Being bought by Cisco Systems isn’t keeping Tandberg from growing its Total Telepresence product line.
Cisco announced Oct. 1 that it was planning to buy Tandberg for $3 billion to
expand its video conferencing capabilities. Tandberg in August unveiled
its Telepresence T3 technology, an “immersive” video conferencing
offering for enterprises that includes distinctive blue lighting,
65-inch screens and other features to give users the sense that all
those at the meeting are actually in the room, according to officials.
While the T3 was designed for large-scale meetings, Tandberg Oct. 14
unveiled its Telepresence T1, a product that offers the same features
for smaller groups and such places as regional offices.
“The T1 enables two people to communicate in a true telepresence
environment with peers, customers and partners no matter what type of
system they use,” Hakon Dahle, Tandberg chief technologist, said in a
statement.
Dahle also said that the touchscreen features on the T3 also are
being used for the T1. Like the T3, the T1 works with the entire
Tandberg product portfolio, as well as Microsoft’s Office
Communications Server and other standards-based video endpoints, such
as PC-based, desktop and room-based video systems.
Cisco is aggressively expanding its presence in the video
collaboration space. Video is a key part of what Cisco officials see as
a $34 billion collaboration technology market.
CEO John Chambers has extolled the benefits of video conferencing,
and has said that his own company will use its telepresence
capabilities in its own meetings and for major product launches, rather
than paying to fly people in from all over the world.
Tandberg is attractive to Cisco not only for its technology but its
presence in the midmarket space. Cisco sells more to larger enterprises.
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