9 November 2009. Cisco held a live in-person conference featuring CEO John Chambers (pictured) for dozens of leading industry analysts and consultants (along with Cisco's top 100 business partners) to launch its Collaboration strategy and product offerings in San Francisco last week. This followed a virtual sales conference with 19,000 participants from across the globe.

Cisco announced a wide range of new and/or enhanced product offerings and changed the emphasis from “Unified Communications” to “Collaboration”.  It was by far the largest and most diversified goup of technolgy innovations ever announced on a single day by one company. After this massive and rich definition of the inter-linked Cisco tools for Collaboration, an observer can be forgiven if suffering from technology indigestion.

The new product introductions span real-time and asynchronous collaboration applications, and collectively take advantage of the power of video and voice-based communications to help enable natural, person-to-person and business-to-business collaboration across all media and devices.

New Cisco TelePresence, Cisco Unified Communications, and Cisco WebEx solutions raise the bar for inter-company Collaboration by delivering rich video, voice, and presence capabilities across and between organizations. Two examples are:

- New Cisco enterprise instant messaging (IM) and presence solutions powered by Jabber XMPP help people quickly find, connect and collaborate with colleagues inside and outside their organization.

- A Cisco-hosted directory of organizations and locations with Cisco TelePresence simplifies the scheduling of intercompany telepresence meetings.

Cisco also announced its entrance into two new markets, enterprise social software and hosted email, with the goal of bringing the collaborative power of online social communities to businesses. Cisco Show and Share is a social video system that helps organizations create and manage highly secure video communities to share ideas and expertise. Cisco's hosted email offering, based on the Postpath acquisition, allows IT to move to cloud efficiencies while leveraging their current investment in the Microsoft Outlook client.

The new product introductions are offered to customers as on-premise, on-demand or software-as-a-service solutions, or blended approaches, and can be deployed on a sliding scale of consumption based on business process needs, rather than information technology constraints.

Some of the new Telepresence and video-related solutions announced last week are:

 -The Intercompany Cisco TelePresence Directory - a Cisco-hosted directory of endpoints, organizations and people with access to Cisco TelePresence endpoints. The directory features a virtual assistant to assist with scheduling meetings between  the more than 1000 rooms and 75 customers on Cisco TelePresence exchanges.

- Cisco TelePresence WebEx Engage is a simple, one-button initiation and scheduling solution with video integration between Cisco TelePresence and Cisco WebEx conferencing.

- The Cisco Intercompany Media Engine gives end-users business-to-business communications over any IP network, maximizing network efficiency and reducing costs. This new solution has been submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for standardization ...Service providers will benefit from the ability to offer new business-to-business communications services, differentiated network capabilities, and expanded managed services.

- With Cisco Unified Communications system 8.0, Cisco extends support for a wide range of endpoints including new video- and WiFi-enabled Cisco Unified IP Phones and additional smartphones via Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator. Cisco UC 8.0 also offers customers a choice of deployment models – whether on-premise, on-demand, or hybrid.

16 November 2009. Cisco TelePresence is Cisco's fastest-growing new product category with more than 3,000 systems deployed worldwide to over 500 customers.  In addition, Cisco has installed more than 650 Cisco TelePresence rooms on its own internal network for greater internal and external productivity and effective collaboration.

Demand for Cisco Telepresence continues to grow and Frost & Sullivan predicts the Telepresence market may reach $4.7 billion in revenue worldwide by 2014. To meet this demand Cisco recognised the company could not continue to rely on the limited number of partners used at present to install and maintain their TelePresence solutions.

Cisco has decided to provide certificates for skills development training for mainstream IT professionals to install and maintain Cisco TP installations. Two new certifications to validate the skills that professionals need to install and support Cisco TelePresence deployments are to be introduced:
- the Cisco TelePresence Solutions Specialist, and
- the Cisco TelePresence Installations Specialist.

The Cisco TelePresence Solutions Specialist certification focuses on the job-performance needs of a mid-career voice specialist or networking engineer who seeks to specialize in the planning, design, implementation (PDI) and maintenance of Cisco TelePresence deployments. Tasks include assessing network paths for rich media, evaluating call-control design options and configuring interoperability functions. The CCNA® certification is a pre-requisite.

The Cisco TelePresence Installations Specialist certification focuses on the job-performance needs of an installation technician seeking to master the physical deployment and construction of single-screen Cisco TelePresence Systems (the 500, 1000, 1100 and 1300 series). Tasks include assessing room readiness, tuning cameras/microphones and installing high-definition screens. While there is no pre-requisite certification, a working understanding of basic Internet-based device connections is highly recommended.

Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, general manager, Learning@Cisco, said: “As network environments become more complex and sophisticated, incorporating the latest collaborative technologies can help businesses expedite decision making, enhance productivity and improve relationships. ... Cisco authorized training and certifications provide organizations and individuals with the technical knowledge and expertise needed to capitalize on the evolution of networking technology.”

Training will be provided through Cisco Learning partners at suitable locations worldwide. Cisco is starting to train the trainers in these learning partners.

Cisco envisages that within two to three years there will be hundreds of qualified Cisco TP  Solutions Specialists and thousands of Cisco TP Installation Specialists.

Information about courseware and exams is scheduled to be available in early 2010 at:
 https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/.

Cisco Learning Partners qualified to provide Telepresence solutions training are found at the Cisco Learnign Partner locator:
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/learning_center/with_learning_partners

In the meantime, the very comprehensive Cisco Press book “Cisco Telepresence Fundamentals”, all 570 pages, is compulsory reading to bring you up to speed ahead of training.

