simplified GCDS HD Streaming from Desktop service, commanders need only:
As the meeting host, commanders will coordinate with the GCDS team in advance to add their brief to the calendar of GCDS-supported broadcasts. A major prerequisite to being added to the calendar is that the commander’s equipment meets the requirements listed above and has been configured by the GCDS integration team.
GCDS provides the rest at no additional cost:
- Quick Start Guide — simple steps to activate this service.
- GCDS NetStorage servers.
- GCDS Flash Player, hosted on GCDS NetStorage servers.
- A basic HTML webpage where users can view the stream.
The global audience will benefit from an exceptional viewing experience. The GCDS Flash Player automatically detects the quality of each viewer’s connection and continually adjusts the bit-rate of the stream to accommodate viewers with a wide variation of bandwidth and device capabilities. This results in the highest quality video that each viewer is capable of receiving, while virtually eliminating buffering.
Commanders can request to make the briefing content available for a specified amount of time after the live briefing (e.g. to accommodate those who were unable to participate because of time zone differences) by using the GCDS player’s digital video recorder (DVR) capability. If the commander prefers, the content can be removed from viewer access as soon as the briefing ends.
If you are interested in learning more, visit the DISA GCDS website and contact the GCDS team at disa.meade.esd.list.gcds@mail.mil.