List of video telecommunication services and product brands

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A typical low-cost webcam (a Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000) for use with many popular video-telecommunication programs (2009) Webcam grayscale.jpg
A typical low-cost webcam (a Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000) for use with many popular video-telecommunication programs (2009)

This list of video telecommunication services and product brands is for groupings of notable video telecommunication services, brands of videophones, webcams and video conferencing hardware and systems, all related to videotelephony for two-way communications with live video and audio.

Contents

The products below are listed by their normal and intended purpose, even though their names or descriptions may differ from the categories shown here (refer to terminology within general article pages).

Videophone hardware brands for person-to-person (point-to-point) use

Stand-alone videophones are point-to-point units not employing Multipoint Control Units (centralized distribution and call management systems). Earlier models make video calls utilizing older analogue POTS telephone lines, while later models use newer, higher quality, ADSL, ISDN or cable broadband technologies. Some videophones also employ Internet calling (IP) capabilities which can dispense with the need for telephone service.

Videoconferencing and telepresence hardware systems meant for multiple participants

Teliris VL Modular.JPG
Therenow3.jpg
A high resolution telepresence system and a developer in Colorado, U.S. using telepresence to coach a teacher in Utah during research for Project thereNow.

Video conferencing systems allow multiple participants by use of a Multipoint Control Unit (a centralized distribution and call management system) or via a similar non-centralized multipoint capability technology embedded in each unit. Some multiple party systems utilize Web-based bridging service providers, which can incur slight time delays.

Some cameras have a 360-degree video image, so that all participants on one location can be recorded with one camera. [1] [2]

Videoconferencing hardware systems meant for the deaf, hard-of-hearing, telemedical and other institutional services

Videoconference bridging service providers

Webcam hardware brands for use on personal computers

ISight.jpg
MS LifeCam Cinema.jpg
A pre-2006 Apple iSight webcam, with software drivers written specifically for Apple's operating systems and a 2009 LifeCam Cinema USB video device for use with standard drivers.

Software clients

With video and VoIP

With video, VoIP and instant messaging

Browser based – does not require software downloads

Software clients for deaf and hard-of-hearing VRS/VRI facilities

Server software

Video telecommunication services

Video telecommunication services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

Medical organizations employing video telecommunications

Public videoconferencing facilities

Defunct brands and services

Brands, manufacturers and other services listed here are no longer in production or no longer exist, and are listed for historical or research purposes.

Defunct videophone hardware brands

Defunct videoconferencing system hardware brands

Defunct software brands

Videotelephony descriptive names and terminology

The name [videophone]is not as standardized as its earlier counterpart, the telephone, resulting in a variety of names and terms being used worldwide, and even within the same region or country. Videophones are also known as videotelephones (or video telephones) and often by an early trademarked name "Picturephone", which was the world's first commercial videophone produced in volume. The compound name "videophone" slowly entered into general use after 1950, [5] although "video telephone" likely entered the lexicon earlier after "video" was coined in 1935. [6]

Videophone calls (also: videocalls and video chat), [7] differ from videoconferencing in that they expect to serve individuals, not groups. [8] However that distinction has become increasingly blurred with technology improvements such as increased bandwidth and sophisticated software clients that can allow for multiple parties on a call. In general everyday usage the term videoconferencing is now frequently used instead of videocall for point-to-point calls between two units. Both videophone calls and videoconferencing are also now commonly referred to as a video link.[ citation needed ]

Webcams are popular, relatively low cost devices which can provide live video and audio streams via personal computers, and can be used with many software clients for both video calls and videoconferencing. [9]

A videoconference system is generally higher cost than a videophone and deploys greater capabilities. A videoconference (also known as a videoteleconference) allows two or more locations to communicate via live, simultaneous two-way video and audio transmissions. This is often accomplished by the use of a multipoint control unit (a centralized distribution and call management system) or by a similar non-centralized multipoint capability embedded in each videoconferencing unit. Again, technology improvements have circumvented traditional definitions by allowing multiple party videoconferencing via web-based applications. [10] [11] A separate webpage article is devoted to videoconferencing.

A telepresence system is a high-end videoconferencing system and service usually employed by enterprise-level corporate offices. Telepresence conference rooms use state-of-the art room designs, video cameras, displays, sound-systems and processors, coupled with high-to-very-high capacity bandwidth transmissions.[ citation needed ]

Typical use of the various technologies described above include calling or conferencing on a one-on-one, one-to-many or many-to-many basis for personal, business, educational, deaf Video Relay Service and tele-medical, diagnostic and rehabilitative use or services. New services utilizing videocalling and videoconferencing, such as teachers and psychologists conducting online sessions, [12] personal videocalls to inmates incarcerated in penitentiaries, and videoconferencing to resolve airline engineering issues at maintenance facilities, are being created or evolving on an ongoing basis.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Webcam</span> Video camera connected to a computer or network

A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in video telephony, live streaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral devices, and are commonly connected to a device using USB or wireless protocols.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tandberg</span> Defunct electronics manufacturer

Tandberg was an electronics manufacturer located in Oslo, Norway and New York City, United States. The company began in the radio field, but became more widely known for their reel-to-reel tape recorders as well as cassette decks and televisions. The original company went bankrupt in 1978, after a sharp financial downturn. The following year, the company re-formed whilst their data division was split off as Tandberg Data, including the tape recording division, which reduced its scope to data recording.

Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance or effect of being present via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Videotelephony</span> Real-time video communication

Videotelephony is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real-time communication. A videophone is a telephone with a video camera and video display, capable of simultaneous video and audio communication. Videoconferencing implies the use of this technology for a group or organizational meeting rather than for individuals, in a videoconference. Telepresence may refer either to a high-quality videotelephony system or to meetup technology, which can go beyond video into robotics. Videoconferencing has also been called visual collaboration and is a type of groupware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radvision</span> Israeli telecommunication company

Radvision was a provider of video conferencing solution and enabling products for IP communication developers based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Radvision was acquired by Avaya in June 2012. Spirent Communications acquired Radvision's Technology Business Unit from Avaya in July 2014, to become Spirent Developer Tools Business Unit.

H.239 is an ITU-T recommendation from the H.32x Multimedia Communications' macrofamily of standards for multimedia communications over various networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video relay service</span> Video telecommunication service

A video relay service (VRS), also sometimes known as a video interpreting service (VIS), is a video telecommunication service that allows deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired (D-HOH-SI) individuals to communicate over video telephones and similar technologies with hearing people in real-time, via a sign language interpreter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poly Inc.</span> American multinational corporation

Poly, formerly Polycom, a part of HP Inc., is an American multinational corporation that develops video, voice and content collaboration and communication technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H.323</span> Audio-visual communication signaling protocol

H.323 is a recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network. The H.323 standard addresses call signaling and control, multimedia transport and control, and bandwidth control for point-to-point and multi-point conferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scopia</span> Series of videoconferencing products

Scopia, within the computer networking and telecommunications fields, is a series of unified communications products that provide meet-me, videoconferencