Microsoft: Our video conferencing is more practical
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| With the latest Microsoft software, it's easier to set up conference calls that include video, and a roster that shows who's talking. Screen capture image: Microsoft |
At the launch of Microsoft's (MSFT) improved communications platform earlier this week, videoconferencing was a hot topic; with the company's new Office Communications Server and client software, it's easier than ever to set up conference calls that include advanced features like video and screen sharing.
After the Bill Gates keynote address, I sat down with Gurdeep Pall, a Microsoft (MSFT) corporate vice president overseeing unified communications strategy. In a wide-ranging chat about communications technology, we spent some time talking about how Microsoft's videoconferencing strategy differs from that of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Cisco Systems (CSCO).
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| Gurdeep Pall. Photo: Microsoft |
It's clear that HP and Cisco are promoting a different approach to videoconferencing. While the companies also support more basic solutions, lately they have been promoting their high-end services that deliver high-definition video and rich audio that makes participants feel as though they're all in the same room. HP's Halo conferencing system starts at $250,000; Telepresence products from Cisco and Tandberg are more affordable.
In the interview below, Microsoft's Pall talks about why he believes Microsoft's approach to videoconferencing is better; it doesn't require specialized equipment, it's easier to use, and it will soon support high-definition video. As the interview begins, we talk about how easy it is for Microsoft's system to work with others, and why that might give the company an advantage. Click below to play.
Doesn't MS solution also require dedicated servers?
I think it requires millions of dollars to upgrade company's servers and software and MS solution does not work well with other vendor's existing voice and video system.
Cisco has high end Video system such as telepresence, it also has PC based video conferencing solution called VT advantage, it does not require any additional HW.
Microsoft is going to threaten the traditional VoIP PBX players like Cisco, Avaya, Nortel etc. big time.
Microsoft platform is already in thousands of enterprises and their approach of providing collaboration is going to be much cheaper than the hardware solutions offerred by Cisco or Avaya.
Think about it, with Cisco solution you would need to buy Cisco Call Manager servers, Unity server for Voice Mail, Meeting Place Server for confernecing, Presence server for presence, Web Ex server for collaboration, and many more servers for many other services.
For an enterprise the server based solution is very very expensive. MS solution is more software based and I think MS will significantly challenge Cisco, Avaya and such in the coming years.
I think in order for Cisco and Avaya and such companies to compete, they need to look at pure software collaboration companies like "damaka" http://www.damaka.com. Damaka offers everything Microsoft offers today and its much more advanced than MS.
damaka today offers SIP based and presence enabled file sharing, desktop share, whiteboarding, audio conference, video conference, SMS, IPTV, collaboration from within any MS application, video mail, voice mail and many other features WITHOUT ANY SERVERS.
damaka can interoperate today with all majory SIP Call Agents such as Cisco Call Manager, Siemens IMS Core, etc. etc.
I think Cisco and Avaya needs to look at companies like "damaka" for synergies.
It will be interesting too see how the market takes this.
Currently the use of 3rd party tools or your Telcom service dominate.
Any kind of communication has the inherent dependency on the network it's supported. That same network will, in fact, define the quality of your presentation. Lower bandwidths will translate into lower resolutions for both video and audio. So, it's important to differentiate the type of communication one is expecting of all the products mentioned in this article.
For true immersive conferencing, one by which an individual forgets that those people 'present' are really on a display, a dedicated, high bandwidth network is a requirement. This is what makes it all happen, in addition to a good management service that provides any assistance when needed.
The server based model alone, unless run over a well designed network, will fall short of providing an uninterrupted experience, especially if high resolutions are always expected.
And, lastly, in response to Mr. Pall's concern of difficulty of use of existing systems, there are some award-winning interfaces that he's failing to mention, where the same point and click model is used. Perhaps he should be exposed to HP's Halo.