Yet Another Videoconferencing Startup, BUT ...

I just learned about yet another videoconferencing startup -- this one is called Blue Jeans Network. (Odd name? Apparently the point is that with their service, videoconferencing is easy and comfortable ... like an old pair of jeans ...). Blue Jeans point of differentiation from all the others out there is that it enables seamless videoconferencing on the web or your mobile device with any Polycom, LifeSize or Tandberg system, as well as with Skype and Google Talk. Think of it as being a videoconferencing version of Trillian.

Normally I would scoff at yet another entrant in the marketplace. The field is crowded -- apart from the "big guys" mentioned above, there is ooVoo, Tokbox and a host of other smaller players. But, here, Blue Jeans Network is flush with major cash, announcing that it has raised a whopping $23.5 million from blue chip VCs Accel Partners, New Enterprise Associates and Norwest Venture Partners. So, at a minimum, these guys have a great story and should not be taken lightly.

But, lots of cash is no guarantee of success of course. Look at Tokbox. They have raised $26.4 million to date, and I never hear a peep about them. I certainly don't know anyone who uses that service, and I personally previously led a company directly in that IP video communications marketplace (SightSpeed -- which was ultimately acquired by Logitech in 2008).

Hmm -- Yackit Looks An Awful Lot Like Vlip It! (& I Don't Mind)

Well, THIS is interesting. Straight from the "deja vu all over again" department.

Imagine my surprise this past week when I was merrily working away and came upon "new" Twitter-like micro-vlogging (video blogging) site "Yackit" (click here). Users of the service can easily enable their webcams, record video messages on any topic not longer than 11.5 seconds, post them, and then have others respond with their own video replies that are threaded together.

Hmmm ... where have I heard of that before?

Back in 2007 when I worked as CEO of SightSpeed and we launched Vlip! Check out this post about Vlip in TechCrunch from back in the day. Sounds very familiar, don't you think?

Even more interesting and intriguing is the tagline for Yackit -- it sounds almost precisely like Vlip's!

Yackit's tagline is "Voice it. Share it. Yackit." Vlip's tagline was "Say it. Share it. Vlip it." (I have the t-shirts to prove it.)

But hold on, the resemblance doesn't end there. Take a look at Yackit's cartoon bubble-like logo on its website -- click here to see it. And, then click on the TechCrunch article here to see Vlip's, yup, cartoon bubble-like logo!!!!

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then I am most certainly flattered! Hey, Yackit did nothing wrong here. They liked what they saw in Vlip -- understood that the project had been essentially abandoned -- and they took the bull by the horns.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Vlip (I still have my precious now-collectors-item Vlip t-shirts). I always felt that it was a great idea and had the potential of being big, big, big (if you Google "vlip", you will see all the buzz we generated back then). But, we simply never put the requisite resources and focus on it back at SightSpeed because we had our main business to do (which ultimately did well for us, as we sold it to Logitech later in 2008). The idea of having micro-threaded "living and breathing" video conversations/debates on any subject always seemed like something that had the potential to be embraced in a big way. (I was so enamored with the skunk-works project at the time that I was negotiating with the iconic band Devo to use their song "Whip It" in Vlip's marketing campaign).

Hey Yackit team! If you ever need an advisor, I would be happy to oblige!

Meet Angela Jackson -- Manager of Portland's New $3M Seed Fund Incubator

Learn more about how cities can creatively spur entrepreneurial fervor and economic development -- watch Angela Jackson, serial entrepreneur and VC fund manager, who now also leads Portland's new $3 million seed fund to incubate start-ups in the community. Oh yes, she also was my next door neighbor throughout my childhood. Relentlessly entrepreneurial. Relentlessly talented. Relentlessly great person!

Apple Getting Into REAL TV Business This Fall? Could Happen -- Here's Why

I have always thought that Apple will absolutely get into the REAL TV business -- i.e., sell its own beautiful Apple-branded large flat panel TVs for the living room. It isn't a question of "if" -- it is a question of "when."

Well, that "when" is reported to be as early as this fall, according to blog DailyTech (which quotes an anonymous "former executive"). And, the blog essentially guesses that Samsung may have a significant role in Apple's overall initiative.

