Citrix audio conferencing goes HD

Citrix is rolling out a high-definition audio conferencing service that supports better-than-toll-quality calls from PCs that are fitted with a Skype client.

Called HiDef Audio Conferencing Services, the service is an upgraded version of HD conferencing that Citrix picked up when it bought Vapps last year. It’s sold through the Citrix Online division, which is known for GoToMyPC and GoToMeeting services.

To get HD quality, customers must install Skype clients on their PCs and have broadband Internet connections. Customers using plain old telephone service (POTS) phones can join conferences, but their audio will be POTS quality.

HD audio calls transmit a broader range of frequencies than POTS calls, providing the listener with a more complete approximation of actual speech.

HiDef Audio Conferencing Services bridges calls in Citrix’s data centers.

Skype offers HD audio conferencing of its own, but lacks the ability to patch in POTS calls and doesn’t have customer support and add-ons like scheduling, call recording and call management.

Between buying Vapps and release of the new service, Citrix has upgraded its user interface to make it simpler to schedule conferences, log into conferences and control them, the company says.

HD audio is not an option yet with GoToMeeting, which combines audio conferencing with collaboration tools. Demand for audio conferencing alone is four times that of audio conferencing plus collaboration, says Ben Lillenthal, the general manager of Citrix’s audio services group.

Pricing for the service starts at $40 per month, which provides unlimited local calling from computer endpoints and 600 minutes of local POTS calling. POTS minutes are calculated per phone, so a 5-minute call including six POTS callers would count for 30 minutes.