Evaluation: Polycom’s Implementation of H.264 High Profile

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch. Well, not according to Polycom. The company claims that its implementation of H.264 High Profile allows videoconferencing users to reduce call speed while maintaining video resolution and call quality.

To separate fact from fiction, Wainhouse Research recently evaluated Polycom’s High Profile implementation with a particular focus on the overall call quality and user experience. The results are in, and you’ll be surprised by what we found. WR’s evaluation results document provides detailed information about our testing methodology and findings. And if you’re still skeptical, take a few minutes and watch the FREE video clip comparing a 1080p video call at 2 Mbps (baseline profile) with a 1080p video call at 1 Mbps (High Profile).

For bandwidth limited environments, Polycom’s implementation of H.264 High Profile may be just what the doctor ordered.

Comparison Matrix – Streaming Solutions (Part 1 – Capture Solutions)

Wainhouse Research has just released our 2010 update of the Comparison Matrix – Streaming Solutions (Part 1 – Capture Solutions). This matrix compares and contrasts ~200 features / functions / capabilities of rich media content capture solutions available from the following vendors:

Accordent Advanced Media Design BurstPoint Digital Rapids Discover Video Haivision Ipera

iStreamPlanet KIT-Digital NCast Sonic Foundry Stream UK Vbrick

Topics covered include:

• General Company Information
• Breadth of Company Streaming Offering
• General Product Information
• Capture Device – Available Form Factors
• Capture Device – Management Methods Supported
• Capture Device – Inputs / Outputs / Compatible Signals
• Signal Pre-Processing / Mixing Capabilities (before encoding)
• Signal Encoding Information
• Metadata and Content Editing
• Content Portal (for finding / selecting content)
• Content Distribution and Viewing (via capture system only)
• Integration with Other Systems / Devices
• Model # / Description / List Pricing

This document is available FREE to Wainhouse Research (WR) VCP subscribers (or for purchase for $3,500). Whether you’re an end-user interested in content capture solutions, a competitor trying to gain competitive insight, or an industry expert seeking to stay “in the know,” this comparison matrix is a must have.

Company Profile – Huawei

Chinese telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies provides a broad range of wireless and wireline network infrastructure to carriers around the world.

Videoconferencing equipment has been part of the Huawei offering since the early 1990’s, and Huawei continues to be a major force in China’s videoconferencing market. WR’s newly released Company Profile on Huawei includes detailed information, insight, and analysis on its involvement in the videoconferencing market.

– Company Background
– Product Overviews
– WR Analysis and Opinion

Whether you’re an end-user interested in Huawei’s products, a competitor trying to gain competitive insight, or an industry expert seeking to stay “in the know,” this WR Company Profile – available FREE to VCP subscribers (or for purchase) – is a must have.

Enterprise Webcasting Services – Market Size and Forecast

Wainhouse Research (WR) has just released the 2010 Market Size and 5-year Forecast for the enterprise webcasting services market segment. WR defines the enterprise webcasting services market segment to be the market that includes vendors offering hosted streaming application platforms for supporting live virtual events (a.k.a. webcasting).

Specific items covered within this document include:

– Market Segment Definition
– Total Market Revenue – Actual for 2007 through 2009
– Total Market Revenue – Forecast for 2010 through 2015
– Revenue Breakdown – by Region
– Key Market Drivers and Trends (Current and Future)

Key players offering enterprise webcasting services include (among others): InterCall (acquired Stream57 in January 2010), MediaPlatform (previously known as IVT), Netbriefings, ON24, Onstream Media Corporation, TalkPoint Communications, and Thomson-Reuters (acquired Streamlogics in July 2009).

This document – available FREE to VCP subscribers (or for purchase) – will be of great value to vendors, resellers, service providers, end-users, and others interested in the webcasting services market space.

Videoconferencing SpotCheck – Q2 2010

Wainhouse Research (WR) has just released the 2010 Q2 Videoconferencing SpotCheck Report which provides detailed market data (unit sales, revenue, market share, regional and country breakdowns, etc.) for videoconferencing / telepresence endpoints and infrastructure products.

As a part of this initiative, WR collects data from the leading vendors in the space, some of which is confidential and proprietary to those vendors. Once collected, the data is aggregated and presented in a form to enable analysis and tracking of industry performance and growth.

In a typical quarter, the SpotCheck report includes market data from the following vendors:

– Cisco (including Tandberg)
– Logitech / LifeSize
– Polycom
– RADVISION
– Sony
– A handful of China-based companies including Huawei, Kedacom, H3C, and ZTE (referred to collectively as Team China or TC)

For vendors seeking to estimate their market share, resellers looking to track the performance of their vendors and the industry at large, and all others seeking to understand this exciting, fast paced market, the VCP SpotCheck Report is a must read.

