Polycom Expands Microsoft® Lync™-Enabled Portfolio with New Dedicated Room System for Lync 2013, a Breakthrough Content-Sharing Application and Additional Qualified Solutions
Polycom,
Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based
unified communications and collaboration (UC&C), today announced a new
dedicated room system for Microsoft® Lync™ 2013, a multi-way content
sharing application, additional interoperable solutions, and customer
momentum in support of Microsoft’s inaugural Lync Conference. Polycom’s
portfolio of 40 video, voice, and content sharing solutions are
interoperable or optimized to work with Microsoft Lync, driving a
majority of customers to choose Polycom and Microsoft over other vendors
for a complete UC&C solution.
Together, Polycom® RealPresence® video and voice solutions and Microsoft
Lync unify communications across work environments – on the go, home and
work offices, conference rooms, and immersive theaters. With the
combination of Lync and RealPresence solutions, employees can launch
video collaboration sessions easily and intuitively from within familiar
interfaces and normal workflows, from any work environment on- or
off-premises. They simply click a name in their Lync contact list to
securely collaborate face-to-face via Polycom video at their desktop or
in a conference room.
“We have long worked with Microsoft to ensure our solutions are
interoperable and we’re excited to do so again with Lync 2013,” said Ted
Colton, Global Vice President of Strategic Alliances, Polycom. “Today
our mutual customers are benefitting from the ability to eliminate the
barrier of geographic distance between employees. The combination of
Polycom and Microsoft software gives employees greater flexibility and a
seamless UC solution for video, voice, conferencing and collaboration,
from anywhere, anytime. And with our new dedicated room system
purpose-built for Lync 2013, it’s only going to get better and drive
more value for our mutual customers.”
Next-generation dedicated Lync room system
Polycom will launch a new dedicated video conferencing room system
combining Microsoft Lync 2013 and Polycom video collaboration
technology. The solution will feature high-end Polycom camera and
microphone options (for traditional front-of-room cameras and
center-of-table 360-degree
cameras), touchscreen monitors, and a tabletop touch controller. The
new Polycom room system will be purpose-built for Lync 2013 to extend
the familiar Lync user experience to the video conference room
environment and will include rich presence, contact search and instant
messaging as well as powerful video conferencing with rich collaboration
capabilities including white boarding, PowerPoint presentations,
application sharing and editing, and more. Its tight integration with
Microsoft Outlook will help users both in the meeting room as well as
remotely start and manage meetings more efficiently, ultimately
increasing usage and driving a greater return on investment. The Polycom
room system for Microsoft Lync will include several features that
specifically take advantage of Lync 2013 such as built-in multi-party
video and will leverage the industry’s first
open standards-based SVC (Scalable Video Coding) implementation
– unveiled by Polycom in Fall 2012.
Enhanced content sharing
Polycom also announced the Polycom®
RealPresence® Content Sharing Suite, a software application for the
Polycom® RealPresence® Platform software infrastructure. The new
software solution allows Lync users to share content back and forth with
standards-based video collaboration devices such as room-based video
solutions (such as Polycom® HDX® systems) or mobile apps (such as
Polycom® RealPresence® Mobile 2.0 app). Lync users have always been able
to view content as part of the video stream but the new software from
Polycom allows Lync users to view and share documents and presentations
in a separate content video stream, allowing for high-definition display
of content (up to 720p HD), larger display of participants, and an
overall enhanced user experience.
Expanded interoperability options
Polycom offers a broad and rich portfolio of solutions that are
interoperable or optimized to work with Microsoft Lync – 40 solutions in
total. Anchored by the flagship Polycom® CX
family of products, built for custom integration with Lync, Polycom
has an expansive portfolio of solutions that have achieved formal
qualification for Microsoft Lync 2010 interoperability including:
-
Polycom®
RealPresence® Collaboration Server (RMX® 1500 and 2000), software
for multiparty video and voice collaboration that connects the most
people at highest quality and lowest cost. The RealPresence
Collaboration Server is a key component of the Polycom
RealPresence Platform software infrastructure.
