Lifesize has announced new enhancements to its award-winning Lifesize Cloud videoconferencing service and the introduction of Lifesize Icon 400 and Lifesize Icon Flex. These innovations are said to bring simple, reliable and effortlessly scalable video communications to every person and every conference room across devices, applications, browsers or Lifesize endpoints.
The Lifesize Cloud service lets everyone meet over video from everywhere on every device, seamlessly connecting them to any conference room or individual. Its new updates include:
- Direct connection from your web browser – Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari
- Seamless integration into existing workflow tools, including Google Calendar and Outlook
- Interoperability with Microsoft Lync
Lifesize Icon 400 has been designed for the very huddle room, but with video experience as the Lifesize Icon 600. With a user interface that is described as being as easy to use as a smartphone, the Icon 400 enables users to quickly add video and audio participants to the call, and easily share content.
Designed to be easily installed without IT support, the Icon 400 can be paired to Lifesize Cloud in four simple steps: connect to power, display (HDMI), any IP connection and then enter Lifesize Cloud username and password.
When paired with Lifesize Cloud, the Icon 400 supports all of the ways people communicate – ad hoc calls from the presence-enabled directory, to scheduled or ‘meet me’ meetings in virtual meeting rooms, with single and group calling with up to 25 participants – on laptops, tablets and smartphones. Icon 400 paired with Lifesize Cloud seamlessly bridges multiple callers together, provides secure firewall/NAT traversal, and automatically performs software updates to the device, thus reducing the burden on IT.
Lifesize Icon Flex (pictured) is designed for businesses that already deploy a personal collaboration application such as Microsoft Lync, Skype, Google Hangouts or Cisco Jabber, and WebEx or Citrix GoToMeeting as a primary meeting option. Users plug in their PC or Mac via USB and Icon Flex takes over all video and audio capture and processing, to create a complete conference room solution.
Leveraging the design of the Icon 400, the Icon Flex can be configured with a beam-forming tabletop microphone or the Lifesize Phone.
“Customers tell us that they want videoconferencing that simply works: no hassle or complexity, without lengthy installs and IT involvement. They use video on their phones and they want that exact same simple-to-connect-to-anyone-from-anywhere experience in the office,” said Craig Malloy, founder and CEO of Lifesize. “Lifesize is the first to deliver an option for every scenario – whether you are new to video and looking for a complete enterprise solution for every person and every room, have a video application running within your environment but need a better conference room experience, or you are looking for a service that slides right into how you work without friction – we make video calling a remarkable and compelling experience.”
