Vol 31 (Oct 2012) - Telepresence Options

October 2012
Volume 31
Dear Subscribers,
Happy October! The big news this month (today) is a flurry of announcements from Polycom covering
the gambit from a new cloud-based inter-op service that connects Polycom users with participants on a
variety of social media platforms (Skype, Facebook, Google GTalk, etc.) to new videoconferencing
systems to H.264 SVC enhancements to both end-points and infrastructure. Telepresence Options’ David
Maldow, as usual, has put together the most comprehensive overview available anywhere. Polycom will
be hosting a live webcast from the NASDAQ at 10:00 AM EST today to discuss the announcements. You
can register here for a seat: http://www.polycom.com/company/oct-8-live-webcast.html
While Polycom’s announcement puts the focus, yet again, on H.264 SVC, SVC pioneer Vidyo had a
similarly interesting announcement last week that they are already readying H.265 (the next new, new
thing in internet-friendly video compression protocols) with many of the same enhancements that made
their version of H.264 SVC so revolutionary.
Finally, with all these new announcements coming fast and furious where can telepresence and
videoconferencing end-users go to make sense of it all (besides Telepresence Options) ?? The Visual
Collaboration Industry Group (VCI-Group -formerly the Polycom Users Group before they expanded to
include everyone else) is having their annual conference in Monterey, CA on October 22nd-24th. The
event is the largest gathering of telepresence, videoconferencing, and UC end-users anywhere and
couldn’t come at a better time. Telepresence Options will be “In the House” and “On the Beach” and
VCI-Group has been kind enough to open up Tuesday night’s Beach Party to end-user members of our
Linked In group Telepresence Industry Professionals (TIP) which is now over 3500+ members. Email
VCI-G for a pass. I will be giving a talk on the future of telepresence, videoconferencing, and visual
communications and both David Maldow and myself will be participating in a variety of panels and
discussions.
Finally, finally.. We are getting ready for the next edition of Telepresence Options
Magazine which will be coming out on March 1st right before the Enterprise Connect
show. This issue will feature: Inter-company telepresence and videoconferencing,
videoconferencing applications, and new products and services. Subscribe now to get
it in your mailbox.
Thanks for reading,
Howard S. Lichtman
Publisher - Telepresence Options
Polycom's Big Announcement: A Shotgun Blast Of
Videoconferencing Advances
October 8, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq.
Polycom has opened the floodgates from their development team, unloading two years of R&D results
today in a webcast from CEO Andy Miller. While each portion of this meta-announcement is interesting
in and of itself, this is clearly intended to be a case of "the whole being greater than the sum of its
parts." Including all its various elements, this is arguably the largest product launch in the history of
videoconferencing. Polycom believes that, with support from all of these new and updated solutions,
the Polycom platform will "transform the industry, accelerate mass adoption of video collaboration, and
fuel new growth opportunities for the company," and they are quick to reference their "vision to make
videoconferencing ubiquitous." While the jury is still out over whether these changes are revolutionary,
evolutionary, or somewhere in the middle, the fact remains that it may be an early Christmas for
Polycom users. So let's take a look inside Andy Miller's sleigh.
The announcements can be broken up into the following five general categories.
1. Polycom RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite: A cloud-based meeting room solution, designed to allow
Polycom users to connect with users of commercial social apps (Skype, Facebook, Gtalk, etc.) and other
business apps via a browser window.
2. Polycom RealPresence SVC Enhancements: Polycom's H.264 SVC codec is a major improvement over
their previous H.264 AVC. The big news is they are making their new code open to the world, royalty
free.
3. Polycom UX: A new "user experience" including a list of 20 new features, such as a new common UI
across all devices and 1080p60 support. One particularly slick new feature, SmartPairing, is definitely
going to be a favorite at the tradeshows.
4. Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition: The name is a mouthful, but many
people have been anticipating Polycom's first software MCU.
5. Polycom Next-Generation Endpoints: Hardware and software endpoints get a refresh. New midmarket solutions added. All leveraging the H.264 SVC protocol and UX enhancements mentioned above.
While it will be impossible to discuss every upgrade and new solution in full detail, we can at least try to
dig in and understand some of the bigger items, starting with their new cloud-based interop solution.
Continue reading...
H.265 (HEVC) Gets The Vidyo Scalability Treatment
Today, Vidyo is announcing, in
cooperation with Samsung, their
proposal for adding scaling
extensions to the much
anticipated H.265 video standard.
I was able to speak with video
scalability visionary, and Vidyo CEO, Ofer Shapiro, to get the lowdown on Vidyo's work with H.265.
Those familiar with the value that Vidyo technology brought to H.264 will immediately understand the
implications of this announcement. I will try to break it down for the rest, without going too deep into
the technology. Much like a Vidyo AVL signal, there are many layers to this announcement. They key
points are as follows: Continue reading...
NTT DoCoMo Hands-Free Videophone Prototype Replaces
That Off-Center Webcam Stare With Your Digital
Doppelganger (video)
By Mat Smith,
In a sort of reverse-Project Glass, one of DoCoMo's latest
prototypes flips its cameras back at the wearer. This hands-free
videophone headset ties together seven separate cameras, each
recording 720p video from wide-angle lenses. Aside from the
single camera pointing behind the user (and beaming the
background image), the rest of them point at the users' face,
recording different quadrants. These are then composited
together, creating a three-dimensional avatar of the user that's
then broadcasted to the other caller. The model then nods,
blinks, and moves -- all based on the camera footage -- all in
real-time. Continue reading...
Video Calling Options: Dialing H.323/SIP From Your
Desktop
Simulated Image of Telepresence Options
Publisher, Howard Lichtman, Calling From His
Desktop To A Polycom Room System
Recently a friend approached me with a problem.
He was looking for way to place a video call from his
desktop, without spending any money. Easy as pie,
right? There plenty of choices, ranging from free
commercial solutions to free trials of high quality
enterprise apps. But there was a twist, my friend
wanted to directly dial a traditional, H.323/SIP
meeting room appliance. A little trickier, but still
possible. At this point it occurred to me that I write about these solutions all the time, but never really
looked at the options from a 10,000 foot view.
Continue reading...
BYOD and Mobile Videoconferencing: Hype and Reality
In a recent article, I described the potential of the
iPhone 5 to serve as a pocket sized VC codec. I have
not yet tested to determine if the experience
provided by hooking an iPhone to a 22" ( monitor is
acceptable for business class videoconferencing (if
you have tried this, please tell us how it went in the
comment section below). However, if the iPhone 5
isn't up to the task, the iPhone 6 probably will be,
and if not, the iPhone 7 surely will. The point is, in the very near future, we will be walking around with
handheld devices with good enough cameras, and more than enough processing power, to push quality
HD video to a standard monitor while supporting a robust business class videoconferencing application.
Seems simple enough, but a comment on a LinkedIn discussion suggested there may be a problem,
noting that it is not ideal to carry a 22" monitor around with your iPhone. This comment is a perfect
representation of the confusion around BYOD and Mobile VC. First of all, they are not the same thing.
One is about which device you use, and the other regards where
you use it. In my opinion, both are significant industry trends, but
BYOD will be a bigger deal, and have a bigger impact, in the very
near future.
As shown above, you can BYOD without being mobile, and you can
be mobile without BYOD, and you can do both. The reason the
BYOD circle is bigger is because, while I expect and hope that mobile uses for VC will flourish, I still
expect the majority of VC use will be non-mobile. On the other hand, I think everyone is going to want
to use their own devices to do everything. BYOD goes way beyond videoconferencing. Continue
reading...