Although TechCrunch and several others doubt the veracity of this report, at its core, this timing is plausible:

(1) Apple's next great frontier is the living room -- it has now conquered all other smaller-sized sized screens, and the living room is simply too irresistibly massive of an opportunity;

(2) Apple's living room efforts so far have been mere "hobbies" -- the current Apple TV "box"; the hobby is taught Apple many lessons, and it is now time for it to do the real thing. My guess is that Apple will ultimately name its new TV "iTV" to differentiated it from the current Apple TV;

(3) Apple's strategy, as always, will be to create not only a beautiful hardware product, but also to seamlessly marry that hardware with simple, clean and easy-to-use software and services; that means Apple must be in the Netflix/Hulu game;

(4) Apple cannot allow Netflix and Hulu to entrench itself too much further in the minds of consumers if it wants to succeed in an iTunes-like way on the TV screen; timing matters here, and Apple needs to be a full-blown Netflix-ian service provider to follow its tried and true playbook (some believe Apple may buy Hulu to make this happen);

(5) Hmmm, Apple's new massive multi-billion dollar data service is scheduled to open later this year;

(6) while Jobs' product announcements earlier this month were interesting, they didn't include bombshells like they generally do; perhaps he was saving his powder of the ultimate bombshell later this year?

A couple more things, working with Samsung is not unprecedented at all for Apple. Samsung already is a major component supplier for Apple products. But, make no mistake, Samsung would not be the ultimate manufacturer. Apple would be too wary for that to happen -- and too much is at stake for both. Apple needs more control than that.

And, Apple not only will seamlessly integrate a Netflixian-type service to offer premium movie and TV content when it does launch iTV, it also will offer a Cloud-based personal locker and sharing service for UGC video content. I am not talking YouTube-like sharing. I am talking about your viewing and sharing your precious HD video memories recorded with your iPhone.

Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if this overall rumor is true. Apple's entrance into your living room is inevitable. And, margins ultimately will not be a problem. Look at the desktop/laptop business? Apple is notorious for charging significantly more than all of its competitors -- and consumers flock for that Apple experience. How many of your friends will overpay?

There's your answer.

Sorenson Spark's Herit(age) Attracts Yet Another New Partner

Sorenson Media welcomes its latest partner -- Herit Corporation, a VoIP services and telecommunications services packages provider. Herit has become our latest in our long and growing list of licensing partners of our Sorenson Spark video codec (click here to see that list).

Sorenson Spark is the world's most ubiquitous video codec in the world -- its herit-age is legend, being the first video codec to enable video playback in Macromedia/Adobe Flash; and it being the first codec used by YouTube to encode all user videos.

In the words of Herit's General Manager of the Communications Convergence team, Jongtaek Oh, "We're excited to join the impressive list of Sorenson Spark licensees, as Sorenson Spark is recognized and used internationally to provide complete playback of Internet video."

Demand for Sorenson Spark has only intensified over the past few years precisely because mobile operators, CE companies and others like Herit want to enable their customers to offer the largest possible playback of optimized video over the Internet and mobile devices.

We welcome Herit into the fold.

Sorenson Media Encoding -- Now Trusted By 60%+ of Top U.S. Broadcasters

Today, in conjunction with The Cable Show confab being held in Chicago (at which we are attending), we, at Sorenson Media, announce that over 60% of the top 30 U.S. broadcasting groups now use our encoding solutions -- this includes behemoths like CBS, Fox, NBC, and Hearst Television (just to name a few). Here is the link to our official announcement.

When you think of it, that is quite a remarkable feat. And, this follows closely on the heels of our recent announcement that 70 of the Fortune 100 companies now do the same (here is the link to that story), underscoring the power of our company's brand (both in the U.S. and internationally, since 30% of our online revenues come from outside the U.S.).

We are very proud to be trusted by so many. And, we have continued high expectations of ourselves.

Mr. Dudas Goes to Washington! Sorenson Media Meets With Congress to Talk Tech Today

He's no Jimmy Stewart, but he certainly knows tech and digital media. Our very own David Dudas -- VP Video Solutions and resident Tech Evangelist -- is on Capitol Hill in D.C. today to talk tech with key members of the Obama Administration, as well as leading members of Congress (both on the Senate and House side). Sorenson Media is honored to have been invited for this event, as it is one of only a few privately held companies selected for these meetings.

OK, Now This Is Officially Insane ... Pandora's Valuation, That Is

Pandora's IPO is tomorrow -- and the just-upped price per share now values the company at $2.6 billion.