10 November 2009. Logitech International, a world leader in PC peripherals and PC video communication (webcams and video calling) based in Switzerland, has announced that it has agreed to acquire privately-held LifeSize Communications of Austin, Texas for $405 million in cash.

Logitech is a world leader in personal peripherals, driving innovation in PC navigation, Internet communications, digital music, home-entertainment control, gaming and wireless devices.  Logitech acquired SightSpeed for $30 million in October 2008. SightSpeed offers video-call services and video-chat over the Internet to businesses and consumers. Logitech’s retail business accounted for 85 percent of its revenue of $2.2 billion in FY ending March 31 2009.

LifeSize is a global leader in high definition (HD) video communication solutions, with more than 9,000 video conferencing customers across 80 countries in large enterprises, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and public healthcare, education and government organizations. LifeSize expects approximately $90 million in revenue in calendar year 2009, with CY 2010 revenue expected to grow between 40 percent and 60 percent.

“We expect this acquisition to enable Logitech to extend our leadership in video communication beyond the desktop,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer.

 “Together we can make life-like, HD-quality video communication as mainstream and seamless as a telephone, for meeting participants in the boardroom, at their office desk, in a remote-location meeting room, telecommuting from home or on the go with a laptop.”

“LifeSize was founded on the vision of providing life-like visual-communication solutions to change the way the world communicates,” said Craig Malloy, LifeSize co-founder and chief executive officer.

“We believe that together with Logitech, we can realize that vision for all enterprises – private and public – and small and medium businesses. Our combined proven innovation can accelerate mainstream adoption of video communication by anyone, anywhere.”

Logitech and LifeSize plan to pursue existing and new relationships with unified communications, collaboration and VoIP industry partners and competitors to drive the development of an open eco-system for interoperable video communication.

Logitech and LifeSize also expect to further video communication growth by leveraging their combined technology expertise as well as Logitech’s world-class manufacturing and supply chain operations, extensive R&D, expertise in user experience and globally recognized brand.

Logitech plans for LifeSize to operate as a separate division in Austin under the leadership of Craig Malloy as the LifeSize Communications chief executive officer, reporting to Mr. Quindlen.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust approval, and is expected to close in December 2009.

Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

In FY ending 31 March 2009, Logitech had Sales of $2.2 billion, Operating Income of $110 million (eps of $0.59) and Cash Flow from Operations of $201million. With a share costing $17.7 on 17 November, Logitech’s Market Cap is $ 3.15 billion.
  
As LifeSize expects approximately $90 million in revenue in calendar year 2009, with CY 2010 revenue expected to grow between 40 percent and 60 percent, Logitech expects the acquisition to be neutral to slightly positive to its operating income (excluding acquisition-related charges) in the FY ending March 31, 2011, and positive thereafter.

3 November 2009. Cisco says that more than 35 higher education institutions have purchased Cisco TelePresence to scale expertise, foster more open innovation between academic and private industry researchers and develop innovative distance learning programs that benefit from in-person collaboration. 

Many educational institutions are facing difficult challenges with fewer resources and increasing demands. Cisco TelePresence helps address these challenges by providing colleges and universities with an immersive, life-like communications experience, realistically conveying the body language and human elements that are critical to the interactive nature of a traditional classroom. 

Professors are able to address students across multiple campuses virtually as though they were sitting in the same room, record lectures for future viewing, collaborate with other experts on academic research, and bring classrooms together around the world to engage in an interactive, face-to-face learning environment. 

Several of the nation's top research universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, Purdue University, Stanford University, among others, utilize Cisco TelePresence to increase the frequency of "in-person" collaboration with colleagues at other universities, helping speed new developments and improve ongoing research collaboration to foster more open innovation. 

Cisco is working closely with U.S. based national research network, National LambdaRail (NLR), to drive the advancement of Cisco TelePresence connections among higher education institutions. Today, NLR has connected more than 300 colleges, universities, medical schools and teaching hospitals, including Duke University, Indiana University and Penn State University.

Universities can also use AT&T Telepresence Solution to connect with other members of the AT&T Business Exchange, an exclusive intercompany collaboration feature of AT&T Telepresence Solution. AT&T Telepresence Solution is a fully managed, multipoint, business-to-business telepresence application powered by AT&T's global MPLS IP-based network.

Cisco will demonstrate its Connected Learning solutions, including a live Cisco TelePresence connection with NLR from the show floor to university customers, at Educause 2009, the premier event for IT professionals in higher education held at Colorado Convention Center, Denver 4 to 6 November 2009.

Cisco TelePresence is Cisco's fastest-growing new product category with more than 3,000 systems deployed worldwide.  In addition, Cisco has installed more than 650 Cisco TelePresence rooms on its own internal network for greater internal and external productivity and effective collaboration.

3 November 2009. The University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business, ranked consistently as one of the top schools in the country for international business, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Cisco to utilize the company's revolutionary Cisco TelePresence technology to deliver a range of global Executive Education and Graduate-level business and management courses. 

The Moore School plans to first integrate the Cisco Telepresence in its Professional MBA Program beginning in February 2010.  In addition, the School will utilize the new integrated learning platform in a variety of its Executive and Graduate Degree programs – including its Master in International Business, a new Executive Master in Higher Education Management and in various programs with the School's 20 partner institutions around the world.

Moore becomes one of the first business schools in the country to utilize the high-definition conferencing as a way to offer students and executives around the world a variety of "blended learning" options for participating in business education programs.