Solution Snapshot: MASERGY's Business-to-Broadcast
Exchange Connects Videoconferencing Endpoints to
Television Networks at a Moment's Notice
We continue to add to our Solution
Snapshots with the addition of today's
Snapshot of MASERGY Communication's
Business-to-Broadcast (B2BC) Exchange
which connects video conferencing endpoints directly to television broadcasting
studios to put executives on the "little
screen" at a moment's notice for
interviews, crisis communications, and
public relations efforts .Our detailed
Solution Snapshots feature important
information about Telepresence and
Videoconferencing Solutions, Managed Service Providers, Exchange Providers, Video Network
Infrastructure, Inter-Connection Solutions, and more. You can receive new Solution Snapshots as they
are published by subscribing to our RSS Feed or via e-mail. While you're at it, be sure to subscribe to
Telepresence Options Magazine, the #1 magazine in the world covering Telepresence and Visual
Collaboration! Continue reading...
Videoconferencing Users, Vendors, and Analysts Come
Together at VCI-Group Annual Conference: October 22-24,
2012, Monterey, CA
The third Annual Visual
Collaboration IndustryGroup (VCIGroup)Conference will be
held in Monterey, CA on
October 22-24th, and Telepresence Options will be in
attendance. VCI-Group is a knowledge-sharing community
focused on visual communications , and the event
provides a unique opportunity for end users, vendors, and
industry analysts to meet and work together to identify and address the challenges and possibilities in
this quickly developing field. To learn more about VCI-Group and what we should expect from the
conference, we spoke with VCI-Group Director and Conference Chair, Toni Alonso.
At Telepresence Options we have long studied the numerous obstacles which have historically hindered
true viral adoption of telepresence, videoconferencing, and visual collaboration. On the other side of the
coin, we are well aware of the enormous benefits being enjoyed by those who have adopted (and
properly implemented/supported) videoconferencing use in their business environments. As a result,
we believe in supporting activities, like this conference, which are designed to help everyone work
together, share information, and seek solutions. Keep reading to learn more about VCI-Group, what they
have planned for this conference, the new Emerging Company Membership program, and the even
newer Super Group Program. VCI-Group has a lot going on, so let's jump in. Continue reading...
Video Interoperability in Lync 2013
Editor's Note: Here at Telepresence Options we
have been closely following the development of
Microsoft Lync's videoconferencing capabilities.
While the market shares of UC solutions aren't
well known, Lync clearly has been building
impressive momentum and appears to be at or near the top of the heap. The massive buzz regarding
Lync integrations is hard to ignore. So what do the new Lync videoconferencing related improvements
mean for users? This excellent article by Jeff Schertz explains exactly what is being added to Lync, why
the H.264 SVC codec was chosen, how the use of SVC will greatly improve the Lync videoconferencing
experience (in particular over the public internet), and why it doesn't exactly open the doors to
interoperability with other video conferencing solutions. Do you use Lync at your workplace? Tell us what
you think about these changes in the comments at the end of the article.
By Jeff Schertz at Jeff Schertz's Blog
The covers have been removed from Lync 'Wave 15' and the general public is now privy to download
and install a preview version of Lync Server 2013. This presents the opportunity to finally discuss a topic
which has been broadly misunderstood for quite some time throughout the industry: what does "H.264
AVC/SVC" support mean exactly in the upcoming Lync platform, and how might it relate to the rest of
the video conferencing industry? Continue reading...
Telepresence and Videoconferencing Managed Service
Provider G2J Joins Telepresence Options
About G2J - Video Conferencing-As-A-Service
G2J is a leading Visual Communication Service Provider
offering a complete range of VNOC Telepresence & Cloud
Video Managed Solutions. G2J is part of the IEC Group
(Euronext: IEC), leading Visual Solutions integrator with
more than 30 offices and 850+ employees worldwide.
G2J's core Cloud Services are MyEasyVision, SaaS Video
Management Portal fully interoperable with all vendors, &
MyEasyConnection, Cloud Video Bridging solution for
Telepresence, HD & SD rooms as well as mobile users on
laptop, smartphones & tablets.
G2J enables all types and sizes of organizations to communicate and collaborate effectively using its
Cloud Video Solutions to increase business productivity.
With a global presence in the US, Europe & AsiaPac & a strong Network backbone, G2J delivers its
business solutions using a Video Management Cloud Solution model so customers benefit from fast &
scalable deployments with a higher ROI. Continue reading...
SightDeck: A Stealth Broadcast Studio In Your Meeting
Room
Here at Telepresence Options we are
constantly reviewing solutions which are
supposedly revolutionary, or one of a kind.
This is one of the very few times when the
reality far outmatches the hype. SightDeck
integrates many of the disparate technologies
we cover here, resulting in the ability to easily turn a standard conference room into a full featured
presentation and collaboration enabled virtual studio. The solution produces live or recorded
presentations at broadcast quality, while providing unique cues and controls to the presenter, without
requiring any post-production editing. Continue reading...
The Prototype - Biological Robotic Telepresence
The Prototype is a movie coming out
in 2013 focused on biological robotic
telepresence or the ability to transfer
one's intellect / "soul" into a robotic
shell. Hollywood has covered
biological robotic telepresence before
in the 2009 Bruce Willis movie: Surrogates and has similarly covered biological alien telepresence in
2009's James Cameron blockbuster: Avatar. Continue reading...
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Telepresence Options: New Articles and Stories
From our on-going review of the most important stories on telepresence
technologies and reporting on the telepresence industry.
Browse the New Articles and Stories Archives
Subscribe to receive new articles via RSS or via e-mail.
Google Simulates Brain Networks To Recognize Speech And
Images
We consider the problem of building high-level,
class-specific feature detectors from only unlabeled
data. For example, is it possible to learn a face
detector using only unlabeled images?
Kurzweil,
This summer Google set a new landmark in the field of artificial intelligence with software that learned
how to recognize cats, people, and other things simply by watching YouTube videos (see "Self-Taught
Software").
That technology, modeled on how brain cells operate, is now being put to work making Google's
products smarter, with speech recognition being the first service to benefit, Technology Review reports.
Continue reading...
Video Encoding: Go for the Specialist or the Jack-of-AllTrades?
This is a general layout of a video ARM DSP. The ARM core runs the embedded operating system,
working like a traffic cop to control input and output.
By Scott Grizzle
One of the hardest choices encoding technicians have to
make is deciding between hardware and software.
Hardware-based encoders and transcoders have had a performance advantage over software since
computers were invented. That's because dedicated, limited-purpose processors are designed to run a
specific algorithm, while the general-purpose processor that runs encoding software is designed to
handle several functions. It's the specialist versus the jack-of-all-trades Continue reading...
Maximizing the Instructional Impact of Videoconferencing
The spread of cheap and powerful videoconferencing
tools had led to widespread adoption of the
technology in an effort to lower costs and put
resources to better use. But Education Consultant and
Executive Director of Academic Programs and Faculty
at Daymar Colleges Group Ruth Reynard argues that it
can improve teaching and learning as well.
By Ruth Reynard,
As videoconferencing technology has improved and become ubiquitous, the financial and technological
barriers to using it in the classroom have all but disappeared. Though it's easier and cheaper than ever
to use, videoconferencing still presents unique instructional challenges and opportunities. Continue
reading...
MIT Invented a Vest that Hugs
You When You Get a Facebook
Like
By Eric Randall,
Researchers at MIT's Media Lab have produced a video advertising a vest they've invented that inflates
when the user receives a Facebook "Like." The idea is to translate "likes" into "hugs." We'll let one of the
jacket designers, Melissa Chow, explain:
Like-A-Hug is a wearable social media vest that allows for hugs to be given via Facebook, bringing us
closer despite physical distance. The vest inflates when friends 'Like' a photo, video, or status update on
the wearer's wall, thereby allowing us to feel the warmth, encouragement, support, or love that we feel
when we receive hugs. Hugs can also be sent back to the original sender by squeezing the vest and
deflating it. Continue reading...
