CIOIN

Delivering on its strategic relationship with Microsoft Corp. to provide end-to-end unified communication (UC) solutions, Polycom Inc today announced enhancements to its comprehensive portfolio of voice and video solutions for Microsoft Lync Server 2010. The Polycom HDX series telepresence systems and Polycom UC Intelligent Core Infrastructure are the industry's first telepresence solution designed to be fully interoperable with Microsoft Lync.
"In order to derive greater value from UC deployments, customers are demanding proven interoperability, a rich feature set, and simplified management and administration capabilities," said Rich Costello, senior research analyst, IDC. "The close alliance between Polycom and Microsoft helps deliver that to the desktop collaborative experience."

Enhancing collaboration and lowering costs
Polycom's devices Optimized for Microsoft Lync are designed for the highest levels of performance with Lync and offer Polycom HD Voice^TM, time-saving features such as single sign-in, calendar access, and advanced presence on vibrant color screen displays. The Polycom video solutions also incorporate Microsoft's RTV codec, enabling communications throughout enterprises as well as B2B environments and across multiple collaboration tools. With this solution, companies can lower their total cost of ownership, streamline IT management, improve redundancy protection with ensured support for mission-critical applications.

Extending the reach of UC

The Polycom solutions enable customers to collaborate from their desks, on the road, at home, or in a conference room using standards-based Polycom solutions. This powerful, personalized solution offers a multitude of secure, presence-based voice and video options that expand the flexibility of business communications. Polycom's UC Intelligent Core infrastructure leverages Microsoft's Edge Server to traverse firewalls and enable federation between organizations that would otherwise not be able to collaborate via video or would require the additional cost and management complexity of gateways to connect.

Maximizing productivity

Polycom offers the broadest and one of the most flexible portfolios of integrated voice and video solutions for Microsoft UC environments. The Polycom solutions optimized for UC improve the efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness of organizations by enabling people to easily leverage productivity-enhancing voice, video, presence and data collaboration tools through the familiar environment of their everyday workflow.
Lync offers a single interface that unites voice, IM/presence, audio-, video-, and web-conferencing into a richer, more contextual offering and a single identity makes it easier and more efficient for users to find contacts, check their availability and connect with them. Lync works consistently with Microsoft Office, enriching the experience of familiar applications like Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word and Microsoft SharePoint, and Polycom offers interoperable solutions that span voice, video, telepresence, services, and application integration across the full suite of the Microsoft productivity platform. This translates to reduced costs related to telecommunications, IT operations and travel, and improved business productivity, resulting in a faster ROI.
"Polycom is teaming with Microsoft to transform business communications by offering our customers the most comprehensive, intuitive, interoperable, end-to-end UC experience," said Andy Miller, Polycom president and CEO. "Through our shared commitment with Microsoft to deliver flexible standard-based solutions, we offer an enterprise-grade, personalized communications experience to customers-one that is more collaborative, engaging, and accessible-and with demonstrated ROI for customers."