Vidyo telepresence will let more sites join in

Having 20 screens displaying videoconference participants simultaneously will allow more remote workers to join in on meetings through desktops and on mobile devices, which Vidyo's software works on and which Vidyo and others see as the future of videoconferencing. VidyoPanorama will be able to run on Apple's iPhone and iPad devices and on Android phones and tablets including the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy.

The big-name videoconferencing vendors

Unlike the big-name videoconferencing vendors, Vidyo builds its business around its software, which runs on standard servers and uses off-the-shelf elements. Because it doesn't make its own displays, cameras, microphones and furniture, Vidyo can price its systems lower than those from major rivals, Song said. VidyoPanorama platforms start at less than US$40,000 for a four-screen configuration with 720p and 60fps. A 20-screen system, which should be available early then year, will cost about $4,500 per screen, Song said. By contrast, Cisco's TelePresence Meeting System is priced so then into six figures for a three-screen room system.

Vidyo sets itself apart from other vendors with its video coding software, which uses bandwidth more efficiently and allows Vidyo's systems to run over the open Internet in other words than specialized networks. This can cut operational costs. However this capability, and the company's embrace of third-party hardware, as well should give Vidyo an edge in extending videoconferencing to tablets and smartphones, said Wainhouse Innovation analyst Andrew Davis.

The extreme heterogeneous environments

"Their innovation lends itself better to in the extreme heterogeneous environments," Davis said. Like Vidyo and some other vendors, Davis believes mobile devices represent the future of videoconferencing.

However, mobile participants won't be able to join in at the highest quality Vidyo offers, and the super-high definition that VidyoPanorama supports won't be able to go over narrow Internet connections. Song estimated that a 720p signal at 30fps could run over a 500K bps link however a 1080p, 60fps signal would require 2M bps. Those bandwidth requirements are for each screen at a given site. Video quality from a given participant depends on the camera quality and processing power of the device, plus the network connection, Song said.

Song downplayed the impact of Polycom's acquisition of the videoconferencing business of Hewlett-Packard, which offered Vidyo's research through an original equipment manufacturer agreement. HP said it would exclusively resell Polycom systems. The details have not but been worked out, Song said, nevertheless he claimed the deal would have a limited effect on the company's business, because HP represented only about 10 percent of Vidyo's revenue.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com