ISPR News: Spread the word: ISPR 2012 "Presence Live"
October 25-26 in Philadelphia
ISPR 2012 "Presence Live!" Conference
International Society for Presence Research
Annual Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
October 25 - 26, 2012
http://presencelive.info
The concept of telepresence, often shortened to
'presence,' is commonly referred to as a sense
of 'being there' in a virtual environment and can be more broadly defined as an illusion of nonmediation in which users of any technology overlook or misconstrue the technology's role in their virtual
experience.
Continue reading...
New Software Uses Smartphone Camera For Spying
By Shaun Waterman, The Washington Times
Researchers from the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center have
developed malicious software that can remotely seize control
of the camera on an infected smartphone and employ it to spy
on the phone's user.
The malware, dubbed "PlaceRaider," "allows remote hackers
to reconstruct rich, three-dimensional models of the
smartphone owner's personal indoor spaces through completely opportunistic use of the camera," the
researchers said in a study published last week.< Continue reading...
High-tech Musical Duet Gets Cheers at Philly Event
CBSNews,
PHILADELPHIA -- Technology that allows musicians in different places to perform together in real-time
was dramatically demonstrated Tuesday in Philadelphia, where a violinist and cellist hundreds of miles
apart played a duet as if they were on the same stage.
More than 600 engineers, researchers and scientists jumped to their feet and cheered after the
performance at the Internet2 fall member meeting at a downtown hotel. Continue reading...
Watchitoo Launches Playground, A Video Conferencing
Tool To Improve Business Communication
By Ryan Lawler,
I've been watching Watchitoo for several years now, and
to be honest, I never really got it. A few years ago, the
startup launched with some pretty slick consumer-facing
technology for group video chats, during which users
could share files and video clips, play casual games with
one another, and other fun stuff. It was all browser based,
and unlike other video chat platforms, didn't require any special or plugins to work.
At some point over the last few years, it pivoted from a platform targeted at teens for chatting one
another into a "video conferencing and online collaboration tool," which seems like a better target
market for actually making money. Using a lot of the same capabilities that were available in the
previous product -- video conferencing, chat and messaging, file and screen sharing, etc. -- and applied
those features to business use cases. In addition to the usual collaboration tools, Watchitoo also pitched
its platform as a way to do Webinars, live events, and go after the online education market, which are all
fair applications of the technology Continue reading...
In Communication With: Scott Wharton, CEO, Vidtel
Summary: The cloud-based unified communications company
offers a platform that promises video conferencing regardless
of the endpoint. I chat with chief executive Scott Wharton
about it -- using video, of course.
By Andrew Nusca,
Unified communications company Vidtel was founded in 2008 to
bring interoperable and inexpensive video conferencing to the
small- and medium-sized enterprise market.
The company's flagship product, MeetMe, is a cloud-based hosted video conferencing service that promises
near-frictionless video -- no IT department necessary, they insist -- for the price of phone service. It competes
with business-focused services from Cisco, Polycom and LifeSize, free consumer services from Google and
Microsoft and middle-of-the-pack services from disruptive startups such as Blue Jeans Network.
I spoke with CEO Scott Wharton (with VP of marketing Mariette Johnson Wharton along for the ride -- yes,
they're married) to get a better handle on how they're attacking the unified comms market. Continue
reading...
WebRTC Promises Enterprise Networking Boom
Summary: The open standard enabling real-time communications on
Web browsers and ability to connect with other WebRTC-enabled
mobile devices will remove interoperability issues and cut down software development efforts.
By Kevin Kwang
The continued development of the WebRTC standard for real-time communications is expected to
herald a new era of enterprise networking, as audio and video conferencing capabilities get embedded
in browsers. This will also ultimately allow mobile devices to "speak" to Web browsers via the WebRTC
application programming interface (API). Continue reading...
Kickstarter: Helios, An iPhone Telepresence Rig On A
Budget
By John Biggs
Another day, another iOS-based telepresence rig. The Helios
is a tiny little two-wheeled car that drives around with your
iPhone or Touch in the passenger seat, allowing you to
move around a scene and interact with remote subjects
through the magic of telepresence.
They are raising money through Kickstarter.
Telepresence is a hard nut to crack. People just aren't that comfortable having a robotic intermediary.
But as this generation grows up with video calling and home robotics, I suspect it will be much easier to - as the above image suggests -- roll out into the park with your SO. Continue reading...
The First Robocop Could Be A Telepresence Robot
FIU researchers are developing a telepresence
robot that would get disabled law enforcement
officers back on patrol.
By Darren Quick, Gizmag
Telepresence robots are already making their way
into space and operating rooms and onto the
battlefield, but Jeremy Robbins, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, wants to get
telepresence robots (or telebots) on the mean streets to combat crime. He's enlisted the help of
researchers at Florida International University (FIU) to develop telerobotics systems that would let
disabled law enforcement officers get back onto the beat using robots originally conceived for military
applications. Continue reading...
Augmented-Reality 'Virtual Dressing Room' Patent Issued
The U. S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Zugara a
patent on the company's augmented reality social commerce
platform, The Webcam Social Shopper (WSS).
The patent, #8,275,590, relates to the simulation of trying on one
or more virtual-wearable items within a video feed, using
gestural controls to navigate through the interfaces, and taking
pictures to share with your friends, all from within the WSS interface, says Zugara CEO Matt Szymczyk.
Continue reading...
Camera-Equipped 'High Dynamic Range' Helmet Gives You
Superhuman Vision
By Devin Coldewey
If you think of high dynamic range imaging, or
HDR, you probably think of crazy panoramic
cityscapes or lighthouses where everything pops
with impossible clarity -- imagine seeing the
whole world that way. These goggles let you
look at everything in real-time 3-D HDR -- and
it's more useful than you might think.
The HDRchitecture project, by researchers at the University of Toronto, was presented earlier this
month at the SIGGRAPH imaging convention in Los Angeles. Continue reading...
Hands on with the InFocus Mondopad
By Caleb Denison
Like a giant interactive whiteboard, the InFocus
MondoPad brings presentations to life, but is it
simple enough for classrooms and boardrooms to
really take advantage of?
Earlier this year, InFocus introduced the Mondopad, a
hybrid television and computer built specifically to
conquer the classroom and boardroom. Like Sharp's
competing Aquos Board, this all-in-wonder machine
promises to make "presentation, annotation and collaboration" easier than ever before with video,
drawing and even multitouch capability. Recently, the Wilsonville, OR-based company came by Digital
Trends HQ and dropped one of for us to play around with. We played around with it and offer our
impressions below. Continue reading...
Virtual Reality Simulator NeuroTouch Helps Teach Surgery
For Brain Cancer
By Matthew Lombard | Published:
September 26, 2012
Virtual Reality Simulator Helps Teach
Surgery for Brain Cancer, Reports
Neurosurgery
'NeuroTouch' System Provides 3-D Graphics and Tactile Feedback During Simulated Brain Surgery
Philadelphia, Pa. (September 20, 2012) A new virtual reality simulator--including sophisticated 3-D graphics and tactile feedback--provides
neurosurgery trainees with valuable opportunities to practice essential skills and techniques for brain
cancer surgery, according to a paper in the September issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the
Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of
Wolters Kluwer Health. Continue reading...
1:1 with VCI-Group - Toni Alonso, Director / Conference
Chairperson
Wainhouse Research Bulletin, Ira Weinstein, [email protected],
Ira Weinstein recently visited with long-time conferencing and collaboration user
Toni Alonso, most recently of North Shore-LIJ Health System and also Director /
Conference Chair of the upcoming Visual Communications Industry Group (VCIGroup) 3rd Annual Conference which will be held October 22nd-24th in Monterey,
CA. We've known Toni for years and have long appreciated her particular insights
as an end user of the technologies we know and love.
WR: What's the goal of the VCI-Group?
TA: The Visual Communications Industry Group's charter is to offer education to its end user members,
provide the opportunity for them to meet with the manufacturers, CSPs and consultants in our industry,
and to help influence the industry.
