Polycom unveils videoconferencing system that supports Lync

Computerworld - Polycom today unveiled a $10,000 room-size videoconferencing system that integrates with Microsoft's Lync collaboration tools.

The new Polycom system, the CX7000, combines video software and a Lync client in a single box designed to sit on the floor of a conference room, said Jim Kruger, senior vice president of solution marketing at Polycom.

The CX7000 also comes with a camera, microphone, wireless mouse, keyboard and cables that should be easy for an IT worker to install, he said.

The system doesn't include a monitor.

Customers would need to install a Lync server to take advantage of its collaboration capabilities, such as document sharing, during a videoconference session, Kruger said.

Users can schedule a videoconferencing session via a Microsoft Exchange calendar, walk into the room and double-click on the calendar invitation to join the video call, Kruger said. "It's a familiar and easy interface," he noted.

Polycom has long sold room-size video software and hardware, but the new product adds the ability to integrate with the Lync collaboration tool, which is experiencing 30% year-over-year growth, Kruger said.

Engineering consulting firm Sebesta Blomberg and Associates is an early adopter of the CX7000, Polycom said.

The firm had already separately deployed Polycom gear and Lync to improve productivity and efficiency, Kruger said. Sebesta Bloomberg can now link that gear and software to the CX7000, he added.

The CX7000 will be available in the U.S. and Canada and several European countries in the fourth quarter. It will be available to the rest of the world by early next year.

The CX7000 is slated to be demonstrated this week at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen, or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed . His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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