Latest News
McLennan County deploys Government VoIP System
January 18 2009
McLennan County selected A&A Telecom Group to design, and implement an advanced VoIP PBX system integrating all major sites throughout the county. Using a combination of Mitel Networks 3300-ICP VoIP systems, POE data switches and routers, AATG completed the major deployment in 2007 with additional sites to be completed in early 2009.
LifeSize Shatters Price-Performance Barrier Again With World’s First Sub-$5000 High Definition Video Communication System
March 06 2009
Austin, Tex. – LifeSize Communications, the global leader in high definition video communications, announced the world’s first high definition video communication system with a retail price below $5000. LifeSize® Express™ with the new LifeSize® Focus™ integrated HD camera and microphone array is available for $4999 and delivers an immersive, high definition telepresence experience over existing broadband networks. Sleek, powerful and easy to use, LifeSize® Express with Focus can bring telepresence to any room. “LifeSize Express with Focus is the world’s most affordable telepresence system,” said Craig Malloy, CEO and founder, LifeSize Communications. “We are committed to extending our price-performance leadership and bringing the telepresence experience to everyone.” Compact, simple and elegant, LifeSize Focus features a high definition video camera that delivers full HD 1280x720 video at 30 frames per second. Built to operate in any office or conference room environment, the camera delivers outstanding image quality in a wide range of light conditions. An integrated two-microphone array with beam-forming technology provides excellent sound quality. By integrating the microphone array in the camera housing, LifeSize Focus saves space and eliminates clutter. LifeSize systems are ideal for enterprises expanding and upgrading their video infrastructure and for new users seeking the benefits of video. By eliminating cost and complexity, LifeSize video conferencing systems can be deployed almost anywhere, by anyone. Conference rooms, executive offices, field offices and home offices can all become telepresence rooms. LifeSize systems are simple enough for anyone to use, yet can be fully managed and integrated into the sophisticated IT infrastructures found in large enterprises.
Customers find LifeSize Answers to Current Travel Problems
March 06 2009
Austin, Tex. – Global competition is increasing at an unabated pace, and travel isn’t making life any easier. Hundreds of thousands of travelers are being stranded or delayed in airports daily due to emergency safety inspections, the latest in a series of widespread air travel crises in 2008. The recent travel delays come after the airline industry’s worst year ever for on-time performance. In 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that 27 percent of U.S. airline flights were cancelled or delayed. Tempting as it may be to simply swear off flying forever, it is important to keep one fact in mind: employees travel because the phone and email aren’t enough to stay in sync with their colleagues around the world. The need to connect is so powerful that people continue to travel despite the delays and cost. LifeSize Communications, the global leader in high definition video communications, believes that telepresence is a far superior alternative to travel. “Now is the ideal time to introduce high definition video in your organization,” said Craig Malloy, LifeSize CEO. “High definition video delivers cost savings immediately and boosts productivity quickly. It is the best investment you can make with your IT dollar – or your travel budget.” “High definition makes video communication a pleasant business experience,” said Malloy. “The image is clear. The motion is fluid. It feels natural, like being in the same room with someone. You have eye contact, you connect, and the ideas flow. Users get as much in and out of a session as they might in a face-to-face meeting, but without the cost and pain of modern business travel.” By implementing video communication as an alternative to travel, companies can immediately reduce expenses and quickly see gains in productivity and business performance thanks to improved communication, accelerated business decision cycles, increased employee morale and decreased turnover. These benefits are now available to companies of any size. More than 25 percent of U.S. mid-market companies have more than 10 locations, many of which are outside the United States. Implementing high definition video communications eliminates frequent trips between company locations, resulting in enormous cost savings and productivity gains. Once viewed as an expensive, complex technology only found in the large global enterprises, LifeSize has developed systems that bring telepresence to any room for less than $5000. Industry analyst Peter Brockmann of Brockmann & Company sees high definition video as one of the most productive investments a company can make. “Our research shows that companies that use video more have higher customer satisfaction, higher employee satisfaction, and higher revenue per employee,” said Brockmann. “There is a strong correlation between video adoption and business performance.” Brockmann noted that travel and turnover have long been correlated and recent travel nightmares have made travel a hot-button issue for human resource professionals. “Top performing people don’t need to stay in a job that has them wasting time in airports, so smart employers need to keep their best employees happy. With high definition video, you’re providing a tool that lets them be more productive and travel less, which improves satisfaction and retention.” About LifeSize Communications LifeSize is the first company to develop and deliver high definition video communications products. Founded in 2003 by industry veterans and was named “Videoconferencing Company of the Year” in 2007 by Videoconferencing Insight. LifeSize’s award-winning solutions combine exceptional quality, user simplicity and administrator manageability to make video communications a productive, true-to-life experience. LifeSize is headquartered in Austin, TX with subsidiaries in Europe and Asia Pacific, and a network of channel partners reaching more than 80 countries.