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Tag: videoconferencing

  • Telesphere’s VideoConnect Makes HD Business Videoconferencing a Reality

    Telesphere recently announced the launch of VideoConnect, a cloud-based videoconferencing service for businesses of every size. Today the company announced that VideoConnect is the first worldwide commercial deployment of Broadsoft’s BroadCloud Video, an enterprise-grade videoconferencing and telepresence service that incorporates Polycom’s standards-based HDX systems and VVX 1500 business media phones, along with CounterPath’s Bria softclients.

    In packaging together the combined capabilities of BroadCloud Video, CounterPath and Polycom, Telesphere now offers businesses of any size enterprise-grade videoconferencing that employees can connect to ranging from room telepresence environments, desktops and the rapidly expanding user base of video-ready smartphones and tablet devices.

    By using the BroadCloud Video call-bridging technology that is powered by the Polycom UC Intelligent Core software platform, Telesphere’s VideoConnect offers support for up to 12 simultaneous meeting participants across various videoconferencing platforms, endpoints and protocols during a single HD videoconference. According to the company, this protocol- and vendor-agnostic approach allows participants using a wide variety of room-based videoconferencing systems, videophones and softphones to all see, talk with and hear one another immediately.

    “VideoConnect makes video conferencing easy for every employee to use and extremely cost effective for every size business to deploy,” said Telesphere CEO Clark Peterson. “By working with BroadSoft, CounterPath and Polycom, Telesphere can now deliver enterprise-grade, cloud-based video communications to every conference room, office, business desktop and laptop in the world.”

    In November 2010, Polycom extended its relationship with BroadSoft with the announcement of BroadSoft's BroadCloud Video service. This cloud service is a hosted infrastructure that integrates with Polycom’s UC Intelligent Core software platform to enable leading service providers like Telesphere to lower the cost and complexity of delivering videoconferencing and unified communications services.

    Leslie Ferry, vice president of marketing, BroadSoft, said: “Telesphere VideoConnect is exactly the type of service-provider offering BroadCloud Video was designed to enable – HD videconferencing that supports multiple devices and integrates seamlessly with key unified communications services, and can be offered with a pricing structure compelling to cost-sensitive and underserved mid-market enterprises. We applaud Telesphere’s innovation in bringing a CapEx-free videoconferencing solution to market that we believe can accelerate adoption of video.”

    VideoConnect features an intuitive user interface with a nearly flat learning curve for employees, as its producer claims. For example, when employees place a call from a videophone or a webcam-equipped personal computer using a softphone such as CounterPath’s Bria, Bria for BroadWorks, Telesphere’s infrastructure detects whether the called party also is video-enabled and, if so, automatically sets up a one-to-one video call. This design eliminates the need for employees to maintain separate videophones, additional numbers or special addresses for colleagues, clients and business partners.

    Direct one-to-one video calls are free, while charges for group videoconference calls using the BroadCloud Video bridge are based on minutes and port usage.

    Additional key VideoConnect features and functionality include:

    ·      BroadCloud Video-enabled support for HD video quality at up to 1080p and connection via SIP, H.264, H.263, H.323 and H.320.
    ·      Employees within the same company can use four-digit dialing for video calls.
    ·      BroadCloud Video-enabled seamless integration of videconferencing with additional or existing enterprise and unified communications services such as web collaboration, IM & Presence and HD voice.
    ·      An intuitive UI that automatically displays the video feeds from the six most recent speakers, with the current one in the center pane.
    ·      For videoconferences with more than two parties, a Telesphere-provided video attendant welcomes each participant to the bridge, requests a passcode and places them in a virtual waiting area if the conference hasn’t begun. This feature enables any size business to provide a highly professional, concierge-level user experience.
    ·      Real-time monitoring that automatically moves participants back to the waiting area if the moderator unexpectedly drops.

    You may also want to read:
    Viber 3G VoIP Mobile App Coming to Android
    Ciscos Cius Tablet Coming to Verizon LTE
    Level 3 Delivers SIP Trunking with Nomadic E-911 Solution for Microsoft Lync

  • Report: European Videoconferencing Endpoints Market

    Videoconferencing has proved to be a viable solution for companies that are reducing their travel expenditure, thereby boosting the European videoconferencing endpoints market growth, says Frost & Sullivan.

