Logitech (Nasdaq: LOGI) subsidiary LifeSize this week launched its LifeSize UVC Platform, which the company says is the industry's first integrated and virtualized software solution for HD video conferencing infrastructure.

The UVC (universal visual collaboration) platform integrates the capabilities of multiple single-purpose infrastructure products and makes them instantly available from one interface with one login account.

The company said the UVC platform is scalable and customizable, and includes infrastructure applications like HD streaming and recording, firewall/NAT traversal and Gatekeepers (routing and control).

LifeSize contends that with a single integrated platform and a deployment model to fit every IT environment, administrators can buy what they need now and scale up as the organization's needs grow.

"LifeSize has consistently delivered industry firsts," said Colin Buechler, who was named LifeSize's CEO earlier this month, "We were first to HD, first with one button streaming and recording, and now we are redefining video conferencing infrastructure... LifeSize has fundamentally changed the way businesses deploy infrastructure, unlocking the door to real adoption and growth in the video conferencing industry."

LifeSize is offering a "try before you buy" feature that enables instant downloads of the platform, which is globally available now.

The platform with infrastructure applications lists at $3,999; it currently includes UVC Video Center for streaming and recording; UVC Transit Server, a firewall/NAT traversal server; the UVC Transit Client, which is a firewall/NAT traversal proxy; and UVC Access, a gatekeeper/IP communications routing and control.

For more:
- see this release

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Oracle has introduced the latest iteration of Oracle Communications Data Mode, which helps communications service providers (CSPs) analyze multiple data types and garner critical business insights, such as customer network usage behavior and marketing campaign effectiveness.

The explosion of data generated by mobile device consumers is creating a growing management challenge for CSPs. Oracle's Communications Data Model Adapter helps accelerate pre-paid data analysis and improve decision making, the company said.

The solution, certified by the TM Forum, also includes Oracle Communications Network Charging and Control Adapter for Oracle Communications Data Model, which is the first prebuilt, productized extract, load and transform (ELT) adapter in the industry. 

With the adapter, CSPs can process customer charging information more efficiently and cost-effectively to deliver near real-time data for predictive analytics.

A key component of the solution is a standards-based, pre-built data warehouse with a comprehensive database schema. The solution maintains sophisticated trending and data mining capabilities, as well as a wide array of dashboards, all focused specifically on communications industry business challenges.

For more:
- see this release

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Small and medium businesses are becoming more comfortable using cloud services, a new study says,

The survey, conducted by Webtorials for VoIP provider Fonality found that 14 percent more SMBs say they understand cloud-based service options but most still are focused on optimizing the total cost of operations.

Those findings, said Fonality, create a window of opportunity for cloud-savvy vendors.

"These findings suggest that SMBs are beginning to connect the cost-saving potential of (cloud) services to their overall mission of reducing expenditures and minimizing TCO," said Fonality CEO David Scult. "While controlling costs by investing in new technology seems contradictory, cloud-based communications tools, in particular, can be leveraged to drive competitive differentiation and maximize operational expenses. As a result, this technology can help spur growth through enhanced productivity and efficiency."

The survey also revealed that a quarter of respondents felt flexibility and mobility with communications solutions are important, and more than 85 percent believe they need to provide access to communications solutions for remote employees.

"It is encouraging to see that SMBs are taking the initiative to learn more about cloud-based services," said Steve Taylor, editor-in-chief and publisher for Webtorials. "This is a needed first step for SMBs to realize the tools and solutions available to achieve the goals they stated as unattainable."

Scult earlier this month was named CEO of Fonality, the third chief executive for the company in the past two years. He replaced Dean Mansfield.

For more:
- see this release

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AT&T (NYSE: T) is jumping into the unified communications space with both (big) feet, today announcing AT&T Unified Communications Services, delivering a carrier-grade solution aimed at businesses of all sizes. The telco is the latest in a string of service providers to try to leverage their cloud offerings across the unified communications segment.

The telco said its cloud-based UC offering would help organizations control costs and eliminate unpredictable expenditures. The services will be available across virtually any device, as are other AT&T cloud-based services, and will allow users to, for example, seamlessly switch from an IM chat to a phone call to a web or video conference.

AT&T said the new service enables a business to leverage its existing investments to improve collaboration and also provides an easy transition "from where a customer is today to where they want to be tomorrow without incurring significant capital expenses."

AT&T said the offering consists of two parts. AT&T Unified Communications Central integrates IM/chat, email, VoIP calling, web/audio and videoconferencing, voicemail, unified messaging and mobility with presence, behind a single user interface designed for both PC and mobile usage. AT&T Unified Communications Voice provides IP Telephony from the AT&T cloud and can be used both as a stand-alone service or integrated with AT&T UC Central.

AT&T says it will leverage the Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution platform as the core of this service.

For more:
- see this release

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AT&T (NYSE: T), CenturyLink, NTT, Telstra, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and Windstream were the top six cloud investors in 2011 as North American and Asian telecom operators accounted for 90 percent-about $12 billion-of cloud investments in 2011, according to new research.

Informa Telecoms and Media said European operators, led by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Portugal Telecom and Telefonica, accounted for just seven percent, about $945 million, of the global total committed to cloud assets during the same period.

"European operators are being outgunned in cloud infrastructure," said Camille Mendler, principal analyst at Informa. "Although they are working to stimulate local demand, their investment strategy remains cautious."