One word -- "insanity." As in, "this is insane." As in, "is there any relation of value to reality here?"

I certainly don't see it (and I am a long-time Pandora user!). Here's why -- click here for my earlier posts on the subject.

Skype Video From Your Couch -- It's Comcastic!

Skype and Comcast -- well, really Microsoft & Comcast now -- just announced a new deal to bring Skype video chat into your living room and onto your flat screen TV. The idea is that you and your family will now be able to easily -- and together -- video chat with grandma from your couch. And, grandma doesn't need to be expecting your video call. Instead, she can simply be watching her flat screen TV and -- voila! -- she receives an on-screen notification that you are trying to video call her. She then has the option of accepting your call right there and then -- or, god forbid! -- rejecting or ignoring your call! (Would grandma ever do that? Maybe if "Dancing with the Stars" is on like my mom!)

This ain't a new idea. We were actively discussing this same concept when I was CEO of video chat leader SightSpeed several years ago (SightSpeed was acquired by Logitech in 2008). But, the execution here is quite a bit different -- and it is powerful. Comcast, of course, has thousands of technicians who enter your home to set up cable systems -- now, they can easily upsell the specialized equipment needed to make living room video calling convenient. And, there are 23 million of you Comcast customers out there in the U.S. So, even if only a small percentage "take" that service, that could be real incremental revenues to both Skype and Comcast.

Will this be easy enough to pass the "grandma test"? That remains to be seen. But, video chat in the living room will become a meaningful reality very, very soon (just like video chat has become a very, very big reality on your mobile small screen) ...

Like All Euro-Based Music Acts, Spotify Wants to Conquer America -- But Won't

Euro music service and overall digerati darling, Spotify, just (finally!) signed a deal with Universal Music Group to launch in the U.S. Of all the major music labels, only Warner Music Group remains. So, Spotify has us believing that it will now launch in the U.S. -- after two years of continuous promises -- in July.

That may be. But, I for one will greet Spotify's entry into the U.S. subscription music market with a yawn. And, my prediction is that so will the rest of U.S. consumers. Darling of the press, yes. But, innovative and different in any meaningful way? I doubt it. And, certainly not sufficiently different or innovative to take any meaningful market share.

Let me count the ways ... well, there's Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Slacker, Rdio, and on ... and on ... and on. Pandora alone has massive distribution. What is Spotify's "go-to-market" strategy to make a dent out of all of that and conquer America ? I haven't heard anything there. And, oh yes, and I almost forgot, then there's iTunes -- soon to be in the Cloud -- Amazon's Cloud-based streaming service; Google's Cloud-based streaming service ....

Spotify. The shine will rub off. That's my bet. Check back with me in 6 months (assuming the service does launch in that time-frame).

Pandora -- $1.9 Billion Valuation, Really? Smells Like 2000 ...

Pandora just upped the price of its IPO -- which now values the company at about $1.9 billion. And, this from a company with profitability still nowhere in sight. Yes, massive user base, but no proven business model. I recently blogged about this -- click here.

Of course, this never stopped YouTube, Twitter, Skype, or Groupon (which itself is in the midst of IPO mania right now). The difference is that YouTube, Twitter and Skype never went public -- and 2 of the 3 were gobbled up by two of the few handful of companies that could afford to lose big initially on the service itself for the sake of long-term strategic benefits that are not necessarily tied only to that service. Once Pandora goes public, that kind of "big fish" result is not in the cards (or, at a minimum, extremely difficult).

I love the service. But, not so much to invest in it. I am clicking Pandora's "thumbs down" on this one.

iCloud - Apple's Hotel California (or Roach Motel) -- You Pick the Analogy)

Apple's iCloud -- much has been written about it already even before Jobs' official announcement earlier this week. I will assume each of you knows what it is -- i.e., Apple's upcoming Cloud service.

So, what's the big deal? Other behemoths such as Google and Amazon already offer their own Cloud infrastructures and services. In fact, both of those beat Apple to the Cloud-based music scene.

But, here's the fundamental difference -- Apple uniquely is a content company (iTunes, iPhoto, etc.) that owns its own closed hardware/software eco-system. Amazon and Google can't say that. And, Apple absolutely wants its closed world to stay that world -- and that means its approach to the Cloud is fundamentally different.

