Polycom unveils software strategy, signs deal with Jive

Opinion
Sep 23, 20112 mins

In two related announcements, Polycom unveiled a software strategy designed to enhance HD video collaboration and it disclosed a new partnership with Jive Software to integrate Polycom HD video into Jive’s social business platform.

Polycom software strategy is a key component of its growth strategy, and provides four key initiatives. In a statement, the company said that the strategy is designed to help it: deliver a complete, interoperable software platform for universal HD video collaboration; expand a partner ecosystem and bring HD video collaboration to mobile and social platforms; create an open HD “Video Cloud” exchange with service providers; and deliver software innovations that deliver exceptional user experiences.

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As part of its strategy, Polycom announced a strategic relationship with Jive to integrate Polycom HD video solutions into Jive’s social business platform, enabling face-to-face video collaboration. The joint solution will allow Jive business customers to conduct live video chats, including group video calls, as well as record video meetings or messages for archiving, training and ongoing collaboration.

Commenting in a statement on the Jive partnership, Sudhakar Ramakrishna, executive vice president and general manager of UC solutions and chief development officer at Polycom, said, “Integrating social business with real-time video is the next logical step in significantly improving how enterprise users communicate, collaborate, and become more productive. Together, Polycom and Jive will deliver a real-time HD video solution powered by the Polycom RealPresence Platform for social business that is incredibly easy to use and fulfills the growing demand for real-time workplace collaboration.”

Chris Morace, senior vice president of Business Development at Jive, added, “This partnership is yet another step in our commitment to leverage the power of social to change the way business gets done in the enterprise.”

The HD video offerings will be standards-based to ensure interoperability with other business and communications applications, with plans to provide users with point-to-point and multi-point group video calls in real-time, as well as record meetings or video messages and archive them in the context of their group for others to retrieve and view at any time. Although no launch date was provided, the technology will be showcased in a demonstration at JiveWorld11 scheduled for October 2011.