Vidyo's new plug-in will enable users to IBM's Sametime UC platform to easily initiate and participate in HD video collaboration sessions.
Video conferencing vendor Vidyo next week will show off a new plug-in that
will enable users of IBM's Lotus Sametime
unified communications platform to easily start and participate in
high-definition video conferences
The
company will demonstrate the new Vidyo Plug-In for IBM
Lotus Sametime Connect at the Lotusphere 2011 conference in Orlando,
Fla., which runs Jan. 30 through Feb. 3.
According to Vidyo officials, the technology will offer telepresence-like,
multiparty video conferences over the Internet on the user's desktop or laptop
PC. The plug-in will be available later this quarter, according to the company.
The
new technology, announced Jan. 25, will let IBM
offer HD video conferencing capabilities in a less expensive format than more
traditional telepresence platforms, like those from Cisco Systems, according to
Vidyo officials. In addition, it will give Vidyo-which is battling in an
increasingly competitive space with the likes of Cisco, Polycom,
Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard-access to a Lotus user base of more than 145
million licenses, according to Vidyo CEO
Ofer Shapiro.
With
the plug-in, those Lotus users "will now have the ability to interact and
collaborate using a much higher-quality, natural video communication," Ofer
said in a statement. "It makes good business sense for organizations to deploy
the Vidyo system to be used as a natural, productive extension of everyday work
flow."
Businesses
that are looking to reduce expenses-including travel costs-while increasing employee
productivity are looking at video conferencing as a key tool. Cisco officials
have said they expect that within a few years, video will account for more than
90 percent of Internet traffic, and will be the top driver of a collaboration
industry that will exceed $90 million.
Cisco
is looking to bulk up its video collaboration offerings through internal
innovation and acquisitions of companies such as rival Tandberg, while others-including
Polycom-are partnering with a wide range of communications and
collaboration technology vendors. Vidyo also is pushing such alliances, such as
its partnership with Adobe to integrate its technology with Adobe's Connect
platform and a deal
forged with HP in June 2010.
Vidyo
officials have said their technology enables users to get HD video conferencing
capabilities without having to invest in a lot of new equipment or networking
gear. They said their deal with IBM will
further increase the company's reach. Its technology is based on the H.264 SVC
(Scalable Video Coding) standard, and will enable Sametime users to easily take
advantage of video collaboration. The plug-in will launch the VidyoDesktop
client in a way similar to how other communications technology are launched,
the company said. For example, users will be able to initiate video conferences
from within the Sametime instant messaging session, and will easily be able to
add or invite other participants though a single click via IM, e-mail or a
calendar invitation.
Users
will be able to check a person's availability through presence and connect
through video, text or voice.
The
new plug-in supports IBM's Sametime Connect
Client version 7.5.1 or 8.0.2 and Lotus Domino Community Server version 7.5.1,
and runs on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS.
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