Overview

Gen-IC Virtual Intercom: Essential, (24) Clients, (1) Month - purchased via SkyPort Administration Portal

Gen-IC Virtual Intercom is a Clear-Com cloud hosted subscription service enabling 24 channel partyline deployments worldwide over the internet without dedicated intercom hardware or network requirements.Agent-IC and Station-IC Virtual Clients facilitate the intercom user using their mobile device or computer with multiple intercom channels, each with dedicated talk, listen, and level control in addition to visual call signals and device notifications. Gen-IC is scalable for small to large teams with low latency, operational robustness, and ease of use.Gen-IC can optionally be integrated into on-premises intercom and audio systems or peripherals using LQ interfaces.

Architecture

Gen-IC is built around Clear-Com’s patented I.V. Core decentralized network mixing technology where all incoming audio is converted into Ethernet streams and intelligently routed to virtual clients and associated interface ports for mixing.Gen-IC is hosted in datacenters around the world and available over the internet without specialized networking.

Audio Transport

Gen-IC Virtual Intercom interfaces use the low latency Opus codec, supporting interface ports with either 12kHz or 20kHz frequency response, adjustments of data rate, bandwidth, and latency to optimize performance for the quality of service provided by the available network infrastructure.

Link Group¹

In larger deployments one Gen-IC instance becomes the Link Group designated leader ensuring the system configuration, channels and assignments are shared by all Gen-IC instances and/or LQ interfaces in the Link Group and that operation continuous in case of an outage of any Link Group member.

Gen-IC linking facilitates

• Capacity: Multiple Gen-IC subscriptions can be linked to make use of their combined capacity, permanently or temporarily, with Gen-IC subscriptions of different durations.
• Hardware Interfacing: Gen-IC linked LQ interfaces facilitate interfacing to dedicated intercom systems around the world.
• Latency Optimization: Gen-IC instances may be deployed in different datacentre regions for geographically displaced users to ensure optimal latency locally in each region.

Agent-IC & Station-IC Virtual Intercom Clients

Gen-IC supports the Agent-IC Virtual Mobile Client for Android and iOS as well as Station-IC Virtual Desktop Client for Windows and MacOS making them accessible over the internet without specialized networking.

Gen-IC provides Agent-IC and Station-IC Virtual Clients access to any Channel and associated LQ interface. Individual Agent-IC and Station-IC Virtual Client keysets provide with large talk/listen controls, individual level control, visual call signalling and device notifications. Gen-IC and the SkyPort Administration Portal host centrally administrated credentials for the Virtual Clients as well as Roles that may include different keyset configuration for the user and can be fixed to specific credentials, or selected from the clients.

LQ Analog & Virtual Interfaces

Gen-IC Premium provides the ability to link LQ Interfaces to Gen-IC for connectivity to hardware intercom systems on-premises, or to bridge multiple intercom systems over the internet. LQ interfaces provide 2-Wire partyline, 4-Wire line-level, 4-Wire line/mic-level with GPIO, I.V. Direct (/IVC Direct) and SIP client connectivity to Gen-IC Premium Virtual Intercom.

Virtual-, Hybrid-, or Bridging Intercom Deployment

Gen-IC Virtual Intercom supports various deployment use cases:

• Virtual Intercom
  Agent-IC & Station-IC Virtual Intercom Clients supported by Gen-IC provide a fully virtual multi-channel intercom system without dedicated hardware or networking for short- or long-term deployments.
• Hybrid Intercom
  LQ interfacing to hardware intercom systems allows Agent-IC & Station-IC Virtual Intercom Clients supported by Gen-IC to be added to the hardware intercom without networking or capacity constraints for short- or long-term deployments.
• Bridging Intercom
  LQ interfacing to hardware intercom systems at multiple geographically displaced locations supported by Gen-IC allows the systems to be bridged together without dedicated networking for short- or long-term deployments.

Configuration

Once Gen-IC is deployed it is operated using the browser-based Core Configuration Manager™ (CCM) interface which facilitates setup, configuration, and monitoring. CCM is designed to be used with standard web browser on computers and tablets. CCM setup includes naming of Gen-IC Link Groups, channels, LQ interface ports, creation of LQ virtual interface ports, configuration of bandwidth/latency, virtual client accounts and Virtual Client roles. CCM Configuration allows for association of LQ interface ports to channels and LQ direct connections as well as the ability to assign channels to keysets on virtual client roles. CCM Monitoring provides a page that displays the status of the system and its active connections.

SkyPort Administration Portal

SkyPort Administration Portal enables Clear-Com partners to fulfil Gen-IC subscriptions to their customers SkyPort workspace. Once purchased, the SkyPort Workspace enables the self-service administration of Gen-IC– permanently or temporarily – in addition to creation, distribution, and management of credentials for Gen-IC administrators and Virtual Clients users using e-mail, Google, Microsoft, or Apple authentication options.

