InformationWeek

lyeska Pipeline Service Co., owned by seven of the world's largest oil companies, operates the Alaska Pipeline. Moving more than 525 billion gallons of oil through the pipeline since 1977 has presented it with unique challenges--not the least of which is communications.

To link its geographically dispersed and weather-challenged workforce, Alyeska has turned to videoconferencing. The benefits, from reduced travel expenses to improved communication among remote workers, have been measurable. But building networks to support it hasn't been easy. Simply put, "we're isolated," says David Luke, a technician at pump station 9 on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline near Delta Junction, Alaska.

Alyeska took its first stab at videoconferencing more than four years ago when it deployed dedicated links. But that approach was scrapped as the technology became outmoded. In April 1999, Alyeska rolled out a fiber-based network backbone. The videoconferencing system links Alyeska's headquarters in Anchorage with business units in Fairbanks and Valdez and with seven active pump stations.

The IT group believes that videoconferencing and desktop broadcasting complement each other. "People like to feel like they're included in a company," explains Dana Orr Ward, manager of Alyeska's videoconferencing program. "If you're in a far-flung location, sometimes you feel left out. Videoconferencing helps to keep people included."

Remote Possibilities
The pipeline route covers 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez, the northernmost ice-free port in the United States. The 48-inch diameter steel pipeline crosses three mountain ranges and more than 800 waterways. Engineers have elevated almost half the pipeline to protect Alaska's permafrost.

Alyeska is using videoconferencing mainly for project-status meetings, management meetings, and training. But this is just the beginning. CIO Erv Barnes has big plans for integrating the technology into Alyeska's engineering and maintenance operations. "The big money saving is in the operations part. That has the highest priority. If there's a problem, it must be addressed fast," says Barnes. "Getting a good idea of what the problem looks like in real time makes a difference."

Alyeska experts currently use digital photography to remotely review and solve maintenance problems at various pump stations. But videoconferencing promises to work better than still images, says Barnes. "You could actually use the real-time video to show the problem. That's easier to work from than a situation where you're trying to just verbally describe this situation."

The company also expects videoconferencing to help it manage emergencies. While the pipeline is built to withstand an earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale, that doesn't mean earthquakes and disasters such as landslides and oil spills won't hurt Alyeska. "Our agreement to operate is based on protecting the environment," notes Barnes. "It is absolutely mission-critical that we can prove our ability to respond to detrimental situations with fast turnaround."

Alyeska plans to use videoconferencing to bring specialized talent to a problem immediately. Experts can view video of disasters in real time and give advice from a remote location. And because senior executives have personal videoconferencing systems in their homes, they can manage a crisis faster and more effectively.

Another potential application is telemedicine. Several of Alaska's medical centers already have telemedicine programs that Alyeska plans to leverage. Each pump station has employees trained as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). However, these people lack the training necessary to give specialized care. Videoconferencing could let primary-care doctors and specialists based in Anchorage view a patient at a pump station. They could assess the extent of injuries or illness and guide the EMTs. "Our doctors on staff could consult to the EMTs," explains Ward. "And if they need a specialist, we can request one from an Anchorage hospital and be able to remedy the situation without having to medevac the person."

Pumping Video
The network uses DS3 links and 6 Mbps Ethernet. The company deployed 21 Intel TeamStation group or room systems and 43 Intel ProShare 500 personal or desktop systems. The group systems run at up to 384 Kbps, while the personal systems run at 128 Kbps. Both the group and personal systems are PC-based and support Microsoft NetMeeting, the dominant collaboration program that provides a shared electronic whiteboard and application sharing capability. Videoconferencing coupled with electronic collaboration creates a virtual meeting environment.