Why is that critical? Because Apple uses software and services to sell more hardware -- THAT is its monetization play (always has been). Apple makes little margin on services such as iTunes. So, iCloud is a means to an end -- and the ultimate end is complete life-long "lock in" of its customers to their eco-system so that they will always buy only Apple products. That's why Apple's iCloud -- unlike "real" Cloud services from Amazon and Google -- essentially is only about Cloud-based storage. There ain't no streaming here -- everything stored in the Cloud must be downloaded to each individual Apple device. That's right, only to Apple devices. Get it? Check out Apple's own description of how its iCloud will do what it does when it launches -- click here. Industry pundit Dan Rayburn notes it here.

And think about it. Once Apple customers begin "investing" in iCloud by sending all of their own content for storage in the Cloud -- that includes both (1) premium professionally produced content like music, motion pictures and television (trust me, video streaming will come soon to iCloud), and (2) personal content (consumer's own photos and videos) -- those consumers will find it very difficult to leave (in fact, practically impossible for most consumers). Apple customers essentially become locked into a never-ending Apple-ian world via a roach motel strategy where consumers check in, but never check out. In the immortal words of The Eagles' classic song "Hotel California," they may try to check out, but they never leave. They will continue to buy Apple's pretty iOS devices because they essentially "have to."

This ain't Google's or Amazon's view of what the Cloud should enable. In fact, it is the precise opposite of what the Cloud's essential promise -- i.e., a fully open world where you can access your content anywhere YOU want -- not only where Apple wants you to. After all, it is YOUR life.

iCloud -- Apple's new lock and key.

Brilliant ... but a bit disturbing ...

Personal Training, Without the Verbal Abuse -- Nike Training Club App

I work out regularly. Keeps me sane. My typical workout -- which I try to do at least 4 days per week -- is 30 minutes cardio (usually running) and 30 minutes lifting. (Don't worry, there is a digital media angle here coming ....)

But, I haven't changed my workout for years, which is something that everyone who knows anything tells you must be done to optimize results. And, quite frankly, I am too cheap to hire a personal trainer to shake it up and bring me to a new level. That's the problem.

Problem solved. Welcome to the "Nike Training Club", a brilliant new app that is available for free at Apple's App Store. I am already hooked (three workouts so far), and each kicked my butt.

Here's the deal -- there are four categories of workouts: "Get Lean", "Get Toned", "Get Strong" and "Get Focused". You pick one, and within each category, there are three categories: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. And, each sub-category features several individual workouts of varying length (ranging from 15 minutes to 45 minutes). Each individual workout features a soothing female voice to guide you through the different individual segments, times it down for you, gives you workout reminders to make sure you are doing it right, and features an optional video to show you precisely how that particular exercise should be done. And, you can set your music to it (although I was disappointed that I couldn't use Pandora, Rhapsody or any other online music service). You also score points at the end of each workout -- yes, there is a gratification element.

And, these workouts work -- they are tough (if you want them to be) -- and they are compelling. My last 45 minutes workout was yesterday, and I still can't walk without looking like a wounded dog.

Bottom line -- now you have your own personal trainer in your pocket -- everything you need, except the yelling, verbal abuse and humiliation! This is a definite "Digital Media Update" recommended app!

Death Cab for Cutie -- A Return to Form After Falling Down "Narrow Stairs"

I am a Death Cab for Cutie fan. Scratch that, I am a fan of Death Cab for Cutie PRIOR to their last album, "Narrow Stairs." Let's face it, they tripped ... and tripped badly in the last go round as they tried to chart new territory (a harder, darker sound). For me, it just never worked -- and that album is largely unlistenable. I liked Death Cab precisely because their music was the 180 of their name -- beautiful, ethereal, haunting.

Fast forward to their new album that just hit -- "Codes and Keys" -- which marks a return to their softer and more melodic form. I have been in constant listen mode for the past two days, and the album is growing more and more on me. To be clear, it isn't a classic -- nor does it have a single classic track like "Soul Meets Body" or "Transatlanticism" (although the album's final track, "Stay Young, Go Dancing" comes close) -- but it has some very strong moments and only a few full misses. It is generally more up-tempo than the band's earlier works, but it doesn't try to rock out like its failed attempt with "Narrow Stairs."

