MARKETWATCH
www.comms-dealer.com
VIDEOCONFERENCING
Videoconferencing is changing the way organisations
manage meetings. Here we examine the key influencing
factors shaping and driving the market for videoconferencing
in the SME space, and discuss how resellers can adapt their
portfolio to meet the collaboration requirements of end users.
V
ideoconferencing part of any company’s videoconferencing is
solutions have communications strategy. relatively simple and cost
come a long Companies that work effective,” said Barrow.
way in dispelling towards creating a “Companies are, and
the traditional perception unified communications should be, looking to
that they were unreliable, environment have implement solutions that
difficult to use, and the ability to adopt a can scale to address
typically hard to manage single communications specific business needs
across the enterprise, notes infrastructure that integrates and videoconferencing
Chris Barrow, Product voice, data and other is certainly one element
Marketing Manager, Avaya applications to create to consider.”
EMEA. “As the technology a single environment
and its supporting where employees can Tools such as “Videoconferencing is one reduction programmes,
infrastructure have become communicate in more videoconferencing tool that can be scaled up so the more scalable and
more sophisticated, ways and from multiple encourage enhanced or down to suit the business low cost solutions are
businesses are realising locations with ease. A truly collaboration among a and the employee, and enjoying healthy growth.”
the scale of the benefits unified communications distributed workforce and it doesn’t have to cost
that videoconferencing system enables businesses enable co-workers to the earth. The job for our One other significant
can deliver as part of an to become user-centric instantly see, and more business partners is to marry development is the
overall communications organisations where effectively communicate up the right product with increased requirement
strategy in terms of cost staff can choose the with colleagues around the the right business need for vendor solutions to
efficiency, productivity and communication mode globe. This is a prerequisite to ensure each customer interoperate with older kit
employee satisfaction. This that is best for them. for enterprises intending is getting the best out – there are over 1.5 million
is particularly true for SMEs, If staff want to use to remain competitive in of the technology.” videoconferencing units
which often rely heavily videoconferencing solutions today’s global economy, out there to talk to. “The
on communications to at work, then this can and by incorporating The changes brought solutions must also be able
allow them to work flexibly easily be integrated into communications tools such by videoconferencing to integrate with other
and remotely,” he said. the company’s portfolio.” as video into the everyday to the way people work application providers’
workflow they can realise are multiple, observes solutions, such as Microsoft
The cost savings that can The argument for significant improvements in Ray McGroarty, Solutions OCS platforms, or desktop
be achieved for businesses videoconferencing as how they plan, coordinate, Marketing Director at IP Telephony applications so
through videoconferencing part of a complete and execute, noted Barrow. Polycom EMEA. “Within a that the vendors can offer
are substantial, and as large enterprise, there is customers a wide choice
such, especially in the
current climate, it is a
I
a new demand for high of starting-points when
t’s about matching
quality solutions that offer they begin to consider
valuable proposition for the most natural meeting video communications,”
the solution to the real
resellers. Companies like experience,” he said. “The added McGroarty.
Avaya offer different need and company culture emergence of Immersive
types of conferencing Telepresence, such as the For the channel partners,
options to accommodate communications solution “Particularly in our current Polycom RPX, responds the skills required to
multiple job functions is further strengthened by economic climate, we to these demands. At the implement solutions at
allowing businesses of the cost benefits that it can are definitely hearing from other end of the scale, the very top end of the
all sizes to reap the full deliver. “After upgrading SMBs that what they want there is an ever-growing portfolio, and at the entry
benefits. Barrow added: a communications is affordable solutions that demand for home working level, and to integrate
“Videoconferencing environment to integrate solve real-business problems solutions, as part of the with the wide array of
should be able to voice and data, adding and drive customer disaster recovery planning, desktop PC and telephony
function as an integral single elements like loyalty,” he commented. work/life balance and cost applications, are multiple.
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42 COMMS DEALER OCTOBER 2009 www.comms-dealer.com
42-43 VC.indd 1 6/10/09 11:09:15
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