WR: Unless we're mistaken, VCI-Group used to be called the Polycom User Group (PUG). How is VCIGroup different, and why did the organization change? Continue reading...
Suitable Technologies introduces Beam, the remote presence
device (hands-on)
By Michael Gorman
Telepresence is a booming business these
days, with high speed wireless networks
enabling plenty of folks to enjoy the pleasures
of working (or attending class) from the
comfort of home. While some such devices
leverage the power of tablets or smartphones,
the visual and audio quality such systems
deliver often isn't up to corporate standards.
Enter Suitable Technologies and its Beam remote presence device (RPD). As a spinoff of famed 'bot
builder Willow Garage, the folks at Suitable figured they could provide a high-fidelity telepresence
experience by building an RPD from scratch, and that's precisely what they've done with Beam.
Continue reading...
Huawei Aims to Pass Cisco in Life-Size Video Conferencing
By Bloomberg News - Sep 24,
2012
Huawei Technologies Co. said it
plans to overtake Cisco Systems
Inc. in three years to become
the world's biggest seller of telepresence equipment as the company expands to markets beyond gear
for telephone networks.
Huawei's sales of the equipment that can beam a life-sized video image around the world doubled to
about $200 million last year, giving Huawei about 20 percent of the global market, Li Jun, general
manager of such products at Huawei's Enterprise unit, said in an interview today in Beijing. Cisco has 50
percent of the global market that's about $900 million, Li said. Continue reading...
Video Conferencing Could Save $5 Billion Annually
By Elaine S. Povich
This is one in an occasional series exploring how
federal agencies are finding and implementing
innovative ways to drive efficiency and cut costs.
The federal government could save almost $5
billion annually by substituting video conferencing
for face-to-face meetings and conventions,
according to a new study by Telework Exchange, a public/private partnership emphasizing telework.
The study comes on the heels of the government's travel scandals and President Barack Obama's
directive to government agencies to make more frequent and better use of video and audio
conferencing to conduct meetings.
According to the study, 92% of those surveyed said videoconferencing would save money, 53% cited
improved collaboration and 47% noted a better work-life balance with the use of the technology.
Continue reading...
Microsoft to Release Unified Communications Tool Lync
2013 for Windows 8, RT
By Dan Berthiaume (@DanBerthiaume1)
Microsoft plans to release a new version of its Lync
communications platform that will be compatible
with Windows 8 and Windows RT-based devices.
Lync 2013 will be available as both a mobile app and
desktop client.
Delivering the Full Lync Experience via Mobile Device
The new Lync app, slated for release at the end of October 2012, will be optimized for touchscreen
devices (which at this point covers virtually any mobile device released in the last few years) and
provides integration of voice, video, telepresence, IM and online Lync Meetings. Using the H. 264 SVC
(Scaling Video Coding) standard, Microsoft says Lync Meetings will be delivered to devices of varying
screen sizes without "heavy transcoding." Continue reading...
DARPA Combines Human Brains and 120-Megapixel
Cameras to Create the Ultimate Military Threat Detection
System
DARPA's CT2WS threat detection system
Extreme Tech, September 24, 2012
After more than four years of research, DARPA has
created a system that successfully combines
soldiers, EEG brainwave scanners, 120-megapixel
cameras, and multiple computers running cognitive
visual processing algorithms into a cybernetic hivemind.
Called the Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System (CT2WS), it will be used in a combat setting to
significantly improve the US Army's threat detection capabilities. Continue reading...
Toyota Unveils Helpful Human Support Robot
By Jason Falconer, Gizmag
Toyota has unveiled a new assistant robot designed to
help the disabled live more independently. Called the
Human Support Robot (HSR), it represents the latest
initiative in Toyota's Partner Robot program and is
intended to help out around the home by fetching
things, opening curtains, and picking up objects that
have fallen to the floor.
The HSR can be controlled using a simple graphical user interface via tablet PC. It can also wear a tablet
atop its head, which would allow caregivers and family members to communicate with the robot's
owner over Skype or other services. But unlike recent telepresence robots including the recently
announced iRobot RP-VITA, the HSR has an arm and gripper for doing the simple tasks we often take for
granted . Continue reading...
I've Seen the Future of Virtual Reality, and It Is Terrifying
By Toshi Nakamura
I've Seen the Future of Virtual Reality, and It Is
TerrifyingExperience the big-screen in private.
That's the sales pitch for head-mounted displays.
One would think that the only real areas for
technological advancement would be in the
screen resolution and the actual weight of the
device. Introducing the Prototype-SR
(Substitutional Reality), a new take on the head-mounted display.
Based on Sony's HMZ personal 3D viewer head-mounted display, the Prototype-SR mixes real-time video
with prerecorded video to create what Sony hopes is a unique new entertainment experience. The
Prototype-SR is currently on display at the Tokyo Game Show 2012, and I had a chance for some handson time with the device in an interactive demo. This is a prototype, and there are currently no plans to
launch it. Can you put a release date on the future?
Continue reading...
Meet The $35 Tablet That Could Connect The World
Gregory Ferenstein
TechCrunch just got its hands on the new Aakash UbiSlate
7Ci, the super-cheap tablet that will attempt to connect
every student in India to the Internet. Educators have long
hoped that cheap computing devices could bridge the
global information divide, but previous attempts have
been dogged by disappointing performance, lack of
Internet access, and financial barriers. The latest version of India's $35 tablet comes equipped with WiFi
and has an optional upgrade ($64) of a cellular Internet package of $2/month for 2 GB of data (roughly
25 emails, 25 websites, 2 minutes of streaming video, and 15 minutes of voice chat a day). More
importantly, it is expected to launch this month in India with the government's commitment to connect
even the most remote areas to the Internet. The impact of a successful rollout is difficult to
overestimate: rural schools that have been connected to the Internet show immediate and tremendous
gains. Continue reading...
Grishin Makes First $250K Investment In Disrupt
Hardware Alley Company Double Robotics
By John Biggs
Investment fund Grishin Robotics just poured
$250,000 into Double Robotics, a telepresence system
that uses an iPad and self-righting wheeled base to
allow remote users to survey a scene.
Grishin is a Moscow-based fund aimed at making
personal robots part of the home and office. The
company did not disclose the terms of the deal.
Continue reading...
Videoconferencing and Telepresence Market Takes Revenue Hit, Finds Firm
D.C. Jail Video Visits Prompt Complaints
Skype works on video messaging, Metro design
Video Banking Makes Robbery Impossible
Microsoft Announces Office 2013 Prices and Packages Which Include Lync and
Skype
iRobot Gobbles up Evolution Robotics for $74M
Augmented Immersive Team Training (AITT) Gives U.S. Marines Virtual
Explosions in The Real World
iPads Lighten Load for Sales Staff At Boston Scientific
How Video Conferencing Has Impacted The African Business Landscape
New Cameras To Watch Cameras That watch You
Why Immersive Virtual Reality Is The Next Generation of Gaming: part 1
Skype Unveils 'CD-Quality' Internet Calls
Firms Turn to Desktop Videoconferencing to Improve Virtual Meetings
Ground-breaking Xbox 720 tech could turn rooms into 3D environments
An ATM unlike any other - with videoconferencing
Polycom Unveils Services to Spur Adoption of Video Conferencing
Army Wants Tiny Suicidal Drone to Kill From 6 Miles Away
Double Telepresence Robot Is a Digital Body Double
FBI Begins Installation Of $1 Billion Face Recognition System Across America
Amazon Updates Kindle with Videoconferencing
Concert-oh's Videoconferencing Site Expands Its Reach
PBS Hatcam Brings New Viewing Perspective To Political Conventions
Cisco Challenges Microsoft-Skype On Video Interoperability
Infrared-Camera Algorithm Could Scan for Drunks in Public
Celebrity Chat for the Skype Age: Greenroom Brings Dr. Drew to Your Laptop
Coming To A Screen Near You
Call: IEEE Virtual Reality 2013
Ford Expands Uses of Virtual Reality
Companies Turning To Video Interviews Instead of Phone Screens
Telepresence Etiquette - Setting the Stage
Willow Garage & Suitable Technologies Progress Update
Telepresence Industry Press Releases
Check out the latest news from the companies on the forefront of
telepresence technologies, telepresence managed services, and internetworking telepresence.