"Our collaboration with Cisco allows us to take executive learning to a whole new level," says Raymond Smith, Associate Dean of Executive Education at the Moore School.  "The use of Cisco TelePresence and other technologies will fundamentally change the way we think about global learning and teaching in a way that is more visually stimulating and interactive than any vehicle ever used in educating executives."

Moore School Dean Hildy Teegen points out that the study of international business requires an understanding of the interface between the practice of management and the political, economic and socio-cultural dimensions that shape global business.

"One way of achieving this is through a process of dialogue between faculty, students, business and government from different cultures and countries around the world," she says.  "At the Moore School, we now have the technological capability to bring the world closer together and make this happen in real time."

"Working alongside leading universities and business schools like the University of South Carolina's Moore School, together we are creating 21st century learning environments that more effectively prepare students to participate in the global economy," says Scott Westlake, Director of Market Development at Cisco.  "We believe that the Moore School has the vision to use Cisco's technology in a way that will truly change the way the world learns."

The Moore School of Business is among the highest-ranked business schools in the world for international business education and research. Founded in 1919, the school has a history of innovative educational leadership, blending academic preparation with real-world experience through internships, consulting projects, study-abroad programs, and entrepreneurial opportunities. The Moore School offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as distinctive executive education programs.

In 1998, the school was named for South Carolina native and New York financier Darla Moore, making the University of South Carolina the first major university to name its business school after a woman. 

For more information, visit http://www.moore.sc.ed

12 November 2009.  Atari, Inc., an interactive entertainment company, is using High-Definition (HD) Telepresence solutions from Polycom to help unite globally dispersed teams for more effective collaboration, accelerated decision-making, lower costs and improved work/life balance for employees.

Upgrading its network of standards-based Polycom video solutions, Atari has upgraded to Polycom's HDX 9000™ and HDX 8000™ Telepresence systems at sites in New York, London, Lyon and Paris, France. It has also deployed a Polycom RMX 1000™ real-time media conferencing platform to enable multisite conferences.

Atari group is a global creator, producer and publisher of interactive entertainment for interactive game platforms that include PC, online, consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony and advanced smart phones. The company's extensive catalog of popular games is based on original franchises, publishing properties, international licenses, and classic games covering the entire history of the video game industry including Pong®, Missile Command® and Asteroids®.

Atari relies on Polycom  Telepresence solutions because they provide a standards-based UltimateHD™ experience -- HD video, HD voice and HD multimedia content-sharing capabilities. This enables internal company teams to not only see and hear each other in life-like clarity, but also share multimedia content, like full-motion graphics from games, in HD.

"Using HD video conferencing provides a more intimate experience and brings us closer together as a company," said Roland Lesterlin, an Atari product development manager. "It's vital to get all of the executives together in one location to make sure the whole company is on the same page,"

"As we've rolled out our Polycom HD Telepresence solution, users have been very impressed with the ease of use, the video and audio quality and the content sharing capabilities. There is real value in seeing real-time facial reactions of our colleagues and the ability to share our work in real-time is changing how we collaborate as a company."

The catalyst for deploying Polycom HD telepresence systems was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of critical "green light" meetings, where decisions about video game development are made. The important and often lengthy meetings connect executives and staff from all over the world. The Atari IT team was asked to improve the quality of the interactions and presentations during the “green light” meetings in a cost-effective manner.

Atari had been using legacy video conferencing systems from Polycom to reduce the travel required for “green light” meetings  so a move to Polycom HD Telepresence solutions was a natural one.

Atari IT Manager Arnaldo Espinal said: "Presentations during the meetings now include demonstrations of games, viewing of HD-quality images, videos, and reviews of builds that are going through the alpha and beta stages," said

 Lesterlin added: "Being able to present these games in HD during the green light meetings is an important part of accurately assessing whether or not it is a game to move forward with. One selling point of video games is the visual quality, especially with HD becoming ubiquitous in the home."

Lesterlin also reports benefits in creative collaboration: "We have producers in locations around the world working with our developers, and these people are integral to the creative process. Polycom Telepresence aenables a virtual in-person communication that is necessary for any creative development. As we use the systems more and more on a daily basis, it improves the quality of our creativity."

Atari is realizing significant savings in travel costs, by cutting travel and holding the meetings over video. The reduced travel is also helping provide better work/life balance for Atari employees.

"In the video game industry, many executives are relatively young and often starting families, and the prolonged separation of travel impacts work/life balance," said Lesterlin. "Everyone wants to spend more time with their families and Polycom Telepresence has absolutely helped in that area by keeping people off planes and closer to home."

12 November 2009. American Express Business Travel (Amex) and Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) are helping their travel business clients to make room bookings in Tata Communications’ expanding network of public Cisco TelePresence suites.

Tata Communications currently runs 10 public Cisco Telepresence suites and plans to expand with 15 new rooms by year-end 2009 and another 10 by mid-2010).

American Express Business Travel also has a deal with Cisco TelePresence distributor Regus, an executive suite and office space provider.

Amex recently concluded a pilot program with one large client in which it offered a dedicated desk taking TelePresence room reservations by phone. Amex now is offering that service to other clients. Amex expects to integrate with online booking tools next year and CWT is considering integrating them into online booking systems next year as well.

“This technology of the telepresence options from Cisco and HP is at a level that it has never been before in terms of clarity and crispness,” said American Express Business Travel senior vice president and general manager for worldwide sales Andrew McGraw this summer.

“There’s a direct correlation between business travel on a macro-level and increasing revenues—but there are some areas of travel that can be scaled back and supplemented with Telepresence solutions, particularly internal meetings.

Amex and CWT are reported to be planning to charge for Telepresence in similar ways as they do for traditional travel or meetings services.

