Logitech's LifeSize Taps Into Growing HD Videoconferencing Demand

LifeSize, a division of Logitech, is unveiling a 16-port bridge that makes high-definition videoconferencing significantly more affordable than ever before. At $4,062 per port, less than a third the price of the competition, LifeSize Bridge 2200 deploys easily and scales across existing resources, geographies and standards-based video conferencing offerings. It supports any codec, speed, resolution, layout or port without losing capacity or HD video quality.

"While LifeSize has seen strong momentum for its videoconferencing endpoints, lack of a videoconferencing bridge in its product line was a serious disadvantage compared to its closest competitors Polycom and Tandberg, that offer end -to end solutions," says Roopam Jain, industry director, conferencing & collaboration - ICT, Frost & Sullivan. "The introduction of this HD videoconferencing bridge, at a fraction of the price of what its competitors charge for HD bridges, is expected to further support LifeSize's growth in this market."

The research company says last year the total videoconferencing and telepresence systems and services market stood at $2.3 billion, growing by 9.5 percent over 2008. Frost & Sullivan expects this market to reach $7.6 billion by 2015 growing at a strong CAGR of 22 percent,, representing the tremendous uptake expected for video in the future.

"In 2009, LifeSize was one of the few vendors that showed strong growth in the market, in spite of the economic upheaval. The company has consistently increased its market penetration over the last few years and has been instrumental in bringing low cost/high performance HD systems to the market."

Jain adds that they are starting to see a strong demand for video, in all its forms. "The buzz around telepresence and prosumer use of tools like Skype video has created tremendous awareness. There is a growing demand for video among the enterprise users for cost savings and productivity reasons. By beefing up its videoconferencing product line, LifeSize is establishing itself."This announcement is also significant from a Unified Communications (UC) perspective, he adds, solidifying LifeSize's position in securing stronger partnerships with UC vendors like Avaya. "As UC vendors build video as an integral part of their UC clients and overall strategy, they are looking to work with partners' solutions that can accommodate ad hoc multi-party audio and video conferencing in their UC environments. Products like LifeSize Bridge will promote the integration of LifeSize's video products in a broader communication ecosystem."

LifeSize says bridges are one of the fastest growing segments in the video industry, accounting for just over 70 percent of the $440 million worldwide video infrastructure market, according to Frost & Sullivan. In addition to the bridge, the company is announcing a new version of its Video Center (1.1) with LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) support for Microsoft Active Directory, and the LifeSize Camera 10x, a new mechanical design with 10x optical zoom and 1080p30 support and increased zoom capability.