I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Here is my song-by-song "thumbs up/down":

Track 1 -- "Home is A Fire" -- sets the overall up-tempo mood for the album -- thumbs up (half-way)

Track 2 -- "Codes And Keys" -- a bit Arcade Fire-like -- thumbs up

Track 3 -- "Some Boys" -- skippable -- thumbs down (but not completely)

Track 4 -- "Doors Unlocked And Open" -- drum machine beat -- thumbs up (half-way)

Track 5 -- "You Are A Tourist" -- the album's first single -- up-tempo vibe continues -- thumbs up

Track 6 -- "Unobstructed Views" -- mellower, bringing it back down -- thumbs up (half-way)

Track 7 -- "Monday Morning" -- classic Death Cab vibe -- a stand-out track -- thumbs up

Track 8 -- "Portable Television" -- picks up the temp again, but nothing special here -- not memorable, but not bad either -- kind of like waking up to a bowl of "Smart Start" (my usual breakfast) -- it gets the job done, but not much more than that -- thumbs flat (neither up nor down)

Track 9 -- "Underneath the Sycamore" -- skip -- definitely a thumbs down (c'mon guys, let's get back on the winning streak)

Track 10 -- "St. Peter's Cathedral" -- slows it down -- Ben Gibbard can be great, or his voice can be grating -- here is a bit more of the latter, yet the track's overall vibe saves it -- thumbs up (half-way)

Track 11 -- "Stay Young, Go Dancing" -- THE stand-out track of the album -- finishes the album strong with an almost Death Cab classic -- beautiful melody, beautiful lyrics -- THIS is why I love this band -- thumbs up (way up)!

Sorenson Media Named a Top Private Company in Mobile Space

I am proud to announce that Sorenson Media has been named as a top private company in the mobile space -- and, 1 of only 15 in the "enabling technologies" category. Here is AlwaysOn's official announcement of this honor it bestowed upon us -- and here is our official announcement that we issued just now.

Mobile is absolutely front and center in our overall best-of-breed video encoding solutions, which enable the delivery of optimized video in the broadest array of formats for playback on any device, including every leading mobile device (all iOS devices, all Android devices, Blackberry, etc.). We also have developed reference apps for iOS and Android devices that empower users to capture, upload, transcode, manage, and share (securely!) videos directly from the respective device. Bottom line -- for any business or enterprise (including media companies), we can uniquely do what others can't in the mobile world. The list is too long to discuss here, but am happy to tell you more or connect you with the right people at my company if you email me at bizdev@sorensonmedia.com.

iCloud -- Yes, It's a Big Deal, But Where's the Video Beef?

Yesterday, the Apple faithful gathered once again to pay homage to Steve Jobs and his words from on high (upon the stage, that is). This time, the message was OSX and iCloud -- Apple's long-awaited online digital hub where consumers will be able to access most of their content anytime, anywhere, from any connected device. iCloud isn't here yet, but it will arrive later this year. iCloud features 9 Cloud-related apps -- iTunes, Photo Stream, Storage, iBooks, Backup, App Store, Contacts, Calendar and Mail -- and 5 GB of storage.

Hmmm, notice anything missing? That's right, video and streaming. For now, video was largely absent from Jobs' spiel -- both premium video (motion picture, television) and personal video (your own video captured from your iPhone, etc.). Jobs' troops apparently couldn't secure the premium video streaming rights they and the entertainment companies feel they need for iCloud -- not yet at least. And, my guess is that since premium video streaming was not yet ready for prime time, Jobs and crew chose not to focus on personal video streaming.

That undoubtedly will change by the time iCloud launches later this year. Video absolutely will be front and center at that time given Apple's relentless focus on video (FaceTime, HD video capture from the iPhone, etc.).

Let's take a brief look at Photo Stream (here is Apple's official link), a cloud component that was featured in yesterday's announcement. Photo Stream enables the consumer to take a digital still from any iOS device and immediately push it into the Cloud for playback on any other iOS device, so long as you are connected to Wi-Fi. Right now, Photo Stream makes no mention of enabling the same thing with your personal videos; nor does Photo Stream feature immediate sharing of your personal media with a family or friend on a non-iOS device. But, can there be any doubt that personal video streaming and sharing is next? While video and video sharing is much more of a challenge (think optimizing video delivery across multiple devices, including non-iOS devices, and think much larger file size among other things -- longer upload times, more storage), the video game is "on" and Apple will continue to try to lead it. And, let's not forget that iCloud chose the word "Stream" in the context of photos -- of course, this is not by accident. This is a set-up for the full panoply of personal media sharing -- including personal video streaming.

