LifeSize debuts firewall product, redesigns desktop offering

LifeSize Communications, the high-definition videoconferencing vendor, used Interop to debut one of the missing pieces to its product offering: A firewall traversal system. The new LifeSize Transit, which was developed in partnership with Norway-based Paradial, comes in three parts: Transit Server, Transit Client and a new software upgrade for LifeSize Room. Transit Server sits in the DMZ of a company and routes calls through a firwewall. A new 2.0 software upgrade for LifeSize room communicates with the Server.

For those with non-LifeSize endpoints (and that’s most people, since LifeSize just started shipping products recently), the Client appliance sits in the network between the endpoints and server. It’s a one-to-many relationship between the Client and non-LifeSize endpoints. Ultimately, LifeSize hopes that network vendors will support firewall traversal for H.323 video traffic, but until then will do it themselves, much like Tandberg and Polycom do, says Munira Fareed, vice president of marketing at LifeSize. LifeSize Transit Server and Client will be available later this month. Server is priced at $12,000 and Client is $6,000. Version 2.0 of the LifeSize software will be out soon and is free for customers. They all support both HD and non-HD conferences. Fareed also told me that the company is redesigning their desktop Executive system. The original plan, debuted in 2003, called for an all-in-one unit that contained an HD camera and 17″ high-def screen. With many high-end executives already having 23″ or bigger HD screens in their offices, LifeSize is working to separate the codec and camera to take advantage of the existing office displays. No word on when the redesigned Executive will be availble.