The IFC has a videoconference unit that provides our professors and students the service of establishing H323 interactive videoconferences with other institutions within and outside the National Videoconference Network. The service has consolidated during the last years and the number of services given has grown exponentially, approaching the figure of 200 events on 2008.

The service is mainly used by students and professors to participate in tutorships and graduate exams, but is used as well to transmit graduate courses interactively to other Institutes and through the Internet, as webcast, to just hearing students. It is also used for seminars, conferences and committees` meetings.

The Institute has four VC systems: a Tandberg 990MXP, with support for duo-video, streaming and MCU license for 4 sites, a Sony PCS1 with H239 support, a Polycom VSX 7400e with duo video, streaming and 4 sites MCU license and a HD Sony PCS-XG80 with H239 and 6 sites MCU license. All of them are portable, so they can be installed in different auditoriums or meeting rooms, depending on the nature of the event, with microphones, TV´s and videoproyectors as needed.

All staff and students from the Institute may request the service free of charge by means of contacting the personal at the VC unit (56225730, aescalan@ifc.unam.mx), in order to check the availability of the service here and at the remote site, and after that, filling this request form and bringing it to the cubicle AA-206 of the Neurosciences and Biophysics building of the Institute.

If trying to arrange a VC event with the Institute from other institution, please contact Ana María Escalante at the phone or e-mail address just given and specify the type of event, participants from the Institute of Cellula Physiology, characteristics of your equipment and IP address.

The unit also offers the service of transmitting events via Webcast and recording sessions in DVD format, which could be share over demand through a podcast server.

Most VC equipment has been acquired by the Institute with the financial support of the Graduate Studies General Direction (DGEP) of the National University of Mexico (UNAM). The first steps towards the establishing of the service at the Institute were taken with the supervision and assistance of the staff from the Technology for Education Subdivision of the Academic Computing Services General Direction of the UNAM.