This document – available FREE to VCP subscribers (or for purchase) – will be of great value to vendors seeking to estimate their market share, resellers looking to track the performance of their vendors and the industry at large, and all others seeking to understand this exciting, fast paced market.

A Test Drive of the Damaka Amadeo Mobile Collaboration Platform

The world is waiting with baited breath for videoconferencing to finally go mobile. Texas-based Damaka claims to have taken videoconferencing beyond its traditional conference room / desktop limitations and onto your favorite mobile device.

Damaka’s flagship product is the Amadeo visual collaboration platform consisting of software clients designed for a wide range of mobile operating systems and devices. Once loaded, the Amadeo client allows the user to leverage his device’s integrated camera and cellular or Wi-Fi data network to conduct SIP-based, peer-to-peer communication sessions with other Damaka users. The Amadeo line also includes a PC version of the software client.

According to the company, key features of the Amadeo product line include:

* Multi-party audio and videoconferencing
* Integrated desktop and application sharing
* Integrated presence and instant messaging (IM)
* Ability to operate across numerous devices / operating systems (Android, iPhone / iPad, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Windows PC, etc.)
* Ability to operate across numerous networks (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G (WIMAX, LTE))
* Ability to hand-off calls from PC to handheld devices without disconnection (a capability Damaka refers to as “sweeping”)

In Q3 2010, the Wainhouse Research (WR) test team performed a top-level assessment of the Damaka Amadeo Mobile Collaboration Platform. To facilitate WR’s testing of the Amadeo solution, Damaka visited WR’s Atlanta test lab and then loaned WR two devices (an Apple iPhone 4 and an HTC EVO) preloaded with the Amadeo software.

See the just released “A Test Drive of the Damaka Amadeo Mobile Collaboration Platform,” available FREE to VCP subscribers, for the results of WR’s quick look at Damaka’s novel approach to mobile videoconferencing.

VCI-Group Annual Conference

WR takes the VCI-Group Annual Conference (3 – 6 October 2010) in Ft. Lauderdale by storm.  WR analysts Andrew Davis and Ira Weinstein will present the event keynote, a session on videoconferencing interoperability, and will participate in the industry experts panel.  Hope to see you there.

Webcast on UC Best Practices – 15 Sept 2010

Businesses are moving towards Unified Communications (UC) to increase efficiencies and productivity. But with all the noise, it’s hard to stay on top of the hottest technologies and trends.

Join InterCall and Wainhouse Research Senior Analyst / Partner Ira Weinstein for this interactive panel covering UC best practices.  Register now

Enterprise Videoconferencing Endpoints & Infrastructure Products Forecast

WR’s recently released the 2010 – Enterprise Videoconferencing Endpoints & Infrastructure Products Forecast which includes WR’s estimate of the current market size and 5-year forecast for the enterprise videoconferencing endpoints & infrastructure market segment.

The Sample Version includes the first few pages of this document – including the table of contents and list of figures.

Available for purchase (US $3,995) or FREE to VCP subscribers, this report covers the following enterprise videoconferencing market segments:

– Personal and desktop videoconferencing solutions (including videophones, software solutions, and UC-based solutions

– Executive videoconferencing systems

– Single-codec (group) videoconferencing systems

– Multi-codec videoconferencing systems

– Videoconferencing infrastructure products including video bridges / MCUs, scheduling / management systems, gatekeepers, NAT / FW traversal systems, VC recording / streaming systems, etc.

Information provided within this report includes:

– Recent historical unit sales and revenue data
– Market breakdown for 2009
– 5-year unit sales forecasts for each of the above market segments
– 5-year revenue forecasts for each of the above market segments
– Regional breakdowns

This report also provides:

– WR’s definition of telepresence (and the difference between telepresence and videoconferencing)

– WR’s assumptions and analysis regarding the current and future performance of the videoconferencing market

If you’re involved in the videoconferencing market today (or plan to be tomorrow), this document is a MUST read.

Evaluation of the Magor TeleCollaboration HDWorkPlace Solution – Part 1

In Q2 2010, Wainhouse Research (WR) was retained by Magor Communications (Magor) to conduct an objective, third-party evaluation of the Magor HDWorkPlace TeleCollaboration solution (a.k.a. the Magor “Wall”). This evaluation was conducted in two parts:

Part 1 – Focused on the video conferencing / telepresence capabilities of the Magor solution
Part 2 – Focused on the collaboration capabilities of the Magor solution

After concluding Part 1 of the evaluation, WR was pleased with the usability, flexibility, and performance of the Magor HDWorkPlace solution. WR particularly appreciated:

– The use of a peer-to-peer architecture to provide a high quality, low latency multipoint experience
– The system’s ability to properly identify the root cause of network issues and respond appropriately
– The system’s ability to interoperate with leading video and audio systems using SIP

This study, sponsored by Magor, provides detailed information about the results of Part 1 of WR’s evaluation of the  Magor TeleCollaboration HDWorkPlace Solution.