HP is extending its line of visual collaboration products with the introduction of a wider array of lower cost solutions and the implementation of H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) — a new video compression technology suited for IP networks.
The new software-based HP Visual Collaboration products extend HD videoconferencing from notebook computers, to executive touch-screen workstations to conference rooms and high-end HP Halo telepresence studios.
The software-based SVC capability, which is provided through a technology partnership with Vidyo, enables scalable video quality that adapts dynamically to best-efforts network connections. This means that compression occurs in the end-point rather than with encoders in the network, reducing latency and eliminating the need for a costly multipoint control unit.
The new desktop and conference room solutions include:
- HP Visual Collaboration Desktop software client — it can be deployed by users on their own PCs and notebooks.
- HP Visual Collaboration Executive Desktop — a bundled, touchscreen solution that features an HP TouchSmart 600 Quad loaded with HP Visual Collaboration software. It also includes camera and headset accessories.
- HP Visual Collaboration Room 100 and Room 220 — video-enable multipurpose conference rooms.
- HP’s Visual Collaboration infrastructure products — based on standard ProLiant servers, these include a video portal, a video router for connecting up to 100 concurrent sessions, and a video gateway for bridging H.323 and SIP sessions.
HP’s current Halo solutions that run on a dedicated network will continue to be offered as an option for customers who seek a fully managed, high-touch solution.
“Customers need to collaborate inside and outside their companies — whether they are traveling, working at home or at the office,” said Rob Scott, general manager and vice president, Visual Collaboration, HP. “HP’s full range of high-quality, HD videoconferencing solutions, especially at the desktop, make that possible.”http://www.hp.com/go/visual-collaboration
- The Unified Communications Interoperability Forum’s (UCIF) Task Group on Scalable Video Coding (SVC) is working to define H.264 SVC UCIF-compliant unified communication systems.
- In June 2010, HP announced plans to use Vidyo’s complete VidyoConferencing line of software-based desktop and room system-based solutions running on HP servers for delivering high-quality, high-definition video.
- Also in June 2010, Vidyo, which is a start-up based in Hackensack, New Jersey, announced a $25 million Series C round of financing to support is personal telepresence solutions. Vidyo is headed by Ofer Shapiro (CEO and co-founder), who previously spent eight years at RADVISION where he was responsible for the development of the first IP video conferencing bridge and gatekeeper technology. Ofer was also a contributor and one of the editors of the H.323 standard. Vidyo’s other co-founder is Dr. Alex Eleftheriadis (Chief Scientist), who was an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University. He holds 12 patents, has served as the Editor of the MPEG-4 Systems specification, and is currently co-editor of the H.264 SVC Conformance specification.