aged. EVALUATION CRITERIA Service and Support Video communication is, by nature, a dispersed application. It is critical that buyers arrange for comprehensive national and/or global product support. Support includes design, sales, installation, training and ongoing maintenance. Turnkey support is important when groups of people are waiting for a meeting. It is critical that the supplier will work with the carrier to deliver an operational product. It is also important to establish a national or global purchasing plan in which volume discounts apply to purchases made anywhere within the organization. Structured Procurement One way to procure equipment is to divide the evaluation process into two categories: objective and subjective. Objective evaluations are usually performed as part of a structured procurement process in which a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ) is issued to qualified suppliers. The RFP/RFQ describes exactly the features and capabilities that competing systems should include. When a buyer does not know what it needs, this becomes secondary to a Request for Information (RFI). Video Communications: The Whole Picture An RFI lays out the application and asks suppliers for their solutions. Once the responses come back, the good ideas are combined into a more formal procurement document. Appendix E lists some RFP questions. Although video communication systems are reaching commodity status, differences exist in packaging and features, and especially between product categories. Most systems are similar within product categories but, when compared cross-category, reveal big differences. Small-group roll-abouts should be compared to each other, not to more fully-featured models unless comparisons are being made within a manufacturer's product line. Equipment Demonstrations and Trade Shows A fast way to compare all codecs at the same time and in an identical environment is to visit a carrier's demonstration facility. Some have worked cooperatively with manufacturers and/or distributors 