HPQ: HP and TANDBERG to Deliver Full Portfolio of Visual Collaboration Solutions

HP and TANDBERG (OSLO: TAA.OL), a global leader in visual communication, today announced an alliance to make their respective telepresence and video conferencing portfolios interoperable.

As a result, businesspeople will soon be able to collaborate using everything from the immersive telepresence experience of HP’s Halo Collaboration Studios to TANDBERG’s conference room and desktop-based systems.

HP and TANDBERG have agreed to pursue a development program that will allow TANDBERG’s industry-leading standards-based video conferencing systems to operate on the HP Halo Video Exchange Network (HVEN), which powers the Halo experience.

Users of TANDBERG video solutions will have the opportunity to experience significant quality improvements and, at the same time, users of HP Halo Studios will be able to extend their communications links to TANDBERG systems worldwide.

Enabling natural, personal connections across cities or around the world, HP’s HVEN is a dedicated and secure, high-bandwidth, full duplex, worldwide fiber optic network. Halo on the HVEN significantly increases team effectiveness, provides faster decision-making capabilities and decreases the need for travel.

With its alliance with TANDBERG, HP intends to extend the application of the HVEN from a dedicated telepresence network to one that enables full interoperability between HP Halo and traditional standard-based video conferencing.

“Interoperability between immersive studio environments, such as HP Halo, and standards-based video conferencing solutions has become a key requirement for our customers,” said Ken Crangle, general manager, Halo Collaboration Studio Unit, HP. “This alliance answers that need as we will be able to provide customers with a complete portfolio of conferencing and collaboration solutions from immersive telepresence studios to executive desktop solutions.”

Deploying TANDBERG solutions on the HVEN will enable customers to enjoy reliable, high-quality video applications such as high-definition video without requiring further investments in internal IT resources or upgrades to corporate networks. For HP Halo customers, the addition of TANDBERG’s systems to the HVEN will allow them to use a broader suite of collaboration solutions.

“By leveraging HVEN, customers can unleash the full power of TANDBERG systems for a greater video experience,” said Geir Olsen, executive vice president, TANDBERG. “With this alliance, customers can be assured of uncompromised video and audio quality and reliability every time they are in a video call, whether at the desktop, in the conference room or in a Halo Studio.”

The companies plan to begin marketing each others’ solutions in the coming months.

About TANDBERG
TANDBERG is a leading global provider of visual communication products and services with dual headquarters in New York and Norway. TANDBERG designs, develops and markets systems and software for video, voice and data. The company provides sales, support and value-added services in more than 90 countries worldwide. TANDBERG is publicly traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker TAA.OL. Please visit www.tandberg.net for more information.