Most of us know Logitech for keyboards, mice, and gaming gear. But in the last few year they have start to become a major player in video conferencing equipment. They also have fitness and music products within their portfolio.
The company has been making desktop and laptop computer webcams for years. They have taken that knowledge of hardware and the customer along with their relationships with software vendors to make conference room cameras and speakerphones. They like to think of the segment of the industry as “video collaboration.”
Now some of you may know that back in 2009 Logitech bought LifeSize, which makes both hardware and software services for high-end video conferencing systems. This they sold most of it. (They still retain a 37.5% stake in the company). It did not fit the model they have in other markets – to make great hardware and partner with software vendors to have it work with large amounts of software, in many cases even other peoples hardware.
Logitech markets these products under the ConferenceCam brand, which starting at around $250 to over $1,000 for kits for large groups of people.
The main reason we are telling you about these products again is two fold. First, the firm will be at InfoComm for the first time show them off. And secondly, they have just grown their Logitech Collaboration Program with 15 new software and hardware vendors along with a SRK set of tools.
By growing their partners Logitech is making it easier and cheaper for all of us to have powerful video conferencing tools that only a few years ago only big business could afford to use. With their neutral stand of platforms – their hardware support Windows, Linux, Mac and even Chrome OS means you can use the hardware you already know and own. They also carry over that same mind set to tools – Skype, Google Hangouts, BlueJeans, BroadSoft, Lifesize, Vidyo… So you can you use the software and/or the service you also know or love or the ones your clients or partners require you to use without needing to own specified locked down hardware. So there is no longer a reason for you to be using a webcam which was designed for just one person when having a video meeting in a conference room.
Logitech Collaboration Program provides a framework for the firm’s partners to deliver high-quality video collaboration experiences. This empowers customers to find solutions ranging from cloud video services to innovative meeting room tools which let third-party software and hardware companies to integrate and optimize product functionality with Logitech products to give the the customer an easy to use and deploy solution to meet their needs.
The program’s inaugural members include video conferencing providers BlueJeans, BroadSoft, Lifesize, Vidyo and Zoom, all of whom are Premier partners in the Cloud Video Conferencing track. New integration partners in the Cloud Video Conferencing track include CounterPath, FreeConferenceCall.com, Fuze, StarLeaf, V-CUBE and VSee. C2G, a Premier partner in the Complementary Technology track, is now joined by Intel. Also joining the Complementary Technology track are Clary Icon, HD Technology Partners, Iluminari, InFocus, mEdge, Media Network Services (mns.vc), Pexip, and SMART Technologies.
“Our customers are looking for conference room video to be as seamless and easy to join as it is from the desktop,” said Scott Wharton, general manager of Logitech’s video collaboration group. “Working together with industry-leading technology companies on the integration of Logitech products enables us to deliver ease of use without compromising in-room quality and experience.”
Customers who purchase Logitech collaboration products, along with a product or service from an LCP member, will receive a solution that is optimized for groups to collaborate anytime, and anywhere. All LCP partners have access to the Logitech Software Reference Kit (SRK), designed to support integration with Logitech audio and video devices across Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. The SRK enables an exceptional user experience by providing enhanced integrations between partner applications and Logitech devices. The SRK includes code samples and documentation for integrations such as call control (answer/ hang up, volume, mute etc.), local pan / tilt / zoom (PTZ), far end PTZ, and LCD content. You can learn more about the LCP here.
For the first time ever, Logitech will be attending InfoComm 2016, and they giving away some fun prizes! The show floor opens June 8 at 9 am, and you can them at booth no. N2329.
