The advent of email and instant messaging made communications swifter than ever before. Digital inboxes and outboxes expedite the delivery of important messages to single or multiple recipients. Using text in this way is critical to many businesses, but it shouldn’t be a primary means of communications.
Communicating face-to-face is still proven as the most effective means of collaborating, problem solving and creating relationships. However, we can’t meet in person all of the time, or it’s just not cost effective. Enter video conferencing.
Polycom video conferencing product offerings range from smartphone and mobile solutions, to fully immersive meeting room solutions. The products are designed to make virtual meetings seem as lifelike as possible, which promotes more natural productivity through conversation and cooperation.
Polycom video conferencing solutions by series
Polycom has divided its video conferencing solutions into different series, each with their own unique feature set and purpose. It can be maddening to click on every product on a website like this and hope you’ll eventually find the right solution. On top of that, you might not understand what half of the features are that are built into each of these systems.
Polycom CX Video Conferencing Series
The video conferencing systems in the Polycom CX series will soon be renamed the Polycom RoundTable series. For now, until Skype for Business is released, they will remain the CX series. The systems are specifically designed for Microsoft Lync (soon to be Skype for Business).
Polycom Group Series Video Conferencing
The primary members of this Polycom series are the Group 300, Group 500 and Group 700 systems. The Group series is Polycom’s flagship video conferencing experience, offering the latest and greatest in collaboration and communications technology. A plethora of patented and future-proof technology readies these systems for anything and everything.
The Polycom Group 300 video conferencing system supports high-definition video, content sharing and more licensable features. Set up the system in a small meeting room, office or huddle space and enjoy a feature-rich video collaboration experience.
In the middle of the series is the Polycom Group 500 video conferencing system. Deploy the system in a variety of environments, ranging from small to large meeting rooms. The system is very flexible, able to support a number of features, like dual monitors and various expansion options.
Have lots of participants? Check out the Polycom Group 700 video conferencing system. The solution supports classrooms, large meeting rooms, lecture halls and other spaces with lots of people interacting at once. Customize and scale the system to your exact requirements and never miss a beat.
Even more solutions!
Polycom also builds desktop systems that can be used as a second computer monitor when not in use for video conferencing. There are video network appliances, infrastructure software, audio components and other equipment designed to bring video conferencing to any type of business or organization.
Alternatives to video conferencing
Why are email and instant messaging not effective? People can easily act or sound differently in text than they would in instant, real-time interactions. They have time to edit and craft their content, and they might take more extreme measures than usual. If you want proof of that, read some of the comments that people post on popular social media pages.
Voice conferencing or chatting through a phone is definitively more natural. The problem with this type of communications is that you’re still not seeing the person that you’re talking to. Hearing a human voice can give you subtle cues and force the person to act more naturally, but you’re missing the whole experience.
Receive the whole experience
Video conferencing lets you see a human face and everything that comes with it. Spoken words were one of the last forms of communications to develop (theoretically), so it’s not a surprise that we rely on seeing someone’s body to form complete conclusions.
Nonverbal cues are a huge part of communications. You can see reactions, sense emotions and watch gestures. You can also read more into the context of whom you’re speaking with by viewing the room, seeing their clothing and examining postures. The way that the remote participants interact with each other can also play a large role.
Okay, so any type of video conferencing equipment can allow you to see face to face, so what’s so special about Polycom?
Everything, anywhere, anytime
Polycom video conferencing solutions feature technology like high definition audio and video, content sharing and easy to use interfaces. They are available in forms designed for rooms, to be carted between rooms, for desktops and for mobile devices. The systems let businesses reach out to customers, teleworkers and partners, help doctors check in with patients or talk to specialists in real time, create classrooms without borders, or give government agencies a better response to critical situations.
The extent to which Polycom video conferencing equipment is being used is unparalleled. Expansions like additional sound and visual equipment, and the ability to bring your own devices into the mix enable Polycom video conferencing systems to take on any task in any environment.
Polycom video conferencing takes shape
Polycom is usually recognized for its outstanding conference phones and desk phones. The audio quality of these devices is superb, based on Polycom’s years of telecommunications experience and hundreds of technology patents.
The company’s founders were among the first members of PictureTel, a video conferencing manufacturer. Polycom’s roots were always in video conferencing. In 2001, Polycom acquired PictureTel to expand their video conferencing knowledge and the rest is history.
Now, Polycom manufactures a wide range of video conferencing products, including the popular Polycom Group series.
Microsoft recognizes Polycom video conferencing
Partnering with a giant like Microsoft is a big deal. Skype for Business is Microsoft’s latest unified communications platform. The Polycom RoundTable series was the first line of products to be announced for Skype for Business.
All of Polycom’s video conferencing systems are optimized for Microsoft Lync and Skype for Business. Microsoft Lync has been retired, but many businesses likely still use it. Skype for Business is the newest unified communications platform, promising a friendly user interface so anyone can use it.
Helpful Links
Our Latest Blogs about Polycom Video Conferencing
Polycom Acoustic Fence is available to the Group 500 and Group 700 video conferencing systems. The technology makes sure that callers only hear you and other participants’ voices—not background noises like people in the hallway or nearby coworkers.
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Not every meeting is a sit-down affaire. To get the full effect of video conferencing, participants like to utilize whiteboards and other in-room media to make their points hit home. Unless someone is actively controlling the camera’s pan, tilt and zoom, the meeting can get hard to follow if the picture is being framed poorly.
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Video conferencing isn’t restricted to business-only applications. The benefits of communicating face-to-face with anyone, anywhere at any time can be translated to any environment.
The Polycom RealPresence VideoProtect 500 video conferencing system is a specialized solution, designed for judicial purposes, government agencies and public use.
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It all started in 1990 with an innovative speakerphone. Now, almost 25 years later, Polycom is pioneering the rest of business technology. The RealPresence Group series from Polycom is a versatile video conferencing platform for communications and collaboration.
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More about Polycom Video Conferencing
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Polycom RealPresence Group Series Brochure
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Polycom HDX Series Brochure
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Polycom HDX Packaged Solutions
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