Vu tries to undercut telepresence giants
01-02-2010
Targets small businesses in Indian, US and European markets
Vu Technologies, a telepresence company linked to India's Zenith Infotech, is trying to undercut MNCs like CIsco, Polycom, and HP in the telepresence market. Its product was on display at the January Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The total cost of a Vu telepresence system is about $3500 per unit including camera and server. That's several times cheaper than an MNC system. Vu Technologies is hoping to grab a substantial share of the lower-end telepresence market by offering high quality video on regular high-speed bandwidth. Smaller businesses could have access to professional video conferencing at a fraction of the cost. Vu Telepresence works over standard high-speed internet connections, and can still provide a 720p resolution that makes images appear crisp and clear. The secret, according to sales reps at Vu, is reportedly the codec they use, which is "22% more efficient" than competitors'.
At CES, Vu had a few screens set up. According to a reporter from singularityhub.com, "There was a very small delay (often unnoticeable) and reported to be around 650 to 700ms. The picture quality was excellent, and I could make out small handwriting on a whiteboard and a legal pad. Reps also said that Vu Telepresence should be able to incorporate document sharing programs (like Google Wave) into the video, and that in about two months they would be looking to unveil some built-in speech to text software. Taken together, these capabilities would seem to make Vu Telepresence satisfying to anyone trying to have a meeting in two places at once".
According to their CES press release, Vu is looking to aggressively expand into US, Europe, and India markets. They may also offer Vu Telepresence locations where interested parties can rent a room with the equipment and talk to business associates in other cities doing the same.
Based on story in singularityhub.com
Vu Technologies, a telepresence company linked to India's Zenith Infotech, is trying to undercut MNCs like CIsco, Polycom, and HP in the telepresence market. Its product was on display at the January Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The total cost of a Vu telepresence system is about $3500 per unit including camera and server. That's several times cheaper than an MNC system. Vu Technologies is hoping to grab a substantial share of the lower-end telepresence market by offering high quality video on regular high-speed bandwidth. Smaller businesses could have access to professional video conferencing at a fraction of the cost. Vu Telepresence works over standard high-speed internet connections, and can still provide a 720p resolution that makes images appear crisp and clear. The secret, according to sales reps at Vu, is reportedly the codec they use, which is "22% more efficient" than competitors'.
At CES, Vu had a few screens set up. According to a reporter from singularityhub.com, "There was a very small delay (often unnoticeable) and reported to be around 650 to 700ms. The picture quality was excellent, and I could make out small handwriting on a whiteboard and a legal pad. Reps also said that Vu Telepresence should be able to incorporate document sharing programs (like Google Wave) into the video, and that in about two months they would be looking to unveil some built-in speech to text software. Taken together, these capabilities would seem to make Vu Telepresence satisfying to anyone trying to have a meeting in two places at once".
According to their CES press release, Vu is looking to aggressively expand into US, Europe, and India markets. They may also offer Vu Telepresence locations where interested parties can rent a room with the equipment and talk to business associates in other cities doing the same.
Based on story in singularityhub.com