Some 127 operators around the world launched an average of one cloud service every other day, a total of 170 new services, in 2011. In 2010, just 80 operators were active in cloud services. There were five primary services that accounted for 70 percent of all launches, Informa said: infrastructure as a service, storage, unified communications, business productivity applications and security.

In general, Informa said, North American operators are acquiring client bases and assets at home and abroad, while European operators focus on launching services at home. Asian operators, meanwhile, are pursuing a blended strategy of infrastructure investment and service launch nationally and internationally. Meanwhile, Latin American, Middle Eastern and African operators are building up domestic infrastructure and competences.

For more:
- see this release

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Polycom (Nasdaq: PLCM) says it's rolling out a native integration of its RealPresence video solutions with the most recent version of IBM Sametime and IBM Connections, a move it says will help companies tap into the power of social and web platforms.

Social media increasingly is becoming a primary method of sharing content and staying connected. As IT becomes more consumerized, especially with the preponderance of demand for BYOD solutions, more flexible videoconferencing and collaboration tools are coming to market.

"The ways companies are using video is rapidly evolving," said Sue Hayden, executive vice president Strategic Alliances, Polycom. "Polycom is committed to developing integrated solutions with leading companies like IBM to power a social video experience that helps our customers realize and maximize the inherent business value of social."

The move to integrate the RealPresence platform with IBM's social business applications, makes it possible for users to make video calls from within Sametime or Connections from any location.

The company said it has had significant customer momentum with the Sametime integration. The collaboration enables users to make HD video and voice calls from within the email and social business interfaces they are familiar with.

Through Sametime, Polycom integrates with Connections to allow users to launch video directly from the social media portal. Sametime users can find contacts, check their presence status, and begin typing or click to directly connect via video or voice with the ease of sending an IM. The also can use a browser-based client to join a video meeting hosted by the Polycom RealPresence Platform from anywhere on any computer, even on those without the Sametime client installed.

 For more:
- see this release

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Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) has rolled out a new solution, called CloudBand, that it says represents a new class of carrier cloud services, which will allow service providers to bring the benefits of the cloud to their own networks and business operations.

CloudBand brings together the computing power and flexibility of the cloud with the high performance, reliability and security of communications networks, putting carriers in an ideal position to offer a new range of high-performance cloud services to enterprises and consumers, said Alcatel-Lucent.

The company is hoping its new offering will be able to overcome the reluctance that enterprise customers, SMBs and governments have shown to invest heavily in cloud solutions. A September survey from SWC Technology Partners showed that one-in-five respondents said they were reluctant to push their operations into the cloud because of concerns over privacy and security.

Nevertheless, service providers have committed $11 billion to could investments in 2011, said Informa analyst Camille Mendler. And a play like Alcatel-Lucent's, one that focuses on control and better performance, could pay off.

CloudBand has two parts: the CloudBand Management System, delivering orchestration and optimization of services between the communications network and the cloud; and the CloudBand Node, which provides the computing, storage and networking hardware and associated software to host a wide range of cloud services.

Bringing the computing and communications network assets together will be a challenge in making the carrier cloud a reality. CloudBand features algorithms developed by Bell Labs to orchestrate the network, as well as computing and data storage elements distributed throughout the network. The result is a single, flexible service delivery and computing platform that can support a wide range of services. That, in turn, eliminates the need for dedicated hardware platforms for each individual service.

CloudBand will be available for deployment in the first half of 2012.

For more:
- see this TechWorld article
- see this release

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AT&T (NYSE:T) is pushing deeper into the exploding videoconferencing market, offering new service bundling options for telepresence, and new features and scheduling capabilities, which allow for greater connectivity and unification across disparate video conferencing systems

AT&T-- one of the founding members of the recently established standards body, the Open Visual Communications Consortium--says it's offering customers Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) video equipment options from immersive to desktop units, including a fully-managed service bundle.

Additionally, AT&T says its service will enable intercompany direct dial for point-to-point conferencing between Cisco TelePresence endpoints on the AT&T Business Exchange without needing to schedule a meeting in advance; guest access over the Internet or traditional phone network with companies not on the AT&T Business Exchange, active presence regardless of the number of locations connected; the ability to schedule internal or external telepresence meetings from Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes calendars; and an industry-specific Value Case Tool which helps customer define use cases, build design and TCO scenarios, determine break-even points and project operational costs and business benefits.

"Within the next few years, global telepresence exchanges that let enterprises reach across their networks will increase the impact of, and demand for, videoconferencing solutions," said Brian Washburn, Current Analysis' research director of network services. "AT&T's telepresence solutions allow organizations to connect networks and unlock a vast number of new meeting relationships."

An Ovum report (see related article) this week said the global telepresence market will see a CAGR of nearly 20 percent and revenue of $1.1 billion by 2016 as the market continues to expand dramatically.

AT&T said it has seen huge growth in the segment, with customer acceptance accelerating and continued growth from 1,281 meeting rooms in 2009 to more than 3,000 meeting rooms projected for 2011. It said AT&T customers held nearly 12 million minutes of meetings on immersive telepresence systems in the first three quarters of 2011.

The telco said it plans to intends to install more than 50 internal telepresence rooms in 2011, growing internal deployments to more than 190 rooms spanning across 20 countries.

For more:
- see this release

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