Polycom has announced new capabilities for the RMX 2000 real-time media conferencing platform for multi-point, high-definition video, voice and unified (voice and video) collaboration that will help customers transition to high definition video conferencing, integrate high-quality voice and video conferencing into unified communication environments from Avaya and IBM, increase on-demand voice conferencing use, and localise the solution for international markets.
Uniquely built on an Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture (ATCA), the RMX 2000 is a real-time media conferencing platform optimised for use on IP networks and designed from the ground up to be the collaboration heart of a unified communications network. The RMX 2000 simplifies the delivery and management of multipoint video (multiple locations on a single call) as well as unified conferencing (video, voice, and content all on a single call) for enterprises requiring an infrastructure that supports room and extensive desktop deployments of video collaboration, on-demand or instantaneous conferencing, and high-bandwidth, processing-intensive applications such as high definition (HD) video and telepresence.
“Wainhouse Research recently deployed an RMX 2000 in our lab and we have been pleased with the initial results,” said Ira Weinstein, senior analyst and partner with Wainhouse Research. "Within just a few minutes the bridge was installed, configured and hosting multipoint calls within our test environment. This represents a significant step forward in terms of usability. In addition, we believe that making HD continuous presence available as a software upgrade, instead of a hardware upgrade, will be a well received value-add for existing RMX 2000 customers.”
The availability of RMX 2000 Version 2.0 software introduces true high definition (HD) continuous presence conferencing with full transcoding on the existing RMX 2000 media processing module hardware, allowing customers to combine video conferencing endpoints with different resolutions (HD, standard definition or SD, and common intermediate format resolution or CIF) within the same call; showing multiple sites simultaneously (continuous presence); and providing optimal resolution and call quality based on the capabilities of each video system. Capacity of the RMX 2000 scales based on the resolution demands of each endpoint in a call (HD and non-HD endpoints), making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for customers with mixed deployments.
“We believe the RMX 2000 is the most advanced and flexible multipoint video conferencing solution in the market today,” said Joe Sigrist, senior vice president and general manager, Video Solutions Group, Polycom. “Although the RMX is a platform designed for the next generation of HD video conferencing and telepresence applications, we have not forgotten that the majority of customers today are using lower resolution endpoints or mixed-endpoint environments. The RMX 2000 can scale capacity to efficiently and cost-effectively provide the optimal experience for every type of endpoint in a call, whatever the resolution, making it ideal for the majority of real-world video conferencing environments today, as well as next-generation HD video environments.”
Capabilities enabled in RMX 2000 Version 2.0 support the impending mainstreaming of mission critical video across and among enterprises. As a result, RMX 2000 Version 2.0 integrates with Polycom's strategic alliance partners in the service provider IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) infrastructure, IP PBX, and presence-based collaboration markets. Today, RMX 2000 Version 2.0 enables integration with the Avaya Video Telephony Solution and IBM Lotus Sametime and Lotus Notes applications making Polycom voice and video conferencing capabilities instantly accessible within these unified communications environments. Additional information about this integration can be found at www.polycomasia.com under “Partners & Alliances” then “Strategic Alliances.”
RMX Version 2.0 software also adds support for 11 additional languages (supporting 12 total), enabling the RMX 2000 to be localised as a solution for global and international organisations. Languages supported include English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German, Korean, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Norwegian.
“With the RMX 2000 Version 2.0, Polycom clearly focused on the needs of both end users and IT staff,” said Mikhail Nikiforov, head of videoconferencing section, CROC, the leading Russian company in IT infrastructure design (according to IDC Reports 2002-2006). “Features like high definition in continuous presence and multi-language support are complemented by a performance-optimised, IMS-compliant architecture that naturally integrates with our IP network. With support for IBM Lotus Sametime and Lotus Notes applications and the Avaya Video Telephony Solution, as well as the Polycom Proxias application server, an investment in the RMX 2000 today will protect our ability to execute tomorrow.”
The new software, in conjunction with a new E1/T1 interface card, expands the system's voice conferencing capabilities with up to 400 PSTN or VoIP audio resources. The system features dynamic configuration of audio and video resources, allowing it to scale from 20 to 400 audio resources depending on the configuration of voice and video devices, as well as the video resolution selected.
Pricing and Availability
RMX 2000 Version 2.0 software is now available at no cost to RMX 2000 customers currently on a standard maintenance agreement. The RMX 2000 is now available through certified Polycom channel partners with pricing for the modular systems starting at US $66,250.
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