Lifesize Unity Solutions Add Fuel to Debate Over Future of Telepresence

Lifesize's all-in-one video conferencing offerings are touted as alternatives to more expensive telepresence systems from the likes of Cisco and Polycom.

May 17, 2012 by Jeffrey Burt via eWeek.com -- Lifesize Communications is rolling out a pair of all-in-one high-definition video conferencing solutions that officials said offer the advantages of HD telepresence systems without the high costs and complexities.

Lifesize officials on May 15 unveiled the first offerings in their new Unity Series, the Unity 50 and Unity 500 solutions. The all-in-one systems not only offer businesses HD video conferencing, but they can be set up quickly and operated easily, all at a fraction of the cost of larger immersive telepresence systems from the likes of Cisco Systems and Polycom, according to company officials.

The Unity offerings not only will drive down costs for enterprises looking for alternatives to the more expensive solutions, but also bring HD video conferencing capabilities to smaller companies that in the past may not have been able to afford them, according to Michael Helmbrecht, vice president and general manager of video solutions at LifeSize, which is owned by Logitech.

"With the LifeSize Unity Series, the telepresence experience is now in reach for companies of all sizes," Helmbrecht said in a statement "Businesses need to speed decision making and improve productivity across the entire organization. By creating a series of products optimized to provide a telepresence-class experience, yet simple to deploy and use, we are making HD video conferencing easier than ever to bring to every home office, executive office or conference room."

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