Get to Know Patrick Sparkman: Cisco Designated VIP in TelePresence
Patrick Sparkman is a media specialist for the Florida State University College of Medicine. Whenever he has a spare moment—as he does when updating endpoints—you’ll find him answering questions in the forums.
How did you get into networking?
I started out my career in 2007, working on the A/V team for another university. When my boss recommended me for a position supporting the distance learning system, I became responsible for installation and support of Cisco TelePresence endpoints and another vendor’s software. In 2011, I took on a similar role for the Florida State University College of Medicine, where I am today.
How does a medical school use TelePresence?
Our medical students spend their first two years at our main campus in Tallahassee, and then go off to one of six regional campuses across the state. Students and faculty on different campuses meet using TelePresence. We also use TelePresence to stream class lectures for first- and second-year students. Students who miss a class or want to review the lecture can play back the recording.
Our TelePresence endpoints are in use eight hours a day. In 2014, we had more than 1000 TelePresence conferences. Playing all of them one after the other would take 2.5 months.
How did you find out about Cisco Support Community?
When I started at the College of Medicine, my responsibilities suddenly expanded from supporting endpoints to supporting a statewide video conferencing environment. I was brand new to TelePresence Multipoint Control Units and Video Communication Servers. I did a Google search for some information, and that’s when I found the community. I asked questions in the TelePresence forum when our systems didn’t work the way I expected.
As my knowledge increased, I started answering questions during slow times at work—for example, while updating our endpoints. A Cisco employee isn’t always available right away, so somebody has to step in.
What inspires you to answer questions in the forums?
First, I like helping people. It’s gratifying when they thank me for my time and mark my answers as correct. Second, answering other people’s questions helps me keep learning. If I don’t know the answer, I look it up or try to reproduce the situation. Finally, I enjoy the opportunities to meet other people in the same line of work. I’ve learned so much, and knowing that someone I’ve helped might one day be able to return the favor is well worth some of my spare time.
How about an example of something you’ve learned by helping someone else.
Once a member asked how to block incoming calls that were constantly appearing on a TelePresence VCS. As I looked into his issue, I realized the calls were attempts to exploit possible PSTN trunks to make voice and video calls at someone else’s expense—toll fraud. It turned out that our own VCS was receiving similar calls. The question gave me a nudge to look into a solution for both of us.
Any suggestions for your fellow members to make the community even better?
Before you post a question, try searching for it. Even if you’re not exactly sure what to search for, the answer might come right up. When you do ask a question, be sure you’re posting in the right forum. Sometimes people make the mistake of asking TelePresence questions in the WebEx forum, for example.
Always provide as much detail as you can, even if you’re not sure it’s relevant. For TelePresence questions, include the software version, devices models, troubleshooting steps already performed, and whether calls are point-to-point or go through an MCU or VCS. Include logs or screenshots if you have them. There’s no such thing as too much information: the more, the better!
Finally, remember to thank the people who help you by marking your question as answered, rating responses, and writing a reply. We’re doing this in our free time, and knowing we’ve helped you out feels great and motivates us to find the answer to the next question.
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