    New analysis from the research group, European Videoconferencing Endpoints Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $383.6 million in 2009 and estimates this to reach $1.03 billion in 2015 at a compound annual growth rate of 18.0 per cent.

    According to Frost & Sullivan, the major growth factors of the videoconferencing endpoints market in Europe include the need for companies to decrease travel expenses, search for alternative ways to meet their workers and clients and the stringent environment policies imposed by the European Parliament.

    Additionally, videoconferencing is stepping up the decision-making process and enhancing teamwork in the more-than-ever dispersed workforce.

    "The videoconferencing endpoints market has been witnessing a slow transformation in the recent years, largely attributed to the introduction of high-quality products, such as high-definition conferencing and telepresence, the market’s shift towards converged audio, video and web conferencing solutions, and integration with other existing collaborative applications," states Iwona Petruczynik, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst.

    However, the report says, the European videoconferencing endpoints market is restrained by several factors. For example, the misconception that videoconferencing services are communications tools used only by large enterprises is hindering the adoption among small and medium businesses.

    Moreover, new communications and collaboration vendors are delivering videoconferencing as a part of a unified solution, creating a one-stop-shop for their customers; however, this is hampering the growth of standalone videoconferencing providers. Poor infrastructure and low bandwidth, especially in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), also have adverse effects on the videoconferencing endpoints market growth.

    "The two main challenges with which the market is constantly battling are – the long-standing belief that videoconferencing is a complicated tool, reserved only for the top level management in large enterprises, and the rise of unified communications (UC), where audio, web, and video-conferencing tools are converging," said Petruczynik.

    Analyst claims that overcoming the first barrier is a constant challenge for vendors. However, with the recession spurring the growth of videoconferencing, these collaboration tools and their benefits have been brought to the fore, especially their increasing ease of use.

    “Videoconferencing vendors should be able to proactively address their clients’ needs and evolve constantly in this market. The trend of shifting towards UC is leading to an increased attention to the adoption and usage of visual collaboration in business,” concluded Petruczynik.

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  • HD Videoconferencing – A "Compelling" Option For Business


    High definition video has "raised the game" for videoconferencing and telepresence systems.

    That’s the opinion of Rick Snyder, president of Tandberg Americas, who says HD videoconferencing offers a "really compelling visual experience".

    He says this – and the fact the current economic climate has required business travel budgets to be cut – means more and more companies are looking seriously at HD videoconferencing.

    "We think that in the next few years, HD will become the norm," he said

    Speaking at the recent VoiceCon 2009, Snyder suggests that today’s HD videoconferencing systems offer a very compelling ROI – in some cases their cost is equivalent to a couple of international business trips.

    So as well as increasing productivity he says they can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom-line – and on the environment.

    Below is a video interview with Rick Snyder (his comments on HD start at 4.12mins) from VoiceCon.

  • Growth Strong In HD Videoconferencing and Telepresence


    A third of videoconferencing managers report that the economic crisis is likely to lead to an accelerated deployment of equipment rather than a slowdown.

    A survey from Wainhouse Research reports that customers are continuing to invest in "visual collaboration solutions", even in the current economic climate.

    It says the two largest drivers for this are travel reduction and improved decision making.

    Nearly a quarter of respondents have either deployed telepresence suites or are planning on deploying within one year.

    It’s not just full-room telepresence systems that are experiencing growth but videoconferencing solutions generally, including desktop videoconferencing applications.

    Wainhouse’s annual survey of videoconferencing end users indicates that in the past year, both interest in and purchases of more advanced visual solutions have increased dramatically.

    The results shows that 32 per cent of respondents have systems that can now support 720p HD videoconferencing.

    To support these and other unified communications applications, customers are continuing their migration to IP, with users reporting that 76 per cent of video calls now take place on an IP network – up from 66 per cent one year earlier.

    In addition, interest in integrating videoconferencing to unified communications platforms has grown significantly, according to the report.

  • Mobile Videoconferencing Still Some Way To Go


    Improvements in call quality and economic conditions are doing wonders for global demand for videoconferencing – and in particular desktop video calling.

    But the day when globe-trotting executives hook up to a video conference call on their smartphone would still appear to be a little way off.

    Linor Shachar, VP sales and marketing for videoconferencing experts Emblaze VCON, said video over mobile had had limited success so far.

    "People are refusing to have a video call over mobile," she said. "It’s still not there in terms of end-user quality.

