CISCO

PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 15, 2010 – Cisco today unveiled a series of product introductions, innovations and service offerings designed to make Cisco TelePresence® and video collaboration more affordable, simpler to manage under a common architecture, and more available through cloud services. Today's announcements, which also include new immersive experiences, can help customers quickly and cost effectively take advantage of the transition to video across the enterprise. 

Cisco estimates video communications traffic will increase 10-fold from 2008 to 2013.* As more organizations deploy video pervasively, Cisco announced that all of Cisco's new enterprise collaboration endpoints will be video-enabled. Additionally, Cisco announced that all voice- and video-enabled offerings will interoperate natively with Cisco® Unified Communications Manager.

As companies adopt telepresence and video calling across their organizations, having a single call-control infrastructure for voice and video that runs across a single architecture can help enable simpler deployments, improved manageability and a quicker return on investment. The Cisco Unified Communications Manager call-control and processing system does just that. Already the foundation for Cisco's voice offerings and Cisco TelePresence, Cisco Unified Communications Manager makes initiating video calls a snap with one-button-to-push technology. Endpoints acquired through Tandberg will now connect to Cisco Unified Communications Manager, starting with the Cisco IP Video Phone E20 this quarter.** With this announcement, Cisco is continuing to integrate the road maps of Cisco and Tandberg while executing on a converged strategy.

Cisco made a host of other announcements focused on helping customers and partners deploy and scale video throughout their organizations while also benefiting from exceptional experiences.

• Extending the Reach of Cisco TelePresence: Cisco introduced new endpoints for desktops and offices that extend Cisco TelePresence to a wider range of users as well as to more midrange businesses. These new endpoints, the Cisco TelePresence EX60 and the Cisco TelePresence System 500 32-inch, extend the Cisco TelePresence family of personal units with smaller footprint requirements and lower price points. 
• Redefining the Web Conferencing Experience: With the launch of Cisco WebEx^TM Meeting Center with high quality video, meeting participants can see other participants with exceptional clarity in full-screen video mode, turning Web conferencing into a virtual video conferencing room. This experience will soon extend to mobile users through the Cisco Cius^TM tablet  and, starting in December, the Apple iPad.
• Offering More Flexible Deployment Options: Cisco also introduced the Cisco TelePresence Exchange System. This innovative telepresence service creation platform gives service providers a turnkey packaged solution that can help them easily and cost effectively deploy telepresence services such as intercompany calling. These capabilities, hosted in the partner's cloud, can help enable highly secure collaboration and conferencing services across network borders.
• Empowering Channel Partners: Cisco is introducing a video channel initiative that aligns the Cisco and Tandberg partner communities into a single channel program. The TelePresence Video Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) designation has tiered specialization levels: Express, Advanced and Masters. By incorporating the best aspects of Tandberg and Cisco channel programs, the initiative accommodates all levels of video expertise to help drive profitable growth opportunities for channel partners.

These new services, endpoints and experiences, combined with Cisco's recently announced infrastructure and medianet architecture advancements, can help customers deploy video more pervasively and solve challenges around video delivery, interoperability and quality.