Vidyo and Google are bringing video-enabled Google Hangouts to work as well as working to make video easier to use and more ubiquitious across the business and consumer landscapes.  While the early realtionship may have been seen as opportunistic, today's announcements indicate a longer term commitment to deliver software and cloud-based video solutions to iWorkers and consumers around the globe.

Vidyo has been the video component behind Google+ Hangouts for some time – just as Skyoe has been the video enabler for Facebook Video Chat.  Vidyo and Google have pushed the WebRTC standard to enable simpler video communications from a standards based browser interface, and Google is leveraging Vidyo SVC (Scalable Video Code) technology in VP9 for Chrome and other browsers. Vidyo and Google  are now taking two more steps together to   
                1. Deliver simple video conferencing in a bundle for business – ChromeBox for Meetings
                2. Enable interoperability between Google+ hangouts and other voice and video systems
                     with VidyoH2O for Google+ Hangouts

 

  • ChromeBox for Meeting.  A simple bundle of a small ChromeBox, a camera, a full duplex speaker phone, and a remote allows any display to be used as a full featured video conferencing system.  Extending the Google Apps suite by leveraging calendars, identity and hangouts, it meets an iWorker need – starting a meeting is so simple it seems like science fiction.

 

  •  VidyoH2O for Google+ Hangouts.  Using proven Vidyo technology enables Google+ Hangouts to connect to other H.3232 and SIP video endpoints as well as enabling plain old telephony connections into the hangout as well.  Allowing more disparate endpoints to connect to each other solves one of the inhibitors to video adoption – its never been as ubiquitous as telephony or e-mail.

This continued and extended partnership between two innovative software-centric, cloud-friendly companies promises to drive video into more corners of both the personal and business world.  As an analyst who has followed video for some time, I believe that video is a fundamentally better way to communicate and collaborate, but business wants more than just platitudes, they want ROI.  Enabling broad interoperability behind a simple, familiar user interface will help to make video more pervasive.  One of the key reasons we see information workers shying away from video today is because they are not sure who else has video, and whether the two systems will work together – this partnership and announcements address THAT issue.  Business decision makers want to see more value from video – beyond simple travel savings.  Embedding video into business processes like field maintenance, customer service, logistics, or manufacturing – – this partnership and announcements do not address THAT issue. 

What Does This Mean for Business?

The announcements and solutions are new developments that promise to deliver more video to more corners of the workplace and further intermingle personal and work solutions.  Most businesses should probably at least take a look at these solutions and havfe someone trial them to see if they work for your people in your workplace.  A couple specific types of businesses may want to do more – for example:

  • For businesses that have adopted Google for business – ChromeBox for Meetings is something you should trial and see if it works for your people in your processes.
  • For businesses with BYOD programs, VidyoH2O for Google+ Hangouts will provide another way that your employees can use their favorite devices and Google+ to accomplish their goals – be sure to enable them to connect from behind or in front of your firewall.

 

http://www.vidyo.com/company/news-and-events/press-releases/vidyo-offers-google-hangouts-cloud-premise-based-voice-video-conferencing-interoperability/ 

Google Launches Chromebox For Meetings, A $999 Videoconferencing System Based On ChromeOS