Browse the Industry Press Release Archives
Subscribe to receive new articles and stories via RSS or via e-mail.
Polycom RealPresence Platform Delivers 3X HD Video
Capacity Via Open Standards-Based SVC, and First MultiProtocol, Integrated Software MCU for Industry-Standard
Servers
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Powerful Polycom RealPresence Platform enhancements include industry's first open standardsbased SVC (Scalable Video Coding), with 3X HD multipoint video call capacity for greater
scalability, dramatically lower TCO, superior performance, and backwards- and forwardscompatibility to protect customer investments--all available through a software update
Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition, is industry's first multiprotocol, integrated software MCU that runs on industry-standard servers
Polycom extends firewall traversal and security options with Polycom RealPresence Access
Director, vastly improving capacity and supported protocols for improved B2B and
B2C connectivity
Building on earlier Polycom RealPresence Platform enhancements, including multi-tenancy
support and open APIs, service providers can expand VaaS offerings more efficiently at scale
In related announcement, Polycom RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite, an extension of Polycom
RealPresence Platform, lets customers extend enterprise-grade video collaboration to users of
Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, and business video applications via a browser, for B2B and B2C
video conferencing with the highest quality, reliability, and security
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Oct. 8, 2012 - Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based
unified communications (UC), today announced significant enhancements to the Polycom RealPresence
Platform that make it an even more comprehensive and flexible software infrastructure for delivering video
collaboration from private, public, and hybrid clouds. The new enhancements also make the RealPresence
Platform more universally accessible by ensuring multi-vendor interoperability, eliminating barriers to
access, and bringing down the cost for enterprises to video-enable their organizations and for service
providers to extend from Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) to expanded Video Collaboration-as-a-Service (VCaaS)
offerings delivered from Polycom-powered clouds. Continue reading...
Polycom Announces Industry-Transforming, Breakthrough
Solutions Designed to Accelerate Mass Adoption of Video
Collaboration and Fuel New Growth Opportunities
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Oct. 8, 2012 - Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the
global leader in open standards-based unified communications
(UC), today announced breakthrough solutions that are designed
to transform the industry, accelerate mass adoption of video
collaboration, and fuel new growth opportunities for the company
in both existing and new markets.
Continue reading...
Polycom Announces Industry First: Extension to Polycom RealPresence
Platform, New RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite, Lets Customers Extend
Enterprise-Grade Video Collaboration to Users of Skype, Facebook, Google
Talk, and Other Business Video Apps Via a Browser
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Polycom RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite is a
software extension of the Polycom RealPresence
Platform for private and public cloud deployments available in both an enterprise and partner/service
provider edition - that enables universal access to
enterprise-grade video collaboration to any
business (B2B) or consumer (B2C) at the highest
quality, reliability, and security
 First-of-its-kind software solution brings
contacts from all your presence-based applications
into a global directory of participants that you drag and drop into a Polycom business-class video
collaboration session, allowing others outside your organization to securely join the conference
via their browser with one click
Polycom-powered cloud solution enables service providers and partners to deliver multipoint
Video Collaboration-as-a-Service (VCaaS) for secure, affordable B2B and B2C offerings designed
to create new revenue streams and drive video adoption
Polycom RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite is designed to run as a virtual edition on industrystandard hardware and represents a significant step forward in delivering video collaboration
from the datacenter
Continue reading...
Polycom Announces Superior User Experiences Offered on
Next-Generation Video Endpoints Including New Group
Series, New Ultra-Slim VisualEdge Executive Desktop, and
Polycom RealPresence Software for PCs and Mobile Devices
Polycom RealPresence VisualEdge delivers ultra-slim and sleek design
along with powerful executive desktop video collaboration experiences
with the highest video resolution (up to 1080p60) and largest screen
(27") in its category. The systems also feature Polycom's legendary HD
Polycom StereoSurround audio technology and the new patent-pending
Polycom® NoiseCancel technology.
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New portfolio delivers the industry's best user experience
(Polycom UX) with more than 20 new user innovations and features,
including a completely redesigned UI and the industry's most lifelike HD image quality (up to
1080p60 resolution), patent-pending Polycom SmartPairing technology, and innovative onlyfrom-Polycom video, content sharing and audio features, all while minimizing IT management
and support requirements
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New portfolio supports first open standards-based SVC protocol that, when powered by the
Polycom RealPresence Platform, results in 3X HD multipoint video capacity for massive
scalability, significantly lower TCO, superior video performance, and backwards- and forwardscompatibility for investment protection
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Polycom RealPresence VisualEdge delivers ultra-slim, sleek and powerful executive desktop
video collaboration experiences, as well as best in class performance as an executive's primary
PC display
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Updated Polycom RealPresence Desktop 2.0 Software for PCs and laptops, and Polycom
RealPresence Mobile 2.0 for tablets and smartphones, adopt the new user interface for ease of
use and now support both AVC and SVC protocols
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Patent-pending Polycom SmartPairing technology built into RealPresence Mobile 2.0, wirelessly
connects Apple iPads to Group Series, enhanced HDX series and RealPresence VisualEdge,
letting users control video meetings with their tablets and transfer a live video call from their
tablet to a big screen with the swipe of a finger
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Continue reading...
Polycom Announces New Portfolio of Mid-Market Solutions
that Make Feature-Rich Video Collaboration More
Affordable and Easier to Use and Manage
Polycom RealPresence Group 300 is the next generation of
HD video collaboration systems for smaller spaces or huddle
rooms that need crystal-clear video calls at an affordable
price.
 Industry's first implementation of open standardsbased Scalable Video Coding (SVC) protocol in Polycom
RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition,
results in 3X HD multipoint video capacity for scalability, dramatically lower TCO, and
backwards- and forwards-compatibility, without the need for expensive gateways or hardware
required by competitive proprietary SVC offerings
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RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition, is the industry's first multi-protocol,
integrated software MCU that runs on industry-standard servers
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Polycom portfolio of mid-market solutions includes new RealPresence Collaboration Server
800s, Virtual Edition; new RealPresence Group 300 for huddle rooms; and updates to
RealPresence Desktop 2.0 software for Windows and Macs, as well as RealPresence Mobile 2.0
for smartphones and tablets, delivering easy-to-use video at affordable prices
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New mid-market portfolio features the new Polycom UX (Polycom User Experience), which
delivers the industry's best video collaboration experience with more than 20 new user
innovations and features, including a completely redesigned UI and the industry's most lifelike
HD image quality (up to 1080p60 resolution), patent-pending Polycom SmartPairing technology,
and innovative only-from-Polycom video, content sharing and audio features, all while
minimizing IT management and support requirements
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Polycom Capital provides flexible financing options for customers to increase their buying power
with various payment options and the ability to include maintenance, installation, and services
for video collaboration solutions
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Oct. 8, 2012 - Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based
unified communications (UC), today announced a new portfolio of solutions designed for medium-sized
businesses that makes it easier to purchase, install, deliver, and manage high-quality, enterprise-grade
video collaboration. The mid-market portfolio includes Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s,
Virtual Edition, as well as various new, next-generation RealPresence video endpoints.
Continue reading...
