[Amir Zmora is now on his way to InfoComm and is as excited as I am about the announcement of the new HD Video Conferencing Desktop Solution, which was a RADVISION and Samsung joint project. He wanted to share his enthusiasm with you and he is waiting to hear your feedback about this new and innovative project.]

As I’m getting ready for the long flight from Israel to Orlando, I’m all excited about the announcement of the joint project between RADVISION and Samsung for a new, affordable desktop Video Conferencing solution. This project is something we have been working on for some time now. Basically, it is a cooperation between Samsung, which is well known for its leadership in providing the best LCD based products and holds the world’s #1 market share in many of these items including computer monitors and TVs, and RADVISION, who is the pioneer of video over IP communication. We have commanded significant role in shaping the standards for this market from its very beginning. As such, we have the leading technology for all the components required for building a High Definition (HD) Video Communication device including codecs, signaling, call control and advanced video technology allowing us to deliver high quality video over unmanageable networks which normally have a high level of packet loss.

So in a nutshell, what is this product?

The VC240 is an All-in-One, 24″ computer monitor  with a standalone HD Video Conferencing device, which has  a few different modes of operation. It can be a computer monitor, a video endpoint, or  it can function simultaneously as both. When a call comes in, the screen splits, causing the video session to be placed on one side, and the computer display on the other. Based on the user’s preference, they have the freedom to switch between various layouts, all by using a very convenient remote control. The monitor itself is widescreen (16:9) making the experience of splitting the screen user friendly, thereby  avoiding the need to compromise viewing quality for any of the 2 parallel tasks.

The video endpoint is a complete standalone, with voice and video coding, as well as encoding the actual application running in the monitor. It is equipped with powerful DSPs that offloads this computing intensive task from the PC. It also includes an HD camera, speakers and 2 microphones so all you need for this baby to start working is to connect the Ethernet cable (use the internal switch to connect the PC if needed) and power it up. Configuration can be automatic through pre-integration with management systems such as RADVISION’s iVIEW Management Suite or it can be done  manually.

Of course, it supports all the features one would expect from such a device including standard and interoperable signaling protocols, SIP & H.323 as well as high quality H.264 video codec and HD voice.

So what’s so special about this product?

When you look at the source of this product, you understand the significance of it. A desktop level video endpoint coming from Samsung, with RADVISION technology in it, has the power to make a significant change in the video market. Samsung has the efficacy  to bring products to the masses, thereby accomplishing the goal of this product and allowing it to reach its full potential. It can make video on the desktop a dream come true. Now that we will start showcasing this product publically, I am looking forward to hearing feedback about it. Will this product be viewed as a game changer in the video market or not? My personal view is YES, YES and YES. I promise to come back with a post after the show and tell you what was the feedback we got from those who have seen it… so stay tuned.