Verizon Business is offering its existing videoconferencing customers a free upgrade to high-definition videoconferencing if they have all the necessary equipment and bandwidth. It's more likely some will need to buy an HD video codec, but that's still a pretty good deal, considering users who are really interested in better conference quality would otherwise consider buying so-called telepresence systems that could cost up to $300,000. Telepresence is said to be a notch better than even HD videoconferencing, with better video quality and obviously better, more life-like audio. I know I've been in a few videoconferences in which I was glad the other party was halfway across the country, and who hasn't bought time during a tough videoconference by claiming, "we're having a problem seeing/hearing you on our end." Videoconferencing competition may now start boiling down to whether you want to feel like all conference attendees are in the same room or just be comfortable with the reality that they are not within actual spitting distance.
For more:
- check out this coverage at Light Reading
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