No one expresses this better than SMART. The company that revolutionised classrooms with its digital whiteboards aims to put itself front and center of the New VC. SMART’s Freestorm visual collaboration solutions were a big hit with visitors to Infocomm, with the Bridgit conferencing software being especially applicable to the world of VC. Bridgit features: Webcam support, Ability to write over shared desktops, and Chat functions. And of course no VC solution worthy of the name is complete without including iPad participation.
Also at Infocomm, StarLeaf StarLeaf Breeze, a software client for iPads and laptops.which offers the unique ability to connect an iPad to the StarLeaf phone, transforming the pair into a full collaboration environment with video. StarLeaf also announced StarLeaf PT Mini–the industry’s first palm sized desktop telepresence device. StarLeaf PT Mini transforms any desktop into a high-definition video meeting environment. This new line-up completes a portfolio of telepresence solutions for PCs, tablets, desktops and rooms, all designed to address the personal communication needs of remote, mobile, and office workers. All StarLeaf solutions share a common easy-to-use interface, are installed in minutes and can be supported from the StarLeaf Cloud or with on-premise infrastructure.
We like innovative sales approached, and think that Polycom’s current Trade-in / Trade-up offer, combined with some innovative product bundling is especially appealing. More information here
Nobody can ignore the attraction of bridging, and BJN seems to be leading that pack at the moment (see our Best of Infocomm). However the company won’t have it all their own way. Vidtel, a pioneer of cloud-based any-to-any video conferencing launched an industry-first solution at InfoComm, the Vidtel Gateway.
Unlike its standalone video conferencing service MeetMe, Vidtel’s new gateway solution enhances organizations’ existing MCU and bridges the systems that organizations have already invested in to interoperate with consumer video calling applications, such as Skype and Google Talk—at what the company says is a killer price.
This year the show attracted 34,286 visitors, a modest but significant 4% increase over 2011, however there was a 15.6% increase in those attending the educational classes that preceded the show. Things are looking up, it seems. The next major international event in the VC calendar is ISE, Amsterdam in January. And with over 40,000 registered attendees this year, it is still the largest event of the year. Las Vegas in July (+40c) or Amsterdam in January (-10c). Which is least unattractive? It’s hard to call. Free and easy transportation for delegates and aircon probably says that Las Vegas would probably win—if it wasn’t for the smoky casinos. There again, Amsterdam does have its smoky cafes.