What's a Videoconferencing Consortium?

A videoconferencing consortium is a group of institutions that share a vision, strategy, action plan, and administrative infrastructure (such as membership directory and a shared scheduling protocol) for using videoconferencing in pursuit of a common or individual mission(s). A consortium may also involve a common source of funding for deployment and/or operation of equipment, and use of a shared telecommunications network.

A consortium can be comprised of one type of institution (such as public libraries) or several types (public libraries, schools, and non-profit groups, for example).

Examples of consortia include the Iowa Communications Network, the Illinois Videoconferencing Network, and, in California, the three public libraries equipped through the Black Gold Cooperative Library System.

Project Videonet is a cooperative project as opposed to a true consortium.