Videoconferencing focuses on carriers

After several cycles of hype and a few failed attempts, videoconferencing is picking up steam again.

This week two vendors will unveil new systems and strategies that will push the market toward some of its long-anticipated potential. Tektronix is expected to announce its next generation remote video collaboration platform, which will let carriers deliver broadcast-quality interactive video to corporate users. Also this week, VideoServer is set to introduce its first entry into the Internet protocol (IP) environment with a conferencing server that accommodates both traditional and IP voice users and provides an upgrade path to video collaboration.Although the vendors are add ressing different markets, both are taking the conferencing concept one step further and targeting carriers as a major sales channel.

"A lot of people think of conferencing as the roll-about units with poor quality," said Lee Rainey, director of marketing for Tektronix Video Tele.com. "What we're hearing from the service providers is their customers want true collaboration. They want interaction at a face-to-face level."

Tektronix's platform includes a network edge device and scheduling software that gives end users control over calls.

The company is looking to carriers to deploy the platform as an added service that can be put on its existing infrastructure. The same trend, albeit focused on IP, is behind VideoServer's latest effort.

The Encounter NetServer allows up to 48 geographically dispersed voice users to participate in conference calls over circuit-switched or IP networks, or a combination of the two. Later in the product life cycle, the company will add video capabilities over IP. By getting into the IP environment now, though, the company positions itself to take advantage of future video-oriented applications.

"We've traditionally been limited to talking heads type of meetings," said Marty Falaro, vice president of marketing. "We're now incorporating additional functionality you get by being on the data network."