Eric Bausman, global product manager for corporate card and emerging products at CWT said:.
“The price for the Telepresence room rental is in some way like a hotel room or conference facility. We facilitate the booking and take a fee for that, and payment of the room services would be either through us with a credit card or the participants could settle direct with the supplier. There is no volume discount available.”

Source: Article: Big TMCs Tool Up For Telepresence by Jay Campbell in the Transnational

12 November 2009. Magyar Telekom is Hungary's principal provider of telecom services. The company is now offering Cisco TelePresence as a managed service in Hungary, Macedonia and Montenegro. Over the next several months, Magyar Telekom is planning to extend this service to additional countries in the region.

Magyar Telekom is the majority owner of Makedonski Telekom, the leading fixed line and mobile operator in Macedonia and it holds a majority stake in Crnogorski Telekom, the leading telecommunications operator in Montenegro.

For managed intercompany Cisco TelePresence services, Magyar Telekom is deploying Cisco TelePresence systems at the customers' premises and provides the network connectivity with a dedicated virtual private network (VPN) between the locations. The service is running on Magyar Telekom's quality of service (QOS)-enabled, high security Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) infrastructure. Since this is a managed service, customers pay a monthly fee to Magyar Telekom, thus saving on initial capital expenditures.

Customers can choose from a variety of offerings in the Cisco TelePresence product portfolio to meet the needs of their organization, from a personal Cisco TelePresence system that can sit on a desk to a large virtual meeting room that can seat up to 18 people.  New systems are also available for multipurpose conference rooms, reducing the need to set aside a dedicated conference room. 

Customers can use Cisco TelePresence for virtual meetings internally, as well as for intercompany meetings with partners, customers and suppliers.

Intercompany services connect calls from a Cisco TelePresence room on one corporate network to another Cisco TelePresence room on a different company's network through a secure connection from the service provider. To enable service providers to offer intercompany Cisco TelePresence commercial services, Cisco delivers a fully validated reference architecture that facilitates calls between multiple enterprise networks to traverse the service provider network with no comingling of routes, addresses or data.

For small and medium-sized businesses, Magyar Telekom is offering Virtualoso managed services, a set of cost-efficient and highly secure communication solutions. Virtualoso Meeting is based on Cisco WebEx, which enables meeting participants to simultaneously share files, carry out a telephone conference through a Magyar Telekom integrated audio bridge, connect via video, exchange chat messages, hold Web polls, and do all this in a highly secure online environment.

KFKI, a subsidiary of Magyar Telekom and a Cisco Gold Certified Partner, as well as a Cisco TelePresence Advanced Technology Provider in Hungary, designed the managed service offering and provides system integration as well as the Cisco TelePresence meeting reservation software component.

Istvan Papp, chief operating officer of Magyar Telekom, head of Business Services Business Unit (T-Systems), said:

"A paradigm change is taking place in IT: instead of the purchase of entire systems, the focus is shifting towards the lease of solutions and applications. The principal advantage of managed services is that companies do not need to make upfront investments and can use their innovation budget to develop and expand their own core activities."

3 November 2009. Dimension Data, the global specialist IT services and solutions provider, has extended the Group’s Cisco TelePresence footprint and installed systems in its New York, London, Johannesburg, Singapore, Tokyo, Brisbane and Canberra offices.

Dimension Data has large three-screen Cisco TelePresence CTS3000 systems in Johannesburg, Sydney and Melbourne. Cisco CTS1000 systems have been installed in the Group’s New York, London, Singapore, Tokyo, Brisbane and Canberra offices. Plans are to rollout additional TelePresence end-points throughout Europe in the next few months, and to the rest of the Group within the next six months.

The move is in line with Dimension Data’s Green strategy to reduce employee travel globally, and  increase accessibility of TelePresence to a broader range of the company’s staff to use to  to communicate and collaborate globally in real-time.

Steve Joubert, Dimension Data’s Group Executive: Global Solutions says, “We expect to cut travel costs among the Group’s senior management alone to between 15% and 20% - and that’s without comprising crucial, realtime, face-to-face contact which makes for successful leadership.”

“And because the system is also integrated into our employees’ scheduling in Microsoft Outlook, they can book a TelePresence room anywhere in the world to facilitate multipoint conferences.”  

Joubert says Dimension Data in Australia has been successfully using TelePresence to communicate between their Sydney and Melbourne offices for the past year.  “We have found that the room in Sydney is booked out between eight to twelve hours every day by both employees wanting to communicate internally, and our clients.”  

“Another benefit is being able to interact with employees, partners, and vendors in a way that models face-to-face communication.  Thanks to a direct connection into the Cisco Exchange, inter-company communications are easy, and the Group’s communications network is expanding daily,” explains Joubert.

Dimension Data is using the Tata Communications Limited global WAN to connect its internal TelePresence endpoints, including a link from South Africa to London using the Dimension Data owned new-generation telco, Internet Solutions.

Earlier this year, Dimension Data and Tata Communications Limited signed a global joint go to market agreement with Cisco Telepresence solutions.
 
Dimension Data plc is a specialist IT services and solution provider, helps clients plan, build, support and manage their IT infrastructures with offices worldwide. Dimension Data applies its expertise in networking, converged communications, security, data centre and storage, Microsoft and contact centre technologies, and its unique skills in consulting, integration and managed services to create customised client solutions.

18 November 2009. Cisco required 90% acceptance of its NKr 153 per share cash offer to acquire all TANDBERG shares by 18 November. Although recommended by the Board of Directors, a representative of a group of shareholders holding 24% of the outstanding shares said this was not enough.