SYNNEX Corporation Continues Shift to Services With
CONVERGESolv Secure Networking Service Offerings for
LifeSize Video Conferencing Products
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- SYNNEX Corporation, a leading
distributor of IT products and services, announced today
from its National Conference that the company's
CONVERGESolv Secure Networking group has developed an
array of services surrounding LifeSize, a division of Logitech,
and its full product line. These services help resellers that focus on video conferencing expand their
services to the end-user while conserving customers' budgets that have traditionally been used for
equipment, staff and travel. Continue reading...
Polycom Delivers Open Standards-Based Scalable Video
Coding (SVC) Technology, Royalty-Free to Industry
Adding to the Company's portfolio of open-standards UC initiatives, the
Polycom-led open standards-based implementation of SVC is designed to
help drive further adoption of video across businesses and industries
worldwide
Oct 4, 2012, SAN JOSE, Calif.
Polycom, Inc. , the global leader in open standards-based unified communications, announced it is
offering a royalty-free license for an interoperable implementation of H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC)
software technology. As more and more businesses use video to collaborate and meet face-to-face from
any location for more productive and effective engagement with colleagues, partners and customers,
the use of highly flexible H.264 SVC open-standards video enables the best possible video collaboration
experience across many networks. By offering this royalty-free license of an interoperable
implementation of H.264 SVC, Polycom helps minimize the investment required to efficiently distribute
video across networks and devices. Continue reading...
Transform Your Laptop or Desktop into a Triple-Monitor
Platform and Drive More Applications, Copy-Protected
Content, and Captivating Digital Signage
New Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital SE multimonitor adapter offers HDCP compliance and
drives three digital monitors from your PC or Mac
Montreal, Canada, October 3, 2012 –
Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced the Matrox
TripleHead2Go Digital SE external multi-monitor
adapter, which expands your system's single-video output into an immersive triple-monitor setup so
that you see and do more. This new Graphics eXpansion Module (GXM) connects to a compatible
system's DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort video output or Thunderbolt port and lets you add three
external DVI monitors, each with maximum resolutions of either 1920x1080 @50Hz (PC) or 1360x768
@60Hz (Mac). New High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) compliance meanwhile enables
the playback of copy-protected content, such as Blu-ray discs, across all three monitors. Continue
reading...
Momentum Launches Unified Communications Messenger
to Enhance Business Efficiencies
VoIP provider offers virtual professionals affordable, one-stop
communications
New York (PRWEB) October 03, 2012
Momentum, a premier digital voice and broadband management provider,
today at Interop New York announced a new unified communications service,
Momentum Messenger, designed to make business communications more
centralized and efficient. With Momentum Messenger, a wide array of business
processes such as video conferencing, instant messaging, voicemail, softphone,
and click-to-dial, can all be carried out from a single interface.
"Unified communications brings freedom and flexibility to the way people work. Adopting an activitybased solution that allows employees to receive calls and messages from anywhere, and on a multitude
of platforms, results in quicker response times and ultimately helps improve customer satisfaction," said
Brandon Hagood, Momentum's director of product development. Continue reading...
Yorktel To Debut New Video Cloud Services At MSPWorld
2012
Leading Video Managed Services Provider Delivers
Turnkey Solutions for Public, Private and Hybrid
Cloud Solutions
Austin, TX - Today from MSPWorld 2012,
Yorktel introduced its new Video Cloud Services portfolio for small, medium and enterprise-sized
organizations. Unlike traditional hosted video bridging services, Yorktel delivers both full-service and
self-service video conferencing with full interoperability across all video conferencing devices from
mobile and desktop applications to room and Telepresence systems. A true end-to-end video service
provider, Yorktel offers a full range of Managed Video Services that include comprehensive video
conferencing support, enhanced maintenance plans, training programs, ROI reporting, and on-site
staffing. Continue reading...
Vidyo Contributes Scalability to HEVC (H.265)
New Video Coding Standard Gets Ready for "Personal
Telepresence"
Hackensack, NJ - October 4, 2012 - Vidyo, Inc., the first company to deliver personal telepresence, and
Samsung Electronics, Co. Ltd. cooperatively submitted a response to the call for proposals for scalable
coding extensions of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Vidyo also contributed
technology to the response to the call by Canon Research Centre France. The HEVC standard is being
jointly developed by the ITU-T and ISO MPEG groups and is expected to be standardized in the ITU-T as
H.265. Its goal is to cut in half the bit-rate required to deliver video of the same quality as today's
dominant H.264 codec. Vidyo pioneered the use of Scalable Video Coding in video conferencing in 2007
by using the scalable extension of H.264 in its software-based adaptive video architecture. It is now
contributing its extensive experience in scalable video codec design and implementation to the HEVC
standard to ensure that it will have the necessary features for real-time video communication over the
Internet and wireless networks. Vidyo's contributions to the HEVC project contain technical designs from
19 related pending Vidyo patent applications. Continue reading...
AEBN Introduces RealTouch Interactive - Live Physical Sex
Over The Internet
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -Users of RealTouch can now connect with a model, live over the internet, and feel her every move. The
synchronization of touch, audio and video creates an immersive sensory experience previously only
considered science fiction.
When connected, a model and a remote user share a traditional teleconference session with one-way
video, two-way audio plus the breakthrough capability of one-way touch. Any form of bodily contact
with the model's "input device" is instantly felt by the user on his RealTouch device. Strokes, licks or any
other form of touch are all transmitted across the Internet in real-time and reproduced on the receiving
end to the user's delight. Continue reading...
iPads and iPhones Now Supported by IOCOM's Video
Conferencing Software, Visimeet Mobile
Users Can Now Join Virtual Meetings on iOS
Devices
CHICAGO, Oct 2, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -IOCOM, a leading provider of universal video conferencing and collaboration solutions, announces that
Visimeet Mobile is now available for iOS enabled devices. Visimeet Mobile allows participants to join
meetings from their iPads and iPhones, connecting with other mobile users and those on laptops,
desktops, and in telepresence rooms.
Continue reading...
Telefonica and Verizon Customers Can Now Meet Virtually
Face-to-Face
Telefonica and Verizon Customers Can Now Meet Virtually Face-to-Face
New Agreement Offers Intercompany Cisco TelePresence Meetings for
Greater Visual Collaboration
NEW YORK and MADRID, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -To meet the growing demand for video meetings, Telefonica Global Solutions and Verizon Enterprise
Solutions have joined forces so that Verizon Immersive Video Exchange and Telefonica Global
Telepresence Exchange customers can collaborate via Cisco TelePresence. Now, businesses and
government agencies using either company's video meeting system can expand their "collaboration
pool," and meet face-to-face across more video-enabled locations worldwide for greater productivity
and business efficiency. Continue reading...
VC Rooms L.L.C. Launches its Cloud Video Conferencing
Bridging & Gateway Services and Sign up with G2J US, Inc.
to Deliver the Best Services to their Customers
VC Rooms L.L.C, a leading broker of public Videoconferencing rooms
in the US, will provide their customers with a Flexible, Scalable and
Interoperable Videoconference Bridging Service based on
MyEasyConnectionâ„¢ powered by G2J US, Inc.
Miami, FL & Punta Gorda, FL, October 01, 2012
VC Rooms L.L.C, as a G2J Alliance Partner, will have access to all
features, updates and new version releases of MyEasyConnectionâ„¢ powered by G2J.
MyEasyConnection is a Video Bridging Service available 24*7 with a Online & Real-time Video meeting
Scheduling, Call Management and Usage Reporting interface.
With MyEasyConnection video users have access to a True Operator-assisted Service from the tests to
the end of their video meeting. MyEasyConnection is a Service fully interoperable with all
Videoconferencing endpoints & infrastructures such as Cisco,Tandberg, Codian, Polycom, LifeSize,
Radvision over all networks IP, ISDN, PSTN, SIP. Continue reading...