Gen-IC Virtual Intercom Service

Gen-IC is provided as a service with variable:

Features

• Gen-IC Essential: Fully Virtual Intercom with Agent-IC & Station-IC
• Gen-IC Premium: Hybrid Intercom with Virtual Clients & LQ interfacing

Capacity

• Agent-IC & Station-IC Virtual Client users
• Gen-IC Essential: up to 24 per Gen-IC or 144 using 6 linked Gen-IC
• Gen-IC Premium: up to 64 per Gen-IC or 384 using 6 linked Gen-IC

Intercom Channels

• Gen-IC Essential: up to 12 per Link Group
• Gen-IC Premium: up to 24 per Link Group

Duration

• Monthly Subscription
• Annual Subscription
• Note: Subscriptions automatically renew until cancelled

Gen-IC is available from Clear-Com partners around the world.

Trial

Gen-IC Trial instances with 2 Channels and 4 Virtual Client users are available for up to 24 hours at: skyport.clearcom.com

¹Gen-IC does not link to link groups that include the legacy HMS-4X

Note: Gen-IC requires internet access to Google services

Details

Gen-IC Virtual Intercom

• Worldwide Intercom Service by Clear-Com
• Agent-IC & Station-IC Virtual Clients
• LQ Analog & Virtual Interfaces
  • 2-wire, 4-wire, GPIO, I.V. Direct (IVC), SIP

I.V. Core Technology

• Decentralized audio mixing & routing
  • Channels: 24
  • Transports: Call, RMK, Logic
• Globally Linked or Regional Deployment
• Adjustable low latency Opus codec per port interface port

Gen-IC Supports

• Virtual Intercom
  • Fully virtual multi-channel intercom
• Hybrid Intercom
  • Virtual Clients for on-site systems
• Bridging Intercom
  • Multiple sites 
  • Without specialized hardware or networking

Gen-IC Essential
Virtual Intercom

• Up to 12 Channels
• From 8 to 144 Agent-IC & Station-IC
• Up to 6 Linked Gen-IC
  • Monthly or Annual Subscription

Gen-IC Premium
Hybrid & Bridging Intercom

• Up to 24 Channels
• From 8 to 384 Agent-IC & Station-IC
• Up to 6 Linked Gen-IC/LQ
• Up to 80 LQ Interface Ports
  • Monthly or Annual Subscription

Configuration

• CCM browser setup, config & status

SkyPort Administration Portal

• Clear-Com Partner Transactions
• Workspaces for Gen-IC & LQ
• User & Credential Management

Specifications

Compatibility

• LQ Interfaces v5.0+
• Agent-IC v2.10+
• Station-IC v1.4+

Licenses

• Delivery: Instances delivered to SkyPort; Workspace from Clear-Com Partner
• License Host: SkyPort
• Activation: Via SkyPort
• Validity: Duration of a Committed Subscription. Starts with Activation
• Duration: 1 Year/Month with Initiation – Auto renewal if not cancelled
• Transferable: Yes, via SkyPort Workspaces and user management
• Recovery: Contact Clear-Com

Note: Gen-IC user capacity can be used with Agent-IC or Station-IC. Additional licensing for Agent-IC or Station-IC is not required.

Network Specifications | Firmware Release 1 +

• Gen-IC & LQ Link Groups
• For Gen-IC Virtual Intercom and linked LQ interfaces

Network Protocols

• Ethernet IPv4–Unicast Audio and Control
• Layer 3 routable
• DNS – Domain Name Server
• HTTP & HTTPS–M System Management
• NTP-Network Time Protocol
• V. Core–Decentralized Network Routing & Mixing
• IVP-Proprietary intercom Audio and Control
• Opus–Audio Codec

Network Ports

• Unicast: 
  
  
  • Port 80 TCP – Web Interface, System Management
  • Port 443 TCP – Web Interface, System Management
  • Port 655.... (random*) TCP – Link Group Communication 
  • Port 655... (random*) UDP – Link Group Audio
  • Port 6001… (random) TCP – System Management
  • Port 6001… (random) UDP – IVP Audio Streams
• Multicast: None

Audio

• Resolution: 12, 24 bit
• Sample Rate: 24, 48kHz
• Frequency Response: 100 - 12kHz or 100 - 20kHz
• Audio Encoding: Opus

Network Parameters

Custom or preset settings

• Bandwidth: 04-0.10Mb/s per output
• Bit Rates: 16, 32, 48, 64, 128kbps
• Packet Size: 5, 10, 20, 40, 60ms
• Network Jitter Tolerance: Custom or preset settings
• Jitter Buffers: 0 - 1000ms
• QoS Tags: DSCP=34, Assured Forwarding (AF=41)
• Mandatory: Google Service Access

*Ports are automatically assigned upon system start