Touchline Video believes that the global videoconferencing market is in line for a major shake-up with major new players like ZTE launching into European markets.
Touchline Video recently signed a distribution agreement with ZTE for the company’s video-communications solutions. ZTE is a global provider of telecommunications devices, networks and services.
The agreement with Touchline Video will see ZTE bring its full series of video-related products, including telepresence, HD videoconferencing, video surveillance, digital home equipment and IPTV solutions to the UK market for the first time.
“ZTE can provide not just the videoconferencing system, but the entire communications system from end to end,” said Barry Cross, Managing Director of Touchline Video. “This capability is completely new to the UK market and, combined with the high quality of ZTE’s products, will make the UK market sit up and notice. We believe that ZTE will have a massive impact on the global video-conferencing market.”
ZTE established its first videoconferencing R&D facility in 1994 and started exporting its solutions four years later. The ZTE videoconferencing system (VCS) currently has mature applications in 27 countries and regions with 35 industry customers. ZTE has shipped over 100,000 VCS terminals. The distribution agreement with Touchline Video marks ZTE’s first move into the UK videoconferencing marketplace.
“As the provider of the world’s first commercial application of IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) multimedia teleconferencing, ZTE can provide the best solutions in the industry. The ZTE VCS system supports SIP (session initiation protocol) and IMS network multimedia integrated services, and a wide range of terminals including VoIP phones, 3G video mobile phones, IM soft terminals, and videophones,” said Jim Jing Hui, Managing Director of ZTE UK. “ZTE invests more than 10 percent of annual sales revenue into R&D. As a major listed provider of powerful integrated multi-media communications systems, ZTE can provide its customers with the most comprehensive and customisable solutions at very competitive price points. We expect UK businesses to be taking advantage of ZTE VCS from November 2011 onwards.”
“Working with China’s number one supplier of videoconferencing equipment can only be a good thing for Touchline Video and for our customers. The benefits of videoconferencing are widely known, but now more than ever UK companies are starting to realise the cost and environmental benefits of using the technology,” continued Cross. “We’re seeing video calling gain traction in the consumer space with established services like Skype and nascent services such as video messaging in Facebook and Xbox Kinect all helping to raise familiarisation. Indeed, it will soon be commonplace in the home over IPTV channels. Business demands enterprise quality services of course, and we’re very happy to be working with ZTE to bring those services to the UK market.”
“Some of our customers will know that we have maintained contact with ZTE over several years and have worked closely with the company for the past six months, sharing technical and commercial experiences, to help smooth the path for entry into the UK”.
“We have been excited for some time about the opportunity to work with ZTE and we see the company’s arrival as a significant step towards video communications being an integral part of both the business and social worlds,” concluded Cross.
