Polycom Adds All-In-One Videoconferencing System
The new VSX 3000, priced at $4,999, combines a fixed-focus camera, 17-inch LCD display, stereo speakers and a microphone. The product comes in versions for IP and ISDN deployments.
"For our reseller channel, this completely rounds out our product line. It's a piece of the market that Polycom was not sufficiently addressing before," said Marcio Macedo, senior product manager at the Pleasanton, Calif.-based vendor.
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Polycom says the VSX 3000 unit rounds out its reseller product menu.
The VSX 3000 is Polycom's first integrated videoconferencing unit for desktop deployments. Its product lineup ranges from desktop cameras to large, integrated boardroom conferencing systems.
"We lost a significant deal last year because this product didn't exist," said Chris Otten, vice president of channel and video solutions at ReView Video, a distributor in Aurora, Ill. "If it existed, a $1 million-plus contract would have gone Polycom's way."
The VSX 3000 will compete with a similar all-in-one system from rival Tandberg that has been on the market for several years, Otten said.
But the 12.1-inch LCD display on the Tandberg 1000 is generally too small for use as a PC monitor and costs slightly more than the Polycom unit, said Tom Wing, president and CEO of OmniPresence. The Marlborough, Mass.-based conferencing and collaboration solution provider represents both vendors' product lines.
With a larger screen, Polycom's VSX 3000 can easily serve as a monitor replacement plus provide speakers for a PC, saving space on users' desktops, Wing said. "We have a broad spectrum of clients, and I can see this type of product being applicable to pretty much all of them," he said, citing executive offices, home offices, schools, and doctors' and lawyers' offices as potential sales opportunities.
The videoconferencing unit supports 14KHz wideband audio and utilizes the new H.264 video compression standard, which can deliver twice the video quality of its predecessor without increasing bandwidth usage. Wing said he hopes future versions offer a more sophisticated pan-tilt-zoom camera and a lower price tag.
Polycom also introduced the SoundStation2W, a wireless version of its popular triangle-shaped conference phone. Pricing for the product, scheduled to ship next quarter, hasn't been finalized but will likely fall between $700 and $1,000, the company said.