Right now, video streaming is the missing link ... but not for long.

Pandora -- An IPO Box Worth Opening?

Pandora -- the music service I love and use most. Set it, forget it. Sure it has its limitations (skimpy catalog), but its ease of use is legend. And, now I listen to it during my runs and workouts on my iPhone. Love that. So much so that I am a paying subscriber at something like $36/year ... one of the few paying subscribers.

And, there's the rub. Pandora continues to lose money ... lots of it ($7 million in the past year). But, why worry? These are good times, right? So, Pandora will soon go public in an IPO that expects to value the company at $1.4 billion (that's right, BILLION) on $51 million in revenues.

What justifies the music service's high notes? It certainly ain't in the economics of the business itself -- I have previously questioned Pandora's long-term business model. But, who needs a long-term viable business model as a stand-alone company when Pandora now boasts 34 million registered users? Pandora's IPO story is a tale as old as time -- market penetration! (with a capital exclamation point!). After all, isn't that the original YouTube strategy and the Twitter strategy after that? If a service gets big enough -- so goes the conventional wisdom -- then a gargantuan fish of Google proportions will gobble you up and you can leave all your worries to them! So, keep growing and growing and growing and spinning that PR wheel around and around ... get bigger, bigger and get even more biggerer (in the immortal words of "The Lorax").

Next stop Groupon on that same IPO train!

HP Loses Its Halo to Polycom ... for a Song

Wow! In what seems like a steal, Polycom just announced that it is acquiring HP's videoconferencing unit (including its much ballyhooed Halo telepresence enterprise initiative) for a mere $89 million in cash. "Telepresence" is simply a marketing name coined to signify high quality video conferencing and differentiate it from failed business video conferencing initiatives in the past. As some of you may know, prior to Sorenson Media, I was CEO of video chat and conferencing service SightSpeed (which was acquired by Logitech in 2008). So, naturally, this announcement is of special interest to me.

It wasn't that long ago that HP announced its Halo telepresence initiative with great fanfare (2005 to be exact). During that initial push, and over time, it is not unlikely that HP spent nearly how much it netted in this Polycom deal on Halo-related marketing. When it launched, Halo was essentially the first real enterprise telepresence player. But, that soon changed when Cisco countered with its own telepresence initiative in 2006 (in fact, Cisco was the one that first broadly used the term "telepresence" for marketing differentiation from Halo and others). From that point, HP distanced itself from Cisco by touting itself as being more cost-effective and more flexible in terms of implementation.

I recall myself driving to HP's offices in Palo Alto to discuss a possible videoconferencing partnership to extend HP's Halo service to the desktop and other personal computing devices via SightSpeed. In that meeting, a number of HP execs attended via Halo. This was my first Halo experience. Impressive, yes -- but, was it all that different and more impactful than using a video chat service like SightSpeed or Skype in a conference room (which we did at SightSpeed and which we continue to do to great effect at my current company)? No, not really. Certainly, in my view, not worth the cost (not by a long-shot).

Apparently, others felt the same way and HP simply couldn't make Halo and telepresence work as a viable business. And, for those Fortune 100 companies and government entities that could afford the extremely costly telepresence systems, Cisco stole the show and ate HP's lunch.

So, here we are:

(1) HP nets $89 million for a service it developed and marketed via hundreds of millions of dollars over time;

(2) that price tag is not of a significant magnitude over what our little company, SightSpeed, netted in late 2008 in the worst economic conditions in over 75 years ($30 million);

(3) business video conferencing as an overall market opportunity is only increasing in importance with the power of video engagement and collaboration being available anytime and anywhere;

(4) for that reason, Skype sells for $8.5 billion to Microsoft in the past month (remember, video chat and conferencing is increasingly important to Skype and its user base).

Bottom line -- Polycom needed a new video conferencing technology story to keep up with the increasing competition in its business conferencing space, as well as to more aggressively pursue the fast-growing enterprise video conferencing market. After all, who really has been using Polycom video conferencing units for the past 5 years? And, it found a willing seller in HP.

Polycom scored here. It simply got a price it couldn't refuse.