On 10 November 2009, Cisco announced that with regard to the voluntary public cash offer to acquire all outstanding shares in TANDBERG worth $3.0 billion, Cisco had received acceptances representing 9.37% of the shares and voting rights in TANDBERG. This was clearly not close enough to 90%.

Cisco therefore raised its offer by 11% to NKr 170 per share making the offer worth $3.4 billion and extended the acceptance deadline to 1 December 2009. Cisco says that more than 40% of TANDBERG shareholders, including the largest ones, have “pre-accepted” this higher offer.

According to reports, Cisco CEO John T. Chambers at the Cisco’s shareholder meeting on 12 November warned that “We’re not going to pay a price that we don’t think is good for shareholders.”

So conclusion of this deal hangs in the balance. We will know more on 1 December 2009. 

17 November 2009. TANDBERG has introduced the industry’s first large-scale provisioning solution that allows enterprises to quickly and efficiently deploy TANDBERG E20 personal video conferencing phones and TANDBERG Movi PC video conferencing to thousands of employees in a matter of minutes. The required software upgrades for the TANDBERG TMS, VCS and E20 will be available before 2009 year end. 

TANDBERG’s unique provisioning solution – made possible through a software upgrade to the TANDBERG Management Suite and seamless integration through the TANDBERG Video Communication Serve - can be deployed in three very easy steps:
(1) Administrator configures policies for video users and imports new user addresses from Active Directory
(2) Users receive an automated email that includes username and password
(3) Users plug in their video system, sign in and are ready to make a video call

Traditional video phone deployments can require administrators to spend significant time and resources on planning and logistics, as well as an average of 30 minutes per device; multiply that by thousands, and businesses are faced with an immense resource burden that drives up IT costs substantially. The scalable TANDBERG solution is designed to reduce the cost of ownership by eliminating the time involved in setting up individual devices across large or geographically dispersed organisations.

Large scale provisioning enables organisations of all sizes to deploy out of the box video conferencing solutions that can be provisioned rapidly and scaled based on enterprise need. This enhances the cost savings promise of visual communications and significantly eases mass deployment of video.

Håkon Dahle, TANDBERG Chief Technologist, said: “Through our large scale provisioning solution, TANDBERG is the first to provide the foundation for a massively scalable and easily deployable enterprise video communications infrastructure. We are delivering greater value for customers of all sizes and making it possible to build large video communities in an extremely efficient manner.”

Scott Morrison, Research Vice President, Enterprise Network Services, Gartner said:. “The ability to centrally provision – and re-provision – on a large scale is a key concern for organisations looking to reduce the cost of both the initial setup and of ongoing moves, adds and changes in these mass deployments. This becomes even more important for organisations with large numbers of remote workers ...”.

This TANDBERG scaleable solution for thousands of employees has four componnents:

(1) The TANDBERG Management Suite (TMS) provides administrators with complete visibility and control for carrying out key operations and monitoring on-site and remote video networks. TMS is scalable, easy-to-use and integrates with existing applications and third-party vendors to increase ROI. The new software upgrade makes TMS even more powerful by enabling provisioning to thousands of personal video systems in three simple steps.

(2) The Video Communication Server (VCS) is an infrastructure product specifically designed for video that enables mass provisioning. Serving as the centre of the video communications network, VCS is a scalable and resilient solution that connects the benefits of video conferencing and telepresence to other communications environments including unified communications and IP Telephony networks. VCS also enables users to control how and where they can be reached through FindMe™

(3) The TANDBERG E20 personal video phone provides a business quality videoconferencing experience. The E20 is for organisations that want to expand personal video conferencing usage at all levels by video-enabling users with easy to use, high quality video on the desktop.

(4) TANDBERG Movi is a video collaboration tool that turns any PC into a mobile, high-definition video conferencing system. All that is required is an Internet connection, camera, microphone and speakers. Paired with the TANDBERG PrecisionHD™ USB camera, Movi enables High-Definition 720p 30fps video. Movi is for organisations that want to expand face-to-face communication from anywhere.

16 November 2009.  The Skype Certified™ ASUS Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T has been launched in the UK. This next-generation videophone is the ideal choice for users seeking unlimited free calls through the Skype interface. It sports a range of easy-to-use features including a 7” high quality touchscreen display, fun and colourful icon-driven interface and integrated Wi-Fi support.

The ASUS Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T is the world’s first videophone to feature a large high resolution 7” touch-enabled screen. Such effortless fingertip control combined with a clear and highly visible display makes it a breeze to highlight selections and enter characters on screen, and adds a hugely fun and user-friendly dimension to video calling.

The videophone also presents users with a colourful and simple icon interface which takes the headache out of Internet calling and instead presents users with a fast and easy way to make and receive Skype-to-Skype video and voice calls, without the need for computing knowledge. Now even the youngest kids have no excuse not to call Gran and thank her for the presents!

The ASUS Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T will be stocked at Expansys.com, and is available now at an SRP of £199 inc. VAT.

“Skype goes beyond traditional voice calling and brings people closer through rich, real-time video communication,” said Manrique Brenes, Skype’s director of business development and product management for consumer electronics.

“The ASUS device’s touchscreen makes video calling an even easier and more accessible way for people to communicate. It offers the benefits of Skype video calling and exceptional audio quality—allowing friends, families, and small businesses to share their worlds face-to-face without being tied to a computer.”

With the ASUS Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T users can enjoy unlimited free video and voice calls to anyone on Skype – eliminating the need to worry about costs. Calls can also be received from Skype users who do not have a videophone, for example those on a PC, and from landline/ mobile users if an online Skype number is available.