-
Polycom® RealPresence® Room video collaboration systems (Polycom®
HDX® 6000, 7000, and 8000) and the Polycom
HDX 4500 executive desktop video system.
-
Polycom®
VVX® 500 business media phones that improve productivity by
simplifying communication processes and business workflows. The media
phones can be video-enabled when used with the Polycom®
VVX® Camera.
-
The Polycom®
SoundPoint® IP series desktop phones (SoundPoint 450, 550, 560,
and 650).
Additionally, Polycom’s latest HD video collaboration systems for rooms
and budgets of all sizes, the Polycom®
RealPresence® Group Series (300, 500 and 700), can also connect with
Microsoft Lync 2010. The new RealPresence Group Series solutions include
a simple and intuitive new user interface, and offer the industry's best
HD video and content-sharing (up to 1080p60 resolution), and
crystal-clear audio.
Polycom and Microsoft across industries, around the world
Customers around the world, of all size and in all industries, are using
Microsoft Lync together with Polycom RealPresence video and voice
solutions as their comprehensive UC&C solution to keep their global
teams connected, communicating, and collaborating.
-
Lonza,
one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare
and life science industries, uses Polycom and Microsoft solutions to
implement a more flexible working environment for its 11,000 staff
across 90 sites so employees can work more effectively away from the
office and securely join video meetings from home or on the move.
-
UK-based global technology firm Smiths
Group PLC uses Microsoft and Polycom at 400 locations in over 50
countries, creating a virtual link for over 23,000 employees. Smiths
is also using Polycom RealPresence Mobile 2.0 app for mobile staff
using tablets and smartphones to extend video collaboration beyond the
office to virtually anywhere.
-
LOTOS
Group, a major producer and supplier of oil products across Poland
and abroad, has equipped its 5,000 employees with a combined Polycom
and Microsoft UC&C solution to encourage knowledge sharing
company-wide.
-
University
of the West of England, one of the largest universities in the UK
with 30,000 student and 3,000 staff spread over four campuses, uses
the Polycom and Microsoft interoperable solution to enable distance
learning among the faculty of UWE and other institutions and students.
For example, when an international college in Asia is running a
master's program associated with UWE and a student wants an interview
with his or her tutor, they connect over video.
-
Belfast
Health and Social Care Trust, with 17,000 healthcare staff serving
340,000 people in Northern Ireland, uses Microsoft and Polycom to
deliver care closer to where it’s needed, saving time and helping to
save lives. The interoperable solutions allow healthcare professionals
to make decisions faster and more efficiently.
"We chose Polycom primarily for their experience and reputation;
secondly, the interoperability with other systems; and thirdly because
of the strength of its strategic relationship and commitment to
integrate with Microsoft Lync," said Ernst Hutter, Head of Global IT
Infrastructure, Lonza. "The combination of Microsoft Lync and Polycom
video collaboration has significantly changed our way of working in the
last two years. We have more and more home users and this has allowed
the organization to implement a more flexible working environment, so
employees can work more effectively away from the office and securely
join video meetings from home or on the move."
Continuing commitment to Microsoft alliance
Last month, Polycom
announced its intent to acquire Sentri, Inc., a leading provider of
advanced services with expertise in Microsoft technologies (including
Lync), UC&C, video collaboration, cloud services and networking. Sentri
is Gold certified by Microsoft in communications, messaging, portals and
collaboration, and desktop technology; Microsoft Premier Support for
Lync™ Partners (PSLP) certified; and has two Microsoft Certified Master
engineers. Sentri’s deep expertise integrating Microsoft Lync with
Polycom solutions is a key element of the acquisition.
