15 Mar 2024 | Software and Applications, Video conferencing
An on-premise video conferencing software enhances communication security and data control.
Definition of an on-premise video conferencing
An on-premise video conferencing software refers to an audio and video communication solution deployed and hosted on an organization’s internal infrastructures. This implies the installation and maintenance of physical or virtual servers, LAN/WAN networks, server applications for recording video conferences, or integration with other internal systems (emails, SSO, calendar, etc.) The organization ensures the security of the solution’s deployment, as well as the management of access and updates.
What purposes does it serve?
An on-premise software meets a strong need for data security and communication flow security. This usually concerns Essential Service Operators or Important Services Operators or other organizations operating in sensitive sectors, subject to high levels of cybersecurity.
Three main requirements infrastructure
The organization must acquire, install, and maintain the necessary infrastructure for deploying the on-premise software. This is typically located in an internal data center or a dedicated technical room.
Connectivity
Deploying on-premise video conferencing software requires thorough planning of network connectivity to ensure high service quality. This includes bandwidth management, Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize video conferencing traffic on corporate networks, and Network Address Translation/Firewall configuration.
Management and maintenance
To ensure their performance, on-premise solutions require continuous monitoring, both for system surveillance and for server and software maintenance. The security and confidentiality of data in video conferencing must be preserved.
Benefits of on-premise video conferencing software
Technological Independence
By choosing an on-premise video conferencing software, the organization limits its technological dependence on external providers. This improves control over its security policy. This independence provided by the on-premise version also strengthens the companies’ sovereignty, as opposed to choosing a foreign solution hosted in the cloud, therefore subject to extraterritorial data protection laws.
Maximum Security
The company has total control over its on-premise solution, being deployed on a dedicated network and configured by itself. This limits security breach risks and increases reactivity. In case of issues, the internal teams are familiar with the infrastructure and can act more swiftly.
Business Continuity
In a crisis, the on-premise version of video conferencing software allows out-of-band communications, thus ensuring organizations’ business continuity. Indeed, when the general communication solution is down, using an on-premise and end-to-end encrypted software becomes essential. In compliance with the NIS 2 directive, using an emergency communication tool is mandatory for many organizations.
Tixeo offers a secure video conferencing solution, certified and qualified by ANSSI. Its end-to-end encryption, from client to client, prevents any interception of audio, video, and data exchanges, regardless of the number of participants in the online meeting. Its on-premise version, with the TixeoServer offer, ensures secure deployment without any impact on the network security policy. In a crisis, it also allows an “isolated” mode operation, disconnected from the internet network, to ensure the continuity of internal exchanges and activities. Learn more about TixeoServer
Data Control
With an on-premise video conferencing solution, the company also becomes responsible for the personal data processing of the users. It thus retains full control of the data and does not have to rely on subcontractors.
Interoperability
On-premise systems often need to be capable of interoperating with various video conferencing equipment and software platforms, including third-party systems. This may require the use of standard industry protocols, such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or H.323, and gateways to ensure compatibility.
With the Tixeo Gateway, optionally included in the TixeoServer offer, companies benefit from perfect compatibility with the most common SIP or H.323 hardware devices.
Learn more about TixeoServer
In summary, on-premise video conferencing software offers the most demanding and sensitive organizations complete control and advanced customization of their video conferencing system, while ensuring agility and cyber-resilience.
29 Dec 2021 | Software and Applications, Video conferencing
Opinion column by Renaud Ghia, Tixeo Chairman
The end of the year was rich in announcements about the cloud and the desire of politicians to increase the subsidies linked to it. On November 2, 2021, Cedric O (French Secretary of State for the Digital Economy) presented the industrial plan to support the French cloud sector, with a budget of 1.8 billion euros. On 10 November, the European Union announced that it would inject 1.98 billion euros into “digital Europe” in 2022. So much positive news for the future of the cloud in Europe: but be careful not to set it up as the only infrastructure and forget the traditional model based on the purchase of software licences (On-Premise). Indeed, in parallel with the massive use of the cloud, it is clear that the On-Premise model has a bright future ahead of it.
The cloud market continues to grow
For many years now, the cloud model has been a popular way to host solutions. According to IDC, the entire cloud ecosystem, beyond just the public cloud, will be worth over $1 trillion by 2024. It offers many advantages in terms of deployment, upgrading and maintenance cost management. It is for these reasons that most video conferencing services have migrated to the cloud on a massive scale.
At the same time, software editors offering licence purchase are becoming increasingly rare. Why would customers still use this model, which is perceived as cumbersome to deploy, outdated, costly for the company and requiring in-house skills? So many disadvantages, and not the least, at first glance…
To answer this question, it is essential to remember that, whatever some cloud leaders may say, the On-Premise model is not all bad. On the contrary, it continues to grow and today offers companies, like no other model, the possibility to keep control over security, privacy and guarantee the respect and integrity of personal data. In some cases, it may even be required by entities that categorically refuse hosting in a cloud whose parameters they do not control.
The On-Premise model is attractive
The company that integrates a solution on site has perfect control over its installation, which can be customised using the company’s directories, certificates or email servers. Of course, it is not always easy to deploy a new solution on its own servers, but some software editors facilitate this step by offering simplified installation processes or automatic updates.
Security is another reason why both private and public players are opting for this model. This is an essential condition, which is also sought after in everyday solutions, especially after the various cyber attacks on videoconferencing that have taken place during the last few years. An organisation that integrates a solution into the heart of its information system retains full control over it and can also choose whether or not to open it up to the Internet. Such a model allows the company to set precisely the level of security that it considers appropriate.
Moreover, hosting a service in-house means retaining complete autonomy over the storage of its data. A company that is not dependent on a third party retains full control over its technological strategy without any dependence on another entity, an important business argument at a time when the European public is becoming increasingly attentive to these issues. It is not always easy to know exactly what guarantees a cloud hosting company offers (backup generators, redundant network, support etc.). In some cases, it is better to be served by yourself.
Storing information without going through a third party also ensures full compliance with the GDPR and offers full transparency to its users about the use of their personal data. By doing so, a company has a clear view of the different data processing operations and does not need to negotiate or even make concessions that could jeopardise its strict compliance with the law.
It should be noted that it is not necessary to adopt a Manichean vision in its hosting strategy: some departments may decide not to rely on a single infrastructure and to opt for hybrid solutions.
Discover all Tixeo video conferencing solutions: in the Cloud or On-Premise
Hybrid cloud as an alternative
As companies around the world begin to prioritise infrastructure cost reduction, many have begun to consider the benefits of the hybrid model. This approach, which blends two or more types of environments (public and/or private cloud, and on-premises infrastructure), is the ideal solution for many businesses.
An On-Premise solution does not necessarily require a server physically installed at the heart of the company: private servers in the cloud are one such alternative. Some software editor allow data and services to be stored in a private cloud. The customer then benefits from dedicated hosting, managed by the publisher, thus eliminating all the deployment and maintenance steps that can be very time- consuming. As in a model with an installation on a local server, it is then possible to use the directories, certificates or the company’s own email servers.
It would be a considerable mistake to consider the On-Premise model, the true guarantor of our digital sovereignty, as outdated. On the contrary, the security it provides has never been more important. At a time when the United States has announced its support for the Paris Appeal on 11 November 2021 for trust and security in cyberspace, when threats are still growing, and when the European cloud (which the author of these lines supports) is developing at great speed, it is essential to reconsider on- premise hosting as essential to guarantee the security and independence of certain activities that are essential to our economy and to the functioning of the State.