    "For the user it’s very annoying, so people tend to give up very quickly."

    Shachar said issues such as being to able to deliver the service over all types of phone and the cost of making video calls would remain barriers to the adoption of mobile videoconferencing.

    "Once you get over these, I’m sure people will be ready to try mobile video call. I am sure it will get there," she said.

  • Emblaze: Growing Global Demand For Desktop Videoconferencing Solutions


    As the global appetite for videoconferencing solutions grows, so do the possibilities they offer.



    hdtv.biz-news spoke to Linor Shachar, VP sales and marketing for videoconferencing experts Emblaze VCON, about the latest market trends and developments.


    It’s strange to hear an executive from a company that sells videoconferencing solutions admitting business people will always need to travel to meetings and conferences.

    Yet while Linor Shachar, VP sales and marketing for videoconferencing experts Emblaze VCON, believes there is a place for face-to-face meetings she has no doubts about the future of video calling.

    And she argues that future is shifting rapidly from expensive full-room telepresence systems to desktop videoconferencing applications.

    "Up until two years ago the market was driven by room systems," she said. "This was centred around specialist hardware companies that installed usually costly equipment in corporate conference rooms.

    "Everyone was looking to have such a system. But it was quite expensive and users had to get up from their desks and go to a conference room to make a video call."

    Shachar said that in the last couple of years the trend has shifted towards desktop solutions.

    Demand for these is growing quickly in Europe and the US, where the financial crisis is favoring videoconferencing solutions that enable businesses to reduce travel budgets.

    Shachar said interest was also growing rapidly in APAC nations, especially China and India, where there was a rush to adopt desktop videoconferencing.

    This preference for desktop options was partly driven by a desire to take advantage of a lower cost model of videoconferencing.

    But she said there was also the convenience factor of being able to make video calls easily and quickly from the PC or laptop on your desk.

    This was becoming more acceptable, especially as people are now increasingly familiar with VoIP and video calling from their experience of using them at home.

    Shachar said Emblaze has now developed a reputation for its desktop client – especially software delivering Full HD (1080p).

    A major success for the Israeli company was providing BMW’s group headquarters with over 3,000 desktop clients.

    She said rather than relying on email to communicate both internally and externally, BMW staff are able to work and interact via video calls.

    "Video is becoming more intuitive and simple to use. For, instance, it’s connected to Outlook so you simply have to click on a contact to make a video call, " she said.

    "Its use is growing at BMW, with more and more departments asking to join and more people using video.

    "In a huge organisation such as BMW, it’s very useful between sites but also within one site.

    "So you can ‘ping’ a colleague in the warehouse and get them to hold up a part for you to look at without having to leave your desk."

    Shachar said a key aspect of the success of the video conference system was the HD call quality.

    "If the quality was poor people would not use it," she said.

    So while Emblaze accepts that there will always be the need for people to travel to meetings, face-to-face meetings are increasingly being replaced by video calls.

    "A quarter of meetings are now done over video – that has changed very recently," she said.

    As people become more accustomed to the idea of meeting remotely that figure is certain to keep on rising.

    Does your business use videoconferencing? Are there some situations where it just isn’t effective?

    Please send us your comments.

  • Logitech Snaps Up VoIP Startup SightSpeed


    Logitech International has announced the acquisition of VoIP and videoconferencing startup SightSpeed for around USD $30 million.

    The deal is expected to close in early November, following completion of standard closing procedures and conditions.

    In a release, the Swiss manufacturer of PC peripherals said the addition of SightSpeed’s video technology and research and development team would allow it to develop new video solutions for the home market.

    SightSpeed’s software has received widespread praise and sits at the core of Dell’s Video Chat application. The service allows people to make video calls, computer-to-computer voice calls, and calls to regular telephones, with free and paid versions.

    Logitech claimed the merger would produce "future video calling initiatives that can enable cross-platform video communications with an intuitive, lifelike experience, for people sitting in front of a personal computer or with their family in a living room".

    Logitech, perhaps best known for computer mice it makes, already sells high-end video cameras for online video conferencing and chat, and some VoIP equipment as well.

    Junien Labrousse, executive vice president of Logitech’s Products group, said: "With this acquisition, we are significantly augmenting our current video R&D resources to help us move more quickly toward our goals for video services that complement the way people socialize, communicate and enjoy entertainment."