Furthermore, calls need not be limited to Skype users. The ASUS Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T offers the freedom to call fixed and mobile lines by subscribing to one of Skype’s popular unlimited calling* packages, or by purchasing Skype credits at www.skype.com – making it an ideal home phone replacement.

Some Key Features and Benefits

- Easy set-up with no need for a computer or extra software

- Icon-driven interface is fun and makes it easy for anyone to use

- Wi-Fi for connectivity both around the home and outdoors

- High quality webcam and audio for seamless communication

- Video conferencing support – invaluable for business users

For detailed Product Specifications go to:
www.tru-pr.co.uk/press/clients/asus/ASUSVideophoneTouchPRFinal.pdf

ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s revenue for 2008 was $8.1 billion.  ASUS ranks among the top 10 IT companies in BusinessWeek’s “InfoTech 100”, and has been on the listing for 11 consecutive years. ASUS was rated No.1 in quality and service by the Wall Street Journal Asia.

(1) AnyBots, a manufacturer in Mountain View, California has a debut product - a remote-controlled robot costing $10,000. As its moves around a home, it can be watched remotely on a screen as an operator drives the bot from room to room. The bot is dependent on the operator, but it’s smart enough to roll straight down a hallway even if it gets steered into the wall. “It does what you want it to do, not what you tell it to do,” says an observer.

Anybots has a futuristic face, stereoscopic cameras peering like two eyes, and a screen perched on top of its head like a cap. The picture above says it all.

(2) Are you willing to share your dwelling wth a robot? Some elderly persons are surprisingly receptive to the care of a robotic assistant.

GeckoSystems has started limited in home evaluation trials for their first product, a personal companion home care robot, the CareBot™.  Carebot is a robotic companion designed to share the same living space with an elderly person. It can postpone the time when the elderly have to move into a care home, nursing homes or other assisted living facilities.

The CareBot is an internet appliance that is accessible for remote video/audio monitoring and telepresence.

The CareBot™ has an aluminum frame, plastic shroud, two independently driven wheels, multiple sensor systems, microprocessors and several onboard computers connected in a local area network (LAN). The microprocessors directly interact with the sensor systems and transmit data to the onboard computers. The onboard computers each run independent, highly specialized cooperative/subsumptive artificial intelligence (AI) software programs:

- GeckoSavants™, which interact to complete tasks in a timely, intelligent and common sense manner.
- GeckoNav  for maneuvering, avoiding dynamic and/or static obstacles, seeking waypoints and patrolling.
- GeckoChat for interaction with the care-receiver such as answering questions, assisting with daily routines and reminders, and responding to other verbal commands.
- GeckoTrak, which is mostly transparent to the user, enables the CareBot to maintain proximity to the care-receiver using sensor fusion.

“Now we begin proving our long held belief that personal companion mobile robots, like the CareBot, can help tens of thousands of families take better care of their loved ones while saving significant monies,” remarked Martin Spencer, President/CEO, GeckoSystems.

(3) The known competitive product offerings to Carebot include but are not limited to:

In Asia: Honda ("ASIMO"), Toyota ("Partner Robots"), Fujitsu (Frontech`s "enon"), Sanyo ("FLATTHRU"), NEC ("PaPeRo"), Toshiba ("ApriAlpha," "ApriAttenda"), Samsung, Hitachi ("EMIEW"), Matsushita ("HOSPI"), Mitsubishi ("Wakamaru"), etc.

In Europe: Robosoft ("robuLAB10"), Robowatch, Dyson, Husqvarna, etc. are working to achieve their first personal robot trials, too.

In the U.S.: iRobot ("CiCi"), Mobile Robots ("PeopleBot"), RoboDynamics ("MILO"), Evolution Robotics, etc. are also still seeking to develop viable, cost effective personal companion robots with eldercare benefits.

Prestigious U.S. universities such as MIT, Georgia Tech, Stanford University, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, etc. are but a few of the domestic engineering schools engaged in personal companion robot research and development activities.

Most of the above products are still in development. None of the foregoing have initiated in home evaluation trials of their personal companion home care mobile robots, according to Gecko Systems.

(1) At Streaming Media West 2009 in San Jose this week, Wowza Media Systems, the media server software company, announced that TANDBERG chose Wowza Media Server as its exclusive solution for Flash® streaming through the TANDBERG Content Server (TCS).

Wowza Media Server, currently deployed by over 30,000 licensees globally, is a high-performance, extensible and fully interactive Flash media server for live and on-demand streaming, chat, and recording.

The upcoming Wowza Media Server 2 Advanced extends this proven platform beyond Flash with multi-protocol streaming to the iPhone/iPod touch and other mobile devices, the Silverlight player, QuickTime, and IPTV set-top boxes.

By integrating the controls for Wowza Media Server software into the TCS, TANDBERG can now enable Flash streaming of live and on-demand telepresence and video conference calls and multimedia presentations.

“Wowza Media Server offers a very strong platform for Flash streaming. We opted to embed it in the TANDBERG Content Server to allow customers to use any standards-based telepresence and video conferencing systems to capture and distribute content in the Flash format, both live and on demand,” said Håkon Dahle, TANDBERG Chief Technologist. “We are also very excited about Wowza’s upcoming multi-protocol, multi-client streaming to any device, which will present even greater value for our customers.”

Customers can download the Wowza Media Server software and obtain free evaluation as well as paid licenses online at www.wowzamedia.com.

(1) UK AV trade-only distributor Medium (UK) Ltd has acquired the majority of the share capital in Beyondis Ltd, with a view to further expanding into the videoconferencing market. Beyondis - a high-tech focused distributor dedicated predominantly to Videoconferencing - will become a trading division of Medium.

