Vendors Bet Big on Unfamiliar Markets

by Carolyn April

Toshiba, long identified as a preeminent notebook manufacturer, recently launched a Unified Communications Site, which ties individual UC applications into a single server package. A departure, to say the least. Available through partners, the UC suite enables everything from presence, IM to video conferencing and outbound application calls.

ViewSonic’s made a name with its monitors and displays. In June, however, the company announced availability of its $599 VPC100 All-in-One PC. Yes, PC. ViewSonic is pitching the system’s slim design (35mm thin), ease-of-use, eco-friendly design for any space—consumer or commercial—where space is limited.

Lenovo’s laptops are pretty well-establishe. But the company recently released new models that take things in a new direction: The new ThinkPad T400s come with features to make VoIP easier than ever, with hotkey access to VOIP applications including teleconferencing and video conferencing applications.

Cisco’s branching out all over: UC and now, conventional servers. Given the precipitous drop in net-new server sales, Cisco’s launch into the entry-level rack mount space seems somewhat counterintuitive. But the networking giant is confident it can ride its comprehensive platform story to a dent in the strongholds of HP and IBM.