If you've ever hosted a videoconference, you know that they can be a pain. Even after you navigate the dangerous waters of incompatible services and unreliable equipment, you often see the same Brady Bunch-style windows — usually a mix of chattering heads along with a single main feed of a crowd surrounding a conference room table.
Polycom thinks it has a better solution with its CX8000 videoconferencing room system. The system has simple interface powered by Microsoft Lync, and it supports an optional 360-degree panoramic camera that can see an entire conference room, finally giving a meeting's "primary" feed the prominence it deserves.
"Video is really ready for the consumerization of the enterprise," says Laura Marx, senior director of alliances marketing at Polycom. "We're taking that one-click video experience into the conference room. And the 360-degree camera is really a unique experience. It's what you would see if you were in the room."
The CX8000 also supports the latest version of Lync, which debuted last year with Office 365.
With Lync's touchscreen support, the Polycom system can turn any participant's screen into a collaboration tool using a feature called Virtual White Boarding. The system also supports app sharing as well. Conference participants can adjust the layout of the video screens to their liking via Lync's gallery view.
The bad news: The system starts at $15,000, meaning it's essentially an enterprise-only tool. Although, with Lync being part of the deal, that's pretty much expected. Nevertheless, using the system, any individual will be able to dial into a conference via Lync on any device and enjoy the full suite of features, including contact lists (with Outlook integration), IMing, document collaboration and HD video support.
Polycom will bring the new features to its other Lync-powered systems via a software update (Polycom RealPresence Group Series 4.1.3) coming in February.
While Polycom's system makes sense for corporations where Lync and Microsoft's software are part of the established workflow, there are plenty of alternatives for those on a budget. Both Google Hangouts and ooVoo boast many of the same features at a fraction of the cost (although you'll have to do without that panoramic camera).
Polycom is taking orders on the CX8000 starting today, with the product scheduled to begin shipping in March.
Image: POLYCOM