Polycom offers collaboration range for Skype for Business

Polycom is delivering a new series of video collaboration solutions purpose-built for Microsoft’s newly launched Skype for Business cloud service, called Polycom RoundTable.

The first device in the new offering is the Polycom RoundTable 100, an “affordable and easy-to-use” video solution for “huddle rooms”. It will allow small- to mid-sized businesses and corporate teams with Skype for Business and Lync 2013 to enjoy rich collaboration experiences – including voice, video and content collaboration.

The RoundTable 100 will take just minutes to set up and start using, said Polycom, and it will not require corporate domains or on-premises infrastructure, making it easy to use without assistance from IT.

The Polycom CX series of video collaboration solutions, including the Polycom CX8000 room system, and the Polycom CX5100 and Polycom CX5500 unified conferencing systems, will also become part of the Polycom RoundTable series of products. In addition, Polycom VVX business media phones will be the first phones to support the forthcoming cloud voice service offering as part of Microsoft Office 365.

“Together, Microsoft and Polycom have a joint vision to deliver collaboration experiences that help our customers defy distance. We are now expanding our solutions to allow SMBs, as well as large enterprises, to reap the benefits of video collaboration,” said Peter Leav, Polycom CEO. “Our partnership with Microsoft has never been stronger, and over the years, it has fortified a market demand for collaboration experiences that help make our customers successful.”

“Collaboration is the cornerstone of productivity and people need tools that work the way they do – across locations and devices,” said Zig Serafin, vice president for the Skype business services group at Microsoft.

“Throughout our long-standing partnership with Polycom, we’ve shared a goal of delivering collaboration experiences that transform the way people work. The RoundTable 100 serves as another important step in helping businesses of all sizes to realise that goal.”