Ian Sempers, Medium's MD explains: " We see Videoconferencing as an area of growth and we want to become a significant player in this market. ... Beyondis has the LifeSize distribution contract plus some high-end, add-on products which makes it the ideal partner to complement our product range and offerings. ... Logitech investment in Lifesize is excellent news.''

Beyondis was formed in 2007 by Kris Davies, who has been in the AV industry for several years. He commented that the deal with Medium will allow Beyondis to reach further into emerging markets as well as open new opportunities in the traditional markets, where Medium is well established.

" Medium is the right company for us because it has a great understanding of what is required to make videoconferencing a success.' said Davies. "Medium's strength is on its reseller structure and its highly qualified field sales representatives, who know their products inside out."

Besides the education, corporate and public services areas, the new Videooconferencing arm of Medium will be looking at working with telecoms and IT companies that want to complement their offering by adding video for Unified Communications.

(2) Conferencing Advisors Inc. has been recognized as partner of the year by LifeSize Communications. Conferencing Advisors was also named Inc. Magazine's Number 107 in its list of fastest growing companies. The company attributes its rapid growth in part to LifeSize's market-changing product lines.

LifeSize entered the Video Conferencing market with the first HD video conferencing system. LifeSize is the only manufacture that offers an 8 way HD bridge built in to the codec and full HD 60 frames per second and 1080p video systems across their product line with pricing less than half  that of competing  products. LifeSize has just released a new Skype enabled HD video system that sells for under $2500. LifeSize vision has always been to bring High Definition video to all.

(1) Glowpoint, Inc. provided a solution to present featured keynote speaker filmmaker Martin Scorsese in New York to an audience in Los Angeles as part of the home entertainment industry’s second annual Blu-ray conference, called Blu-Con 2.0, on 3 November 2009. Blu-Con 2.0 was sponsored by major Hollywood studios, including Lionsgate Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, and Warner Brothers and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.

Glowpoint’s solution involved a High-Definition, two-way interactive video session, established through Glowpoint’s video cloud (known as “TEN”), which enabled the Academy Award-winning director to present from the Director’s Guild of America offices in New York City to 450 event attendees in Beverly Hills, California.

Glowpoint has provided remote connectivity for entertainment-related events in the past, such as Lionsgate Films’ “Peaceful Warrior” premier. During that event, theatergoers located in California, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon were connected via a video call with actor Nick Nolte and guest motivational speaker Tony Robbins for an interactive community discussion of the film following its first commercial screening.

(2) AuDeo Systems Ltd, a UK-based Video Conferencing Specialists has launched its Virtual Meetings™ Desktop Video Conferencing Service, based on Radvision technology. The Virtual Meetings™ Desktop Video Conferencing Service is a cost effective way of enabling all employees to make Video Conference calls from their desks. The desktop client software is free to download, you pay for connection ports, not users by monthly subscription. Virtual Meetings™ is ideal for team meetings, calls to clients, training to one or many and keeping in touch with home workers and travelling personnel.

The standards-based Radvision technology enables you to not only call other users of Virtual Meetings™, but also any other standards-based IP Video Conferencing systems anywhere in the world. Firewall friendly technology, multipoint capability and datasharing functionality enable true business quality Video Conferencing.

Kevin Wilson, Managing Director of AuDeo Systems Ltd comments:  “We are currently using Virtual Meetings™ ourselves to keep in touch with clients, suppliers, and colleagues working from home and in the field.  All of our staff are incorporating Virtual Meetings™ into their everyday working life and are really impressed with how easy the software is to use and how flexible the solution is”. For more information visit: www.audeo.co.uk/virtualmeetings

(3) BCS Global, a leading managed service provider for VC and TP services, and Corporate Telecom Services Inc. (CTS), one of Canada’s largest direct resellers of Polycom Video Conferencing equipment, have signed astrategic partnership. This new agreement allows the two companies to better serve their customers by providing a one-stop option for an integrated videoconferencing solution - comprising end-to-end managed videoconferencing services and videoconferencing equipment options. The joint-solution offering provides BCS Global's reliable, secure and consistent videoconferencing services on a network optimized specifically for video and audio collaboration.

“Many of Canada’s business enterprises have come to count on CTS to deliver video conference solutions which allow them to improve business meeting effectiveness and efficiency. Now by offering BCS Global’s suite of managed services, we are able to enhance our clients’ experience with their equipment. They can rely on a worry-free video conferencing experience with any hardware, any network, anywhere in the world, every time,” said Kathy Angelow, CTS National Director of Sales.

Ian A Pedersen, SVP Sales at BCS Global, said: “As a way to facilitate a total video solution we strive to partner on both regional and global basis with leading vendors to deliver and manage the right video equipment solution. To that effect, our partnership with CTS will help us in delivering a comprehensive one-stop solution to our customers in Canada for both managed videoconferencing services and video equipment.”

(4) A major, global sports broadcast network has selected Glowpoint’s managed service for a new program scheduled to air on the network and its website. The customer, whose name is undisclosed due to the network’s confidentiality policies, has signed an agreement with Glowpoint with an initial value of $250,000 per year.

As part of the agreement, Glowpoint will provide managed video services and network services to connect ten NFL® team locations with the network’s broadcast studio. This unique application allows for two-way interviews, and content acquisition, using video conferencing equipment in conjunction with Glowpoint’s managed video service. The network will then use the programming content in a live and taped show which airs daily on the network and on their website.

