Logitech Videoconferencing System Scales To Contain Costs

If you like videoconferencing, but aren’t sure how much you would use it, Logitech’s LifeSize division has just the thing for you: a 16-port building block that lets users choose how many video bridges they need, one at a time.

The $4,062-per-port LifeSize Bridge, unveiled Wednesday, enables enterprises to buy ports as they need them and add capacity as demand for HD videoconferencing grows. LifeSize is betting that the elimination of large upfront investment will appeal to businesses of all sizes, because they can test their needs before committing to a big videoconferencing investment. In addition, IT administrators can usually take advantage of their existing network architectures where they have extra capacity, LifeSize said.

The product scales across existing resources, networks, geographies and standards-based videoconferencing offerings, the company said. LifeSize Bridge also supports any codec, speed, resolution, layout or port without losing capacity or HD video quality.

The bridge was built on “our experience embedding bridges in our endpoint systems with the aim of helping organizations empower their end users to collaborate freely,” said Casey King, LifeSize CTO. He added that the product scales easily within any organization.

The LifeSize Bridge employs a synchronous approach to both 720p60 and 1080p30, receiving high-quality videostream in while transmitting the same high-quality resolution without distortion. Each of the 16 ports in a LifeSize Bridge offers flat capacity pricing regardless of resolution: 720p30, 720p60 or 1080p30.

LifeSize was acquired a year ago by Logitech International to expand its video calling from simple PC video-calling to corporate videoconferencing. Several networking companies, led by Cisco, which recently acquired videoconferencing concern Tandberg, have been beefing up their videoconferencing offerings.

Users have flocked to videoconferencing during the economic downturn to help cut travel costs.