Hewlett-Packard today said it will resell desktop and conference room videoconferencing software from Vidyo Inc. as part of the HP Halo telepresence portfolio, hoping that enterprise integration will expand the technology’s business footprint.
The deal comes shortly after HP telepresence rival Cisco Systems completed its $3.4 million acquisition of Tandberg, a move that added similar products to Cisco’s high-end telepresence lineup.
HP’s deal with Vidyo extends the reach of the company’s Halo videoconferencing to desktop and conference room platforms, augmenting HP’s telepresence portfolio. The VidyoConferencing products are based on an emerging H.264 Scalable Video Coding standard that enables high-quality, low-latency video transmissions over Internet and wireless networks. The Vidyo-based teleconferencing systems HP sells will be interoperable with its current Halo systems, the company said.
HP did not reveal new Vidyo-based products, nor did it discuss expected pricing for the new offerings. In its own sales channels, Vidyo offers desktop videoconferencing products for about $1,000. A complete video-enabled conference room from Vidyo sells for about $7,000. That compares with high-end telepresence offerings from HP, Cisco, and others that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.