As more and more companies deploy Microsoft’s (News - Alert) Office Communications Server (OCS), they are asking videoconferencing vendors to help interconnect their products with this shiny new unified communications system. But it isn't just video integration these companies want… they also seek interconnection with telepresence applications.

Many large multinational companies in financial and manufacturing are asking for this integration, according to Tandberg (News - Alert) CTO Hakon Dahle.

Tandberg started embracing OCS this past January, and has found solutions that integrate with the UC system are gaining traction.

Dahle explained that the telepresence market is also doing well, for both personal and room-based solutions. To differentiate itself in this space, Tandberg is not just focusing on quality but also on interoperability via standard protocols and codecs. Tandberg is allowing telepresence connectivity to OCS clients and executive desktops in order to enable broader use of high-quality videoconferencing technology.

Dahle predicted that, in the next few years, high-definition (HD) will be everywhere and UC will be tightly integrated with video. He also sees growth ahead for mobile video. Vendors are aware of the need to open their telepresence solutions.

 
By the way, ‘personal telepresence’ refers to very high quality audio and video in a relatively small room connected to telepresence rooms.

When asked if he thinks the bandwidth for HD video is finally here, he replied that it is becoming available but, “You need to be flexible, allowing calls to be placed at lower bandwidths if someone is at a home office, on DSL, etc.”

This is precisely the way in which Tandberg is differentiating its solutions: by making them flexible in terms of network requirements.

It certainly does seem like a good time to be in the videoconferencing business, and it is great to see that Tandberg is focusing on bringing these somewhat disparate solutions together, allowing UC solutions to be truly unified.