Andrew Miller: Polycom will drive the next era of collaboration

InfoWorld - When you think about Polycom, the first image that might pop into your mind is the company's 'iconic, triangular speakerphone.' But CEO Andrew Miller wants you to know that Polycom is much, much more than that. In this installment of the IDG Enterprise CEO Interview Series, Miller spoke via Polycom's high-definition telepresence system with IDGE Chief Content Officer John Gallant about why Polycom should really be known as a software company and about Polycom's move to the cloud. Miller also discussed the impact of mobility on the visual communications market and why -- despite all the talk about video from Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers -- Polycom is in a better position to help companies drive the next era of collaboration. He also talked about the powerful partnerships Polycom has built with top-tier service providers and enterprise stalwarts like Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, IBM, and others.

John Gallant: Talk about the overall strategic focus for the company. What do you want IT executives to understand about Polycom?

Andrew Miller: We want them to understand the value of unified communication and collaboration, how this technology actually enhances productivity, becomes a valued asset for business continuity and, at the same time drives, return on investment in terms of the travel and productivity aspects of visual communication. Overall, to understand the collaborative aspects of unified communication and how they allow a company to become more productive and enable business connectivity. That's really the vision and mission of our conversations with the CIOs in the industry.