    SightSpeed’s 25 employees currently work out of offices in Fremont, California, where Logitech’s US HQ is situated.

  • LifeSize Launches Full-HD Telepresence System


    LifeSize Communications has unveiled what it describes as the next generation in video communications – a full HD telepresence solution.

    The system provides life-size images and HD audio for as many as six participants at one time.

    Equipped with multiple camera inputs and dual monitors, it offers standards-based 1080p at 30 frames per second and 720p at 60 frames per second.

    LifeSize Room 200 also supports 720p30 dual streams enabling full-motion, high definition data sharing.

    The company claims that with twice the frame rate and half the latency of other HD systems, its new system delivers a communications experience rivaled only by being there in person.

    Craig Malloy, CEO and founder, LifeSize Communications, said Room 200 unlocked the power of telepresence for knowledge workers everywhere.

    The system is already being used by companies such as Reliance Industries Limited and The Blackstone Group.

    “Now more than ever in today’s economic climate customers are viewing high definition video as a critical lever to help them stay competitive, bridge their globally dispersed work groups, and reduce expenses, “ he said.

    Roopam Jain, principal analyst at Frost & Sullivan, said LifeSize Room 200 was the industry’s first shipping 1080p30/720p60 Full HD offering.

    LifeSize Room 200 is now available for order with volume availability in early November 2008.

    Prices are expected to be around USD $17,000.

    For companies looking to cut their travel expenses, the idea of HD teleconferencing must look increasingly attractive.

  • Why Isn't VoIP Videoconferencing Taking Off?

    Voip.biz-news.com spoke to Huw Rees, VP of marketing and sales at Internet-based voice and video telephony company 8×8, to get his feedback on VoIP videoconferencing as a corporate communication tool.
    In these times of budget cuts and soaring travel costs, videoconferencing has been hailed as an effective means of communicating with far-flung employees and customers.

    Companies such as Cisco TelePresence, HP Halo and Lifesize have invested heavily in videoconferencing – or telepresence – technology and offer a range of HD products, some of which cost upwards USD $100,000.

    While these studio-type devices are beyond the range of small businesses, there are an increasing number of affordable desktop IP-based videoconferencing systems on the market.

    With early problems of video quality now overcome, VoIP videoconferencing products would seem to be an ideal corporate communication tool.

    Although more geared to two or three-way conference calls – rather than larger groups – they a provide clear, face-to-face visual link.
    Yet these easy to use, low-cost alternatives have still to catch on.

    Internet-based voice and video telephony company 8×8 introduced its videoconferencing solution, the Packet8 Virtual Office Tango Video Terminal Adapter (VTA), in January.

    However, Huw Rees, vice president of marketing and sales at 8×8, said so far it had not proved to be very popular.
    He said it had been adopted by around 5 per cent of subscribers.

    “It’s not really a runaway success,” he said. “Generally people do not use video to phone a lot of people.

    “They are still a bit unconfortable being in front of a camera rather than having a straight audio call.”

    Headquarted in Santa Clara, California, 8×8 is the second largest stand alone VoIP service provider in the US.

    Benefits Of  Videoconferencing?



    Rees said that, apart from in specific circumstances, business people didn’t see any benefit from using video.
    “We believe that will change, but we have been saying that for several years and haven’t seen it yet,” he said.

    Rees said that he remained to be convinced that even the expensive room systems with giant HD screens were realy going to catch on.

    “Presumably these companies have done their research but it will be interesting to see what happens,” he said.

    “There are certain circumstances where these set-ups work, such as when a business has two teams involved on a project in different parts of the country. But this is very specific.”

    Rees said the VTA, which has a built-in TFT LCD 5” display, has been adapted from an existing consumer product for its business customers.

    He said the main difference was that it was an extension on a PBX rather than being a stand-alone device.

    A phone is supplied with the package, with features such as call transferring built into it.

    Video Quality Not An Issue

    Joan Citelli, direct of corporate communications for 8×8, said video quality had been poor in the early days of IP-based videoconferencing but that was not the case today.

    “Quality is not an issue any longer,” she said. “Videoconferencing does seem to make a lot of sense and you would think that it would allow companies to cut down on commuting and travelling.

    “But it seems that seeing someone on a phone call is not a replacement for meeting and sitting down with them.”

    Have you used a desktop videoconferencing package? We would be interested to hear your comments on videoconferencing and whether it is going to catch on with small business users.