Alcatel-Lucent is using a combination of its own technologies and partnerships to make a push into the burgeoning video-collaboration space.
The aim of the vendor s Visual Collaboration suite, announced July 25, is to offer video-conferencing solutions that are simple to use and less costly than current products from larger rivals, while still offering the high-end user experience businesses are looking for, according to Lizardo Espinosa, director of product marketing for enterprise communications at Alcatel-Lucent.
"We are trying to get into the part of the market that can't afford to pay for telepresence, but wants that same telepresence experience," Espinosa said in an interview with eWEEK.
And Alcatel-Lucent is looking to give businesses that high-end enterprise video experience on a wide range of endpoints, from PCs and display screens in conference rooms and offices to smartphones, tablets and laptops. The idea of offering high-end video conferencing to any endpoint is a key factor for most video-communications vendors -- including Cisco Systems, Polycom, Vidyo and Logitech s LifeSize Communications business -- as businesses see an increasing percentage of their workforces going mobile or working remotely.
Alcatel-Lucent officials are looking to offer enterprises and mid-market companies a video-communications solution that is cost-effective, high quality and easy to use, Espinosa said. Video collaboration promises greater productivity and reduced costs for many companies, but issues of quality, cost and security are holding back adoption.
The vendor is working with SMART Technologies, Radvision and LifeSize in building out the offerings in the Visual Collaboration suite with infrastructure, applications and endpoints. Through the Alcatel-Lucent offerings, business users can easily contact each other on any device, establish a video link and share content, according to the vendor, via easy-to-use interfaces, drag-and-drop capabilities and presence.
To read the original eWeek article, click here:
Alcatel-Lucent Rolls Out Enterprise Video-Collaboration Suite
