Reshaping the enterprise collaboration experience…what will we do for an encore?

[Steven Erickson (Steven_Erickson)]

With 2015 well underway, I’d like to reflect on the past 12 months and what we did in 2014 – particularly in our partnership with Microsoft. Last year was about starting to deliver on the vision of unleashing the power of human collaboration. It was about making video experiences meaningful, audio quality like being there, and delivering content sharing solutions designed to make businesses more efficient, more productive.

We’re proud of our relationship with Microsoft. Not only does Microsoft Lync impact collaboration in the business world more than any other unified communications platform, but Microsoft also shares our view that these solutions should be easy to use, always on (i.e., unmatched quality) and available everywhere -- ubiquitous across the enterprise.

Essential Elements for Improving Collaboration

Video Everywhere

Video is becoming more pervasive; we’re seeing greater demand, thanks in no small part, to new mobile devices, and the increasingly sophisticated video applications they come with. Video is everywhere and will soon become the most preferred means to communicate in a corporate setting, even more-so than email or a phone call.

In 2014, we delivered dramatically improved video experiences, helping customers realize the power Lync has to offer. Our new video solutions, Group Series and CX 8000 (our Lync Room System), take complexity out and makes collaboration easy. These solutions connect quickly, turning any room into a video collaboration space that allows users to connect from anywhere.

Watch this video to Take a Tour of the Polycom CX8000.

More than ever, organizations are diving head first into video collaboration, investing heavily into Polycom + Microsoft Lync platforms. But in many cases, other video conferencing solutions are already in place creating confusion for users and lacking system interoperability. Polycom recognized this need and in September, we announced RealConnect for Microsoft Lync which unifies the video collaboration experience across Lync and non-Lync environments, giving customers the confidence they need to move forward with a video collaboration solution enterprise-wide.

Watch this video to learn more about RealConnect for Microsoft Lync:

 

Voice Makes Video Work

We’re not all in the office anymore and we’re not always aligned to a traditional 9-5 workday. We’re a mobile workforce with new devices enabling work from many locations -- coffee shops, hotel rooms and airports. In that vein, we’ve all joined video calls and watched another party talk on and on while on mute. Voice makes video work. And with our CX5100 and CX5500, we offer solutions that deliver 360-degree view with HD quality, and allow everyone to be heard – no matter what their location.

Backoffice Brings it Together

We continue to innovate to bring more products to market to help reshape the enterprise collaboration experience. In December, our Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server and our Distributed Media Application server were qualified for use with Microsoft Lync – the industry’s first video infrastructure solutions qualified for Microsoft Lync 2013.

Continuing to Innovate in Markets Today

Video is pushing organizational norms and standard operating procedures, allowing for a more open and collaborative work environment. This extends beyond the boardroom and helps drive new programs like Microsoft’s CityNext campaign, a program that empowers governments, businesses, and citizens to create more sustainable, prosperous, and economically competitive cities. In 2014, Polycom was hand-selected by Microsoft to take part in this program. Together, we’re making an impact -- first responders better serving those in need, government workers collaborate more efficiently at significantly less cost, and schools connecting nationally and internationally for a wider view of the world.

Keep an eye on 2015

Polycom and Microsoft continue a passionate drive toward delivering solutions that meet the ever-growing market for improving human collaboration. We’re working in a new world, one that is driven by collaboration.

At Polycom, we’re embracing this challenge, and continuing to innovate. Our partnership with Microsoft will enable us to deliver new solutions that meet the evolving needs of more and better collaboration solutions. So stay tuned. Over the next year, we’ll continue, together with Microsoft, to unleash the power of human collaboration.

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Additional Resources:

• Infographic: Microsoft Lync Room System
• Webinar (on demand): Take Meeting Collaboration to the Next Level