Videoconferencing Pushes For SMB Adoption

New HD video conferencing options from Tandberg, plus new members in a videoconferencing interoperability alliance show continuing momentum to get smaller companies to adopt the technology.AVI-SPL has joined Polycom and Glowpoint in creating the "TEN Alliance," based on Glowpoint's Telepresence interExchange Network ("TEN"). TEN is a service designed to let business-to-business telepresence and video conferencing users communicate with each other using an open-standard meeting exchange service  regardless of the network or technology being used.

Currently, it's often difficult or impossible for various video conferencing and telepresence systems to work with each other, reducing it to a point-to-point medium. If TEN (or something like it) catches on, though, the "network effect" should dramatically increase their usefulness by exponentially increasing the number of outlets with they can communicate.

"In order to reach the tipping point where successful and productive video communications is part of everyday life, customers need high-quality video equipment, secure reliable network connectivity and a video service fabric to pull it all together," said Michael Brandofino, executive vice president of video and unified collaborations for AVI-SPL, in a prepared statement.

Meanwhile, Tandberg announced the Quick Set C20, a 1080p high-definition video conferencing system designed specifically for SMBs. It includes a Tandberg Codec C20, a high-resolution 1080p30 camera with 4x zoom, a remote control, and a microphone. (A Quick Set C20plus offering comes with a 12x zoom camera and the ability to select 1080p30 or 720p60 modes.) The C20 will retail for $8,999, still steep for smaller companies but as videoconferencing vendors always like to point out, about the price of single round-tip business class ticket to Europe or Asia.

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