LifeSize Conference - HSL's Thoughts and Analysis + FST Summit, Tandberg Analyst Day and Telepresence Options Update
LifeSize Communications announced they were getting into the market for group telepresence systems today by introducing LifeSize Conference, a $39,999 three-screen telepresence group system "kit". Here are Human Productivity Lab President Howard S. Lichtman's thoughts and analysis on the new system, what it means to the industry, and whose ox gets gored (Hint: Telanetix).
See Peter Brockmann's article on the announcement of LifeSize Conference and the revolutionary $5,999 price of the new LifeSize Express HD videoconferencing endpoint here.
HSL's Thoughts and Analysis
First, congrats to LifeSize for creating a solution that more faithfully replicates a traditional in-person meeting experience than what can be achieved by a set-top camera and single monitor. While we haven't gotten a demo yet, the system looks fantastic on paper. High definition images, 16kHz super wide-band audio, and a price tag that, even with a sophisticated room build out (I.E. large flat screen displays, appropriate furniture positioning the participants in a culturally correct format, acoustical treatments, etc.) is going to come in at 1/4 to 1/2 of the cost of the entry-level modular telepresence offerings from Cisco, HP Halo, Polycom, Tandberg, and Teliris. In addition, the LifeSize Conference system will be compatible right out-of-the-box with the complete line of LifeSize HD and other standards-based videoconferencing systems.
What we would like to see: LifeSize or one of their more sophisticated AV systems integrators/resellers should create a templated room environment for the LifeSize Conference that addresses the other nuances of telepresence (lighting, acoustics, culturally correct positioning/staging of participants) AND that can be widely deployed with a consistency-of-quality across all sites in an enterprise. One of the Telepresence Managed Service Providers (I.E. Iformata, Nortel Multimedia Services, etc.) should step up and support the platform with an option for a telepresence CoIN.
Whose Ox Gets Gored?: The whole industry more or less. LifeSize has dropped the price floor of HD videoconferencing with the Express and an entry level telepresence group system can now be had for less than $100,000 installed. That clearly puts pressure on the bigger vendors and raises the price/performance bar in a way that affects some more than others.
Probably the biggest loser here is Telanetix, who has been the low-cost leader in delivering group telepresence systems that address most of the same telepresence "basics" (panoramic remote view, life-size participants, culturally correct format, etc.) that are now targeted by the LifeSize Conference solution. Meanwhile, the big boys like Cisco, HP Halo, Polycom, Tandberg, and Teliris are delivering features and functionality for large, sophisticated C-level enterprise telepresence users such as:
Microsoft Outlook scheduling integration
- Cisco Call Manager integration
Single number dialing
Managed Services including network, help desk, global field maintenance
Telepresence Community of Interest Networks (CoINs) that can connect to customers, joint venture partners, and vendors
Management & scheduling systems for management of enterprise deployments of both telepresence and traditional videoconferencing systems
Directional audio, etc.
Telanetix, unfortunately, has almost no similar features/functionality for the upper end of the market to differentiate them from this new competitor.
Telanetix has had the market for the low-cost, some-assembly-required, telepresence group conferencing system more-or-less to themselves for a number of years, resulting in some good traction across the marketplace. Now, they will be competing head-to-head with a global, more technically sophisticated, better financed competitor(s). LifeSize makes the gear but they have over 100 partners who add in services to address the customer and market need. Their Conference system is high-definition and strongly inter-operable with a broad array of relatively low-cost, high-quality HD videoconferencing systems right out-of-the-box.
Our original comparison chart between LifeSize and Telanetix stated that Telanetix did not offer high fidelity audio and was incompatible with traditional videoconferencing endpoints except by 'bolting' on a traditional videoconferencing endpoint. The Telanetix system offers 48KHz full studio quality multichannel AAC audio and the company has recently improved their compatibility with standards based IP videoconferencing systems at SD quality and ISDN via a gateway.
We strive to be accurate. Please report any factual inaccuracies in any of our publications to:
corrections@humanproductivitylab.com
Other HPL News:
Human Productivity Lab Presents at
the European Financial Services Technology Summit
I just returned from France where I presented a workshop on telepresence to over 70 CEOs/CTOs/CIOs/CSOs of the European financial industry at the European
Financial Services Technology Summit on the shores of Lake Geneva. The summit was a spectacular event which brought together some of the leading players of the European banking industry with leading solutions providers in financial services industry. The venue was stunning, the food superb, the conversation 1st rate, and the format was uber-productive for all concerned. 
C-level delegates were able to meet one-on-one with senior representatives including CXO/EVP/SVP level executives from the assembled solution providers, many of whom they might never have been otherwise exposed to. All were able to network with their peers in a comfortable yet intimate setting. The sponsors were able to meet one-on-one with senior executives controlling billions of Euros in technology infrastructure investment from the leading financial institutions in Europe AND were able to do so in a productive format that would have taken months if not years to replicate using the traditional "cold-call" sales approach. Delegates attended a variety of workshops put on by some of the leading analyst firms in the financial services industry dealing with topics that ranged from Data Center Optimization to Telepresence.
My workshop was entitled: Telepresence: Connecting Globally with Joint Venture Partners, Vendors, and Clients. I shared with the delegates an overview of telepresence, why it is generating end-user acceptance, usage, and ROI over what can be expected from traditional videoconferencing, the pros and cons of the various solutions, and a primer on telepresence community of interest networks (CoINs) and why we believe they are poised for exponential growth. I also discussed the specific benefits that the financial industry could expect from a telepresence and effective visual collaboration CoIN, offering our services as an independent, neutral third-party expert in helping to set one up.
Even though our workshop was the last one of the day it was packed to capacity and the assembled executives seemed to understand intuitively the capabilities that telepresence could bring to their organizations. Kudos to James Craven, Richard Owen, and the superb staff at GDS International for putting together such a first rate program!
Tandberg Analyst Day
Right before I left for Europe, I attended Analyst Day at Tandberg in Reston, Virginia with Peter Brockmann from Brockmann and Company, who is helping us with Telepresence Options 2008 and our upcoming survey on telepresence managed service providers. The event brought together some of the leading analysts in visual collaboration from Wainhouse Research, Gartner Group, IDC, Brockmann and Company, Forrester and The Human Productivity Lab.
The Tandberg Management Team-From Left: John Paul Williams, Manufacturing & Industry Practice Leader, David Luff, Bank & Finance Practice Leader, Rick Snyder, President Tandberg Americas, Fredrik Halvorsen, Chief Executive Officer, Hakon Dahle, Chief Technologist, and Stephen Vobbe, Director of Alliances
We were able to drill down with Tandberg senior management on the details of their recent acquisition of Codian, their superb Q3 results, and their on-going partnership with HP Halo Collaboration Solutions. The format was productive and the content impressive. Tandberg is on a roll and it was obvious from the energy and excitement of the management team.
Ira Weinstein from Wainhouse
Research spoils my
action shot while Ellen Carney from Forrester and
Andrew Davis of Wainhouse listen
intently to Tandberg President Rick Snyder
Telepresence Options 2008:
Between breaking my foot, a week in Europe for the FST Summit, and a flurry of new product announcements from HP, Polycom, and LifeSize we are behind on launching Telepresence Options 2008. From the thousands of hits to our new but not yet announced Telepresence Options website the secret is apparently out of the bag so here is a sneak peak at the new site www.TelepresenceOptions.com . We will be officially press releasing the site next week and you can sign up for e-mail or RSS delivery of the content and a free hard copy when the paper is released in January here.