Glowpoint Completes Acquisition of Affinity VideoNet
Merger Strengthens Global Leadership in Cloud and Managed
Services for Videoconferencing
MURRAY HILL, N.J., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -Glowpoint, Inc., , a leading global provider of cloud and managed video communication services, today
announced the completion of its acquisition of privately held Affinity VideoNet ("Affinity"), a leading
provider of public videoconferencing rooms and managed videoconferencing services to professional
service organizations globally.
"Glowpoint welcomes Affinity's employees and customers, which include many of the world's largest
global executive search firms and law firms. The merger further solidifies Glowpoint's dominant position
in the cloud based managed video communication services market, delivered through our OpenVideo®
platform and our newly acquired installed base of public videoconferencing rooms. The new company is
uniquely positioned to deliver superior services, which include an unmatched suite of cloud based
services and videoconferencing solutions demanded by our customers," said Joe Laezza, Glowpoint
President and CEO. Continue reading..
Photo Release -- Videoconference-Based Addiction
Treatment Programs Such as Lionrock Recovery Combat
Shame and Stigma for People Who Struggle With Alcohol
and Drug Addiction Join our daily free Newsletter
Videoconference-Based Addiction Treatment Programs Such as
Lionrock Recovery Combat Shame and Stigma for People Who
Struggle With Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Delivers Intensive Outpatient Addiction Treatment From Privacy of
Own Home; Ideal for Busy-Lifestyle People, Skyrocketing Class of
Baby Boomers With Substance Abuse Issues
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct 1, 2012 (Menafn - GlobeNewswire via
COMTEX) -- People in early recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, particularly those with active
lifestyles such as Baby Boomers, a group that has seen skyrocketing substance abuse issues, are finding
that new Online Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) such as Lionrock Recovery help combat the shame
and stigma they often feel during treatment. By providing unmatched affordability, privacy, and
convenience, these programs make getting help for drug and alcohol addiction much easier. Plus, with
its combination of state-of-the art videoconferencing and high-quality counseling, online treatment
provides a "safe haven" for people in early recovery who require intensive, extended care after they've
returned home from a primary care treatment facility. Continue reading...
Video Conferencing Industry Group, Explores Super
Conferencing and Collaboration Users Groups at Third
Annual Event in Monterey
"This is an opportunity for end users in the videoconferencing
industry to help create and shape user groups for the products
and services they have purchased"
Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) September 27, 2012
Video Conferencing Industry Group, (originally formed as the
Polycom Users Group) will host an exploratory meeting to
investigate the benefits of initiating and supporting the
formation of users groups for multiple vendors, products and
services within the videoconferencing industry. The session will be held during the VCI-Group Annual
Conference held this year at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, CA.
"This is an opportunity for end users in the videoconferencing industry to help create and shape user
groups for the products and services they have purchased", said David Maldow, industry analyst and
Advisory Council member of the VCI-Group. "And it is an opportunity for vendors to leverage the
resources of the VCI-Group and mitigate the costs and risks of creating user groups. We can use the
experience and resources of the VCI-Group to help vendors throughout the industry develop and launch
users groups that can help provide valuable product information and feedback." Continue reading...
Vidyo Named to Wall Street Journal's Top 50 "Next Big
Thing" List for Third Year in a Row
HACKENSACK, N.J., Sep 28, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) – Vidyo, Inc., the world's
fastest-growing video conferencing company, today announced that, for
the third consecutive year, it was named to the Wall Street Journal's "Next
Big Thing" list of the 50 top venture-backed companies in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal's ranking of
the 50 top venture-backed companies was developed using proprietary data from Dow Jones. The list is
drawn from the approximately 11,500 U.S.-based privately held venture-backed companies in the Dow
Jones Venture Source database as of June 30, 2012. Vidyo is one of only seven companies that have
made the list all three years, since it was initiated in 2010. Continue reading...
Frost & Sullivan declare BT "European Unified
Communications Service Provider of the Year"
BT One recognised as Europe's leading end-to-end UC portfolio
Sep 26, 2012 (Menafn - M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -BT today announced it has been awarded Frost & Sullivan's "2012
European Unified Communications Service Provider of the Year". This
award comes as it announces a major update to BT One, its unified communications portfolio, including
new cloud-based services designed to improve management effectiveness and collaboration within and
between large organisations. Continue reading...
NextiraOne Germany Offers Multimedia Communication In
The Cloud With Alcatel-Lucent's OpenTouch
Seamless integration of all communication channels as a
service or by location
Teltow, September 25, 2012 NextiraOne Germany, the leading vendor-independent IT
Integrator and service provider, is expanding its service
portfolio with Alcatel-Lucent's innovative OpenTouch solution. This makes it possible for all customers
to use real-time communication as an application in the data centre.
Based on the SIP standard (Session Initiation Protocol), OpenTouch seamlessly and conveniently
integrates all communications channels from smartphones to videoconferencing. Another advantage
that will strongly resonate with users of traditional Alcatel-Lucent communications solutions is the
option of using OpenTouch both as an application server and as an application in a virtualised data
centre environment. Continue reading...
BT Conferencing and Dolby Make Conference Calls Sound
and Feel Like In-Person Meetings
September 25, 2012 | Jessie Prashar
Technology trial expected to increase collaboration, reduce
travel costs, and improve the effectiveness of meetings for
in-person and remote participants
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO, Sep 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
BT Conferencing, one of the world's leading providers of audio and video conferencing solutions, is
joining forces with Dolby Laboratories Inc. , pioneers in the science of sight and sound, on a technology
trial designed to make audio conference calls more effective by making them sound and feel like inperson meetings.
The trial promises to improve business communication by combining Dolby expertise in core signal
processing and human psychoacoustic perception with BT's world-class capabilities in the field of unified
communications. Continue reading...
G2J Announces new MS Outlook Plug-in and
iPad/iPhone/Android Apps for its Cloud VideoConferencing
Management Interface, MyEasyVision
Miami,
FL (PRWEB) September 24, 2012
This week, Global Wholesaler of Cloud & SaaS Video Conferencing
Solutions, G2J, announced the release if its MS Outlook Plug-in as
well as its Mobility Applications available on iPad, iPhone & Android Smartphones & Tablets. These
additional Applications have been developed exclusively by G2J internal R&D division and allow any
video user to instantly Schedule, Launch & Manage their Videoconferencing meetings from any of their
devices. The Official Release of these Applications will be announced during the VCI-Group Show in
Monterrey, CA on October 22nd, 2012 where G2J is exhibiting. Continue reading...
ISPR 2012 Presence Live Conference Registration Open
ISPR 2012 Presence Live: Registration and conference details
at http://presencelive.info
We're looking forward to the latest in a series of productive
and enjoyable ISPR Presence conferences, ISPR 2012, which
will take place October 24-26 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This year's event will showcase ISPR researchers and research
studies to not only a diverse academic community in communication, computer science, psychology,
philosophy, the arts, business, education and other fields, but to researchers and professionals in
commercial, government, educational and other industry sectors Continue reading...
Aptina Introduces 10-megapixel 1" Format AR1011HS
Sensor
New Aptina Consumer Camera Image Sensor Combines Larger Size
with Unique Pixel for Performance and Speed
SAN JOSE, Calif. & COLOGNE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-Aptina, a global provider of CMOS imaging solutions enabling
Imaging Everywhereâ„¢, announced today the release of the
AR1011HS digital camera image sensor. The new 1-inch optical
format sensor is ideal for enabling high quality bridge and mirrorless cameras and targets Tier-1 camera
OEMs. The sensor provides 10-megapixel (MP) resolution, 3.4-micron pixels, with Aptina's DR-Pixâ„¢
technology, delivering uncompromised low light and bright light scene image quality. The AR1011HS
high-speed sensor architecture is capable of reading full 10MP resolution at 60fps, and enables a variety
of video modes, including broadcast quality quad high definition (HD), oversampled 1080p for True HD
resolution, 1080p video at 120 frames per second, and additional high frame rate modes for slow
motion playback. Continue reading...
