The VAR Guy

At first glance, Vu Technologies is a telepresence upstart that has very little experience in the IT channel. But take a closer look and you’ll discover that Vu Technologies apparently is a sister company to Zenith Infotech — a backup and disaster recovery specialist that serves thousands of VARs and MSPs worldwide. Here’s the scoop.

TelePresence just took another step toward consumer homes. The reason: Logitech International, one of the best-known consumer peripheral brands, has acquired LifeSize Communications, developer of HD video conferencing technology. Here are the implications for VARs.

Reactions to TelePresence — the next-generation video conferencing technology — typically range from amazement to sticker shock. But Hewlett-Packard is trying to change the rules of the game with SkyRoom, a low-cost video conferencing offering for HP’s PCs. Here’s the scoop.

Question: How can Cisco Systems compete with lower-cost video conferencing systems while promoting TelePresence into small and midsize businesses? The VAR Guy got a few answers from Richard McLeod, senior director of worldwide channels at Cisco.

The VAR Guy participated in a high-definition video conference with Zenith Infotech CEO Akash Saraf yesterday. Our resident blogger was in Pennsylvania. Saraf was in India. The video and audio connections were rather remarkable — nearly “telepresence” in terms of quality. But the system wasn’t made by a big, high-end networking company.

Sure, Cisco Systems’ Unified Computing System and new servers will likely take center stage at the Cisco Partner Summit 2009 (June 2-4) in Boston. But The VAR Guy will also be checking out two other major themes. One involves Cisco’s rumored interest in a small telepresence company. The other involves Cisco’s plans for the Flip video camera (pictured).

Once again, the IT pundits were wrong. Lots of “experts” said the video conferencing and TelePresence industries would enjoy a boom during the economic bust. The reasoning: Executives are cutting business travel to save money, and opting instead for video conferencing and TelePresence. But here’s the problem: Not all video conferencing companies are built equally. Consider the situation of Polycom (a big, established player) vs. LifeSize Communications (a nimble start-up).

The VAR Guy has been hyping TelePresence — that next-gen videoconferencing technology — for nearly two years. But is anyone (outside of Cisco Systems Inc.’s own offices) actually using TelePresence? You bet. Here are nine key data points to consider.

If you want to know when a high-tech market is reaching its tipping point, keep a close eye on Dell Inc. Generally speaking, Dell only jumps into high-volume, mass market opportunities. So the company’s decision to offer TelePresence solutions — designed by LifeSize Communications — is worth watching. Here’s why.

After several false starts, TelePresence — that next-generation video conferencing solution — is finally gaining traction in selected high-end vertical niches. Still, TelePresence will need to overcome at least two more major challenges before it goes mainstream, The VAR Guy believes.