Availability
All Lync 2010-interoperable Polycom video and voice solutions and the
RealPresence Content Sharing Suite are available today. Polycom intends
to deliver the new Lync room system in 2H 2013. For more information
about today’s news and the overall Polycom and Microsoft relationship,
please visit www.polycom.com/Microsoft.
To view a video about Polycom and Microsoft, please click here.
Demonstrations
Polycom will be demonstrating its interoperable solutions in booth #2 as
a platinum sponsor of the Microsoft
Lync 2013 Conference, February 19-21, 2013, in San Diego, CA.
Polycom will showcase solutions including:
-
An early look at the new Polycom room system for Lync 2013
-
Polycom RealPresence Content Sharing Suite
-
Polycom® RealPresence® video and voice solutions for Lync (including
the Polycom HDX 4500 and Polycom VVX business media phones)
-
Vertical applications for Lync (such as the Polycom® HDX® Practitioner
Cart solution for healthcare environments)
-
Polycom® RealPresence® video content management for Lync (including
the Polycom® RealPresence® Media Manager solution)
Additionally, Polycom will present two sessions:
-
“Polycom: Integrating Traditional Video with Microsoft Lync,” Tuesday,
February 19, 2-3:15pm, Windsor Complex. Polycom will discuss how
customers can leverage existing video assets to extend collaboration
beyond the desktop.
-
“Lync 2013 Video Conferencing & Interoperability,” Thursday, February
21, 9-10:15am, Ballroom. Attendees will learn about advances in video
technologies, such as Scalable Video Coding, which Lync 2013 leverages
to dramatically improve the conferencing experience.
About Polycom
Polycom is the global leader in open standards-based unified
communications and collaboration (UC&C) solutions for voice and video
collaboration, trusted by more than 415,000 customers around the world.
Polycom solutions are powered by the Polycom® RealPresence®
Platform, comprehensive software infrastructure and rich APIs that
interoperate with the broadest set of communication, business, mobile
and cloud applications and devices to deliver secure face-to-face video
collaboration in any environment. Polycom and its ecosystem of over
7,000 partners provide truly unified communications solutions that
deliver the best user experience, highest multi-vendor interoperability,
and lowest TCO. Visit www.polycom.com
or connect with us on Twitter,
Facebook,
and LinkedIn
to learn how we’re pushing the greatness of human collaboration forward.
NOTE: The product plans, specifications, and descriptions herein are
provided for information only and subject to change without notice, and
are provided without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Polycom
reserves the right to modify future product plans at any time. Products
and related specifications referenced herein are not guaranteed and will
be delivered on a when and if available basis.
© 2013 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM®, the Polycom logo,
and the names and marks associated with Polycom’s products are
trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc. and are registered
and/or common law marks in the United States and various other
countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 regarding future events, including statements regarding the
features and functionality of the new solutions, Polycom’s intent to
deliver the new solutions in the second half of 2013, and Polycom’s
intent to acquire Sentri, Inc. These forward-looking statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
differ materially, including the parties satisfying the closing
conditions to acquire Sentri; the impact of competition on our product
sales and for our customers and partners; the impact of increased
competition due to consolidation in our industry or competition from
companies that are larger or that have greater resources than we do; our
ability to bring our new products and offerings to market in a timely
manner due to engineering, manufacturing or other delays; changing
market demands; potential fluctuations in results and future growth
rates; risks associated with general economic conditions and external
market factors; the market acceptance of our products and changing
market demands, including demands for differing technologies or product
and services offerings; our ability to successfully integrate our
acquisitions into our business; possible delays in the development,
availability and shipment of new products; increasing costs and
differing uses of capital; changes in key personnel that may cause
disruption to the business; our inability to achieve the expected
results from adjustments being made to our expense profile; the impact
of restructuring actions; and the impact of global conflicts and
changing laws that may adversely impact our business. Many of these
risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and in other reports
filed by Polycom with the SEC. Polycom disclaims any intent or
obligations to update these forward-looking statements.