Glowpoint’s Telepresence interExchange Network (TEN) service will provide broadcast-quality, versatile, real-time video communications at a highly competitive price versus traditional, satellite-based offerings.

Glowpoint is scheduled to attend the Sports Video Group League Technology Summit event in New York on December 15, 2009.

(1) The value of the video conferencing market is set to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8 percent between 2008 and 2013, rising from $3.8 billion to $8.6 billion according to Gartner, Inc. -  “Dataquest Insight: Videoconferencing Products and Services Market Forecast, Worldwide, 2007-2013,” September 28, 2009, ID# G00171041.Price $1295 for 13 pages.
Elements Included in and Excluded From This Forecast are not disclosed. They would appear from the Gartner web site to include: Audioconferencing and Web Conferencing, as well as Videoconferencing and Telepresence; and conferencing services as well as hardware and software.

The report say: “Services revenue will grow stronger than revenue from endpoints or infrastructure ...”.

(2) Wainhouse Research, with the release of a new study “Rich Media Conferencing, Volume 3, Collaboration Services”, offers a regional market analysis of the audio, web, and video bridging services markets in North American, European and Asia/Pacific. This largely quantitative review of those regions includes current market sizing by service type, a 5-Year forecast, and a review and analysis of 95 Conferncing Service Providers (CSP) companies. For additional information, contact Client Services Manager, Sara Fargo at sfargo@wainhouse.com.or visit:  www.wainhouse.com/rmc

(3) About 90% of all consumer traffic will be video based by 2013 and will be the sum of all forms of video (TV, video on demand, Internet, and peer to peer (P2P)). Internet video alone will account for over 60% of all consumer Internet traffic in five years. This is according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index Forecast and Methodology 2008-2013 White Paper, June 2009.,  

(1) NTT Electronics Corporation, headquartered in Yokohama City, Japan is initiating the development of its next generation H.264/AVC encoder/decoder LSI family; equipped with 10-bit encoding with a target of launch plan of at least ten new products by 2012.

With the current shift from SDTV to HDTV and with a move from tape to digital files, there is a need to ensure that picture quality is maximized. This can be achieved with 10-bit encoding, which enables an even higher gradation, compared to 8-bit encoding in H.264/AVC compression.

"NTT Electronics is the world's first company to launch H.264/AVC encoder/decoder LSI products with 4:2:2 support for video transmission. This high-quality video compression technology has gained an excellent reputation around the world for various broadcasting needs," said Mr. Shoichi Otake, General Manager of NTT Electronics' 1st Product Group.

Now NTT Electronics wants to ensure that their H.264/AVC encoder/decoder LSI family is complemented with 10-bit encoding as an effort to meet increasing industry needs and expectations. 

Mr. Otake said: "in assessing and responding to market needs in a timely fashion, NTT Electronics will aim to provide, globally, the next generation H.264/AVC encoder/decoder LSI family complemented with 10-bit encoding."

NTT Electronics will be exhibiting the 10-bit AVC-Intra decoder LSI (to be launched in December 2009) for reference at "Embedded Technology 2009," on November 18-20, at Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama City, as a prelude to announcing at least ten models in the H.264/AVC encoder/decoder LSI family.

    The schedule of Target dates for the announcement of NTT Electronics' next generation H.264/AVC encoder/decoder LSI family is:

       Dec 2009 10-bit AVC-Intra decoder                           
       April 2010 10-bit 4:2:2 1080i60 multi-format (H.264/MPEG-2) decoder                                           
       Q1  2011 10-bit 4:2:2 1080p60 decoder                      
        1-chip 4:2:0 2-pass encoder                       
       Q2 2011 4:2:0 1080p60 encoder                             
          MPEG-2 TS & MXF dual-stream encoder               
        4:2:2 ultra-low latency encoder                   
       Q3 2011 1-chip 1080i dual encoder                       
       Q1 2012 2-chip 4:2:2 2-pass encoder                       
         12-bit 4:2:2 1080p60 encoder   

NTT Electronics develops and supplies LSI devices and equipment incorporating superior, state-of-the-art technology for video processing and communications. These new semiconductor products are targeted mainly at the broadcast video market.

Q4 2009
 
8–10 December 2009 at Gostiniy Dvor Convention Centre, Moscow
Integrated Systems Russia 2009
New attractions are special pavilions for (1) Russian manufacturers and (2)Cconferencing; a ‘Digital Education’ area will feature real-world room AV solutions; and ‘ProIntegration Awards’ will celebrate best practice in  systems design and integration.
Co-organisers are: Integrated Systems Events and MidExpo of Russia
For more visit: www.isrussia.ru

Q1  2010

20 to 22 January 2010 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Florida
ITEXPO East 2010
Keynote on 20 January Polycom CTO and co-founderJeffrey Rodman
More infomation and to register at:
http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/conference/east-10/attendees/e10-conferences.aspx?t=HD

1-2 February 2010 at the Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Digital Out-Of-Home - DOOH Business Conference 2010 organised by Invidis Consulting of Munich who advise manufacturers, manufacturers, signage network operators, advertising agencies and other enterprises on the concept, procurement, and rollout of Digital Out-Of-Home systems and campaigns. The Conference will be supported by OVAB Europe - the European arm of the Out-Of-Home Video Advertising Bureau.
For further information, please visit: www.iseurope.org

2-4 February 2010 at the Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Integrated Systems Europe - ISE 2010 Europe’s largest A/V Trade Show.
Of the 564 companies who exhibited at ISE in 2009, more than half were in the digital signage business. Integrated Systems Europe is jointly sponsored by the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) and InfoComm International®.
For further information, please visit: www.iseurope.org