Telepresence Options is now on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Xing, RSS, and YouTube
LifeSize Video Endpoints Now Rated "Avaya Compliant"
By BusinessWirevia The Motley Fool
LifeSize Video Endpoints Now Rated "Avaya Compliant"
LifeSize 220 series endpoints and LifeSize Bridge are now compatible with key Avaya Aura®
infrastructure
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-LifeSize, a division of Logitech and a world leader in HD video collaboration, today announced that its
LifeSize 220 endpoint products (LifeSize Team 220, LifeSize Room 220 and LifeSize Express 220) as well
as LifeSize Passport, LifeSize Passport Connect and LifeSize Bridge are compliant with leading IP
telephony solutions from Avaya, a global provider of business collaboration and communication
solutions. Continue reading...
Phoenix Audio Technologies Expands Global Presence with Addition of Five
New Distribution Channels
AT&T Inc. : AT&T Operation Hand Salute Mentees Graduate from National
11-Week Entrepreneur Program
Mobile Telepresence Adds Fuel To Race For Same-Day Delivery
Present.me Launches "Present.me Team": The New Way For Businesses to
Communicate Online
Avaya Drives Real-Time Collaboration for Crisis Management With Integrated
Notification and Conferencing Solutions
Polycom Inc : Polycom Video Collaboration Increases Productivity for the
Vaillant Group and Improves Work-Life Balance Across 20 Countries
Avaya Positioned as a Leader in Analyst Firm's Magic Quadrant for Unified
Communications
Vidyo CEO, Ofer Shapiro, to Deliver Keynote Speech at VCI-Group Annual
Event in Monterey October 22-24th
5 New Members Join Open Visual Communications Consortium
FuzeBox Announces FuzeFund, Providing $1.2M in Visual Collaboration
Solutions to 500 Startups Worldwide
Polycom Helps Take Expert Healthcare Straight to Patients with New Polycom
RealPresence Practitioner Cart 8000
SPIRIT DSP Upgrades Voice and Video Engine for Mobile Service Providers
and Application Developers
Blue Jeans Network to Demonstrate First Interoperable Video Conferencing
Integrated with Salesforce at Dreamforce 2012
LifeSize Names Ray Villareal as Vice President, Americas, and General Manager
of Global Services
Avaya Increases Customer Engagement With Radvision Scopia
WhyGo Announces API for Booking Video Conferences
PingTone Launches HD B2B Video Conferencing Service
FuzeBox Announces Integrations With Microsoft LYNC, Box, SAP, Yammer,
And Others, To Make Its On-The-Go Realtime Visual Collaboration Solution
Even More Seamless
Mobile Telepresence Adds Fuel To Race For Same-Day Delivery
Video Call Use Increasing And Etiquette Still Evolving: One In 10 Employed
Adults Do Not View A Bathroom As Off-Limits For Work-Related Calls
Video Guidance's VG Connect Expands Integrated
Polycom Inc : Polycom Gains Significant Market Share in the Global Video
Collaboration Market in Both Q1 and Q2 for Nearly 8 Percent Total Share Gain
in 1H 2012
Mantaro Makes Commercial Telepresence Systems Truly Mobile
ASB Connects Customers Face-To-Face With Banking Specialists
Six Degrees Group Announces Unified Communications Acquisition
Telepresence People
Tom Versfelt is now Vice President of Cisco Solutions Practice at En Pointe Technologies
Nelson M. Perez is now Audio Visual Integration Design Engineer at Pragmatics, Inc.
Joan Vandermate is now Vice President, Product Marketing at Vidyo
Erik Rudin is now VP of Business Development and Partner Marketing at ScienceLogic
Telepresence Industry Professionals -Now Over 3,500+ Members!
Telepresence Industry Professionals (TIP) is our telepresence industry
association on Linked In which is now over 3,500+ members! We like to call it "the
telepresence industry's cool kids club" because so many of our favorite folks are onboard. The group is a superb venue for discussion, networking, and industry news and information. There
is a Jobs board for organizations looking for talent and for folks that are in the market for their next gig.
TIP is now in Europe with XING!!
On The Bench
A Breakdown of Industry Talent in the Market for their Next
Opportunity
Interested in Appearing in “On the Bench”? Send 1 short
paragraph overview, headshot, and LinkedIn URL to
[email protected] with “On the Bench” in the
subject line.
Telepresence Industry Jobs
New Jobs on the Telepresence
Must be a Member of TIP to view
Industry Professionals Job Board -
Telepresence Options Seeking Managing Editor & Writers
Over the past year we have focused on growing the publishing
side of Telepresence Options into the largest identifiable
audience in the world interested in telepresence and visual
collaboration. We have more than doubled the website traffic
from an average of 747 session per day in 2009 to 2014
2500+sessions per day as of March 2012 and growing! The
subscribers to our newsletter, the Telepresence Options
Telegraph, have grown from 2861 to 4724 5500+. 6300+ We
launched a new website the Telepresence and
Videoconferencing Catalog which has become the Internet's
most comprehensive and intelligently-organized overview of telepresence and visual collaboration
solutions. Recently we have launched Telepresence Options Magazine and we are now looking for a
talented editor and some writers to help us take both the website and magazine to the next level.
Please email [email protected] if interested.
Telepresence Options is now on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Xing, RSS, and YouTube
Telepresence Industry Calendar
About Telepresence Options
Telepresence Options follows telepresence, videoconferencing,
unified communications, and the companies that make up the
visual collaboration industry. We profile new telepresence and
visual collaboration systems, telepresence and video managed
service providers, and telepresence inter-networking solutions.
Telepresence Options content is available for free on the
internet and The Telepresence Options 2013 Yearbook and
Telepresence Options Magazine are available to subscribers.
The Telepresence Options 2013 Yearbook is the third in the
series of Telepresence Options surveys and is the most recent update to the
Telepresence Options 2011 Yearbook and Telepresence, Effective Visual
Collaboration, and the Future of Global Business at the Speed of Light the
most widely read publications on telepresence ever.
Interested in Sponsoring the Telepresence Options Telegraph or Telepresence Options?
Telepresence Options traffic is from 190+ countries!
Telepresence Options is the #1 Website on the Internet following telepresence, telepresence managed
services, and inter-networking telepresence. The site attracts over between 25,000 – 30,000+ unique
visitors per month and represents the largest identifiable audience in the world interested in
telepresence, telepresence managed services, and internetworking telepresence. The Telepresence
Options Telegraph is published monthly and has over 6,000+ subscribers. Please contact
[email protected] for sponsorship info or
http://www.telepresenceoptions.com/sponsorship/
Telepresence Options 2012 Program
TPO Magazine May 1st 2012
The Telepresence and Videoconferencing
Catalog
The Telepresence and Videoconferencing Catalog is our comprehensive and
intelligently organized on-line catalog of the leading telepresence and
videoconferencing systems, managed service providers, and inter-networking
solutions available anywhere. You can start with our comprehensive overview of
the various Telepresence Options and then drill down to evaluate telepresence
solutions in various intelligently organized categories.
Telepresence Stage and Podium Systems
Recording, Streaming, and
Group Systems
Archiving
Large Group Systems,
Video Network Management
Small Group Systems
Public Telepresence and VC
Executive Systems
Rooms
Telemedicine & Healthcare TP
Peripherals and Accessories
Video Conference Systems
Telepresence Robotics
Video Network Infrastructure
Virtual Reality CAVESs
Cameras and Codecs
Unified Communications
Managed Services Provider
Desktop Conferencing
Inter-Networking Provider
Webconferencing and Virtual
TP and VC Exchange Services
Collaboration
Resellers and Integrators
Display Technologies
Conferences and Events
Publications
Consultants
Audio Peripherals
Mobile Video
Telepresence Options is now on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Xing, RSS, and YouTube