Unified Communications (UC) tools are moving out of the board room and into the realm of higher education. In a great post on the UC Strategies blog, Blair Pleasant discusses a variety of areas that universities could use UC to streamline communications between faculty, staff, students, and others.

All UC vendors today are trying to find ways to differentiate themselves from one another and to stand out from the crowd. I generally recommend that they focus on professional services and/or applications, especially vertical applications. One vendor that has been successfully building UC applications and solutions based on its vertical expertise is NEC, which is working with its partners to understand the business challenges and business processes in the areas of health care, hospitality, higher education, and government.

For the full text of the blog post, click here.

For more information about UC products and services from AVI-SPL, click here.

In looking back, the news of an impending Cisco-TANDBERG acquisition broke on October 1, immediately shaking up the landscape of the video communications industry. After a little more than two months of negotiations, 91% of TANDBERG shareholders have now accepted Cisco’s offer, exceeding the 90% condition outlined for the deal to go through.

When the initial proposition was made, only 30% of shareholders were in favor of the $3B offer, with percentages jumping to 40% when the figures increased to approximately $3.4B in late November.

As the second largest producer of video conferencing equipment, TANDBERG has reported an increase in momentum since October, introducing new endpoints and infrastructure products. With the acquisition, Cisco will now have the leverage to successfully sell lower-cost products to a wide range of markets.

Among the industry feedback:

• “Tandberg has very strong sales partners in videoconferencing that Cisco will benefit from.” – Wainhouse Research
• “The merger of the two companies will likely create an unstoppable force…This acquisition validates that video communications is well on its way to becoming a key enterprise communications application all the way from desktop to telepresence.”  - Frost & Sullivan
• This development continues to validate that video communications is quickly becoming a critical application for companies, and is a key component of any enterprise’s Unified Communications strategy.  – Michael Brandofino, Executive Vice President of Video Communications and Unified Collaboration, AVI-SPL

What are your thoughts on the acquisition?

View AVI-SPL’s videoconferencing and audio conferencing solutions »

InFocus announced two new additions to its projector line specifically for the education market. The projectors (IN5534 and IN5504) both have a new split-screen option, which will virtually eliminate the need for multiple projectors in classrooms. Both projectors, specified at WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) resolution, are network/wireless ready and feature analog and HD video connectivity. The two models are easy to camouflage in nearly any environment thanks to InFocus’ custom case parts available in multiple colors, including white, black, walnut, and ready to paint.

For more information about AVI-SPL’s line of InFocus projectors, click here »

As the cost-saving reputation of videoconferencing (VTC) technology grows, more organizations are curious to know if they’re receiving the maximum benefit. Noted business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan addresses concerns with a new informational video, especially designed to help you make the most of your videoconferencing investment.

The online resource breaks down the 5 assessment steps you need to take. Be sure to check out the video and ask yourself the following key questions:

• Are you measuring the current adoption rate within your organization?
• Have you determined how and when your employees are using VTC technology?
• Has your organization successfully overcome user resistance?
• Have you promoted the use of unified collaboration technology through your corporate messaging?
• What steps have you taken to expand your collaborative technology reach?

To view the video, click here ».

Looking for proof that advanced Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) technology is a worthy investment for your company? Just turn to the latest report from business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. Sponsored by Verizon and Cisco, “Meetings Around the World II: Charting the Course of Advanced Collaboration,” introduces the industry’s first quantitative model for a return on collaboration investment.

Excerpts from the study:

• Businesses and government agencies deploying VoIP soft phones, immersive video and fixed mobile convergence received an average return of four times their investment in deploying collaboration technologies in terms of improvement across business-critical areas.
• The majority of organizations deploying (UC&C) are more successful than their peers compared to those not deploying UC&C (70 percent versus 47 percent).
• Of organizations deploying UC&C, 40 percent plan to increase spending.
• More than 80 percent of organizations that have not yet deployed UC&C tools plan to deploy some form in the next two to three years.

Based on this research, are you interested in developing a UC & C integration for your organization? If not, what are the key factors holding you back?

For more on the study, click here.