Polycom adds video to business phone

While most of the business video activity these days is centered in telepresence, Polycom is adding a new twist, introducing video to the business deskphone. The new Polycom VVX 1500 is an IP-based business phone integrated with a personal videoconferencing system and featuring an open Applications Programming Interface to enable other Web content and applications.

The new business videophone is aimed at executives within the small to mid-sized business market who want one communications device, said Jim Kruger, vice president of voice communications marketing at Polycom.

“This is the world’s first business media phone, which is a new term in the market,” Kruger said. “The reason we are calling it that instead of video phone is because it integrates three key elements. It has business telephony features in it that can be easily integrated with PBX vendors on the SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] side. It has all the features you want in a desktop business phone. We are adding video to that in a seven-inch display and making real-time video as simple as making a phone call. Plus, it is an application platform for third-party developers to pull in contextual information such as CRM [customer relationship management] information that can provide alerts and notifications.”

In-Stat, a market research firm, is estimating the business media phone market will boom in the coming years to reach $3 billion over the next five years, and Polycom wants to tap that market, Kruger said.

“They see a steep growth curve through 2010 and 2013,” Kruger said. “We see tremendous opportunity for moving the phone beyond just making a phone call. We know it will take a little time to develop this market. But once people start using the capability, more and more of them will be wanting this type of device.”

Polycom also teamed with BroadSoft to integrate the VVX 1500 into its  BroadWords call control platform to enable video configuration. A major focus of the new business phone is making video calls easier, expecting more companies to connect dispersed workers with business video phones to enable anytime meetings, Kruger said. The phone has a touch-screen interface, in addition to traditional telephony buttons, for ease of use as well. In its initial launch, the VVX 1500 supports a three-way conference call.

The initial product comes bundled with applications such as the Polycom Productivity Suite, which lets users create audio conference calls from the touch screen and record calls using a flash drive in the phone’s USB port, and a Polycom My Info Portal through which customized information including weather reports, stock quotes and more can be delivered to the screen.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $1099, and Polycom expects the VVX 1500 to hit the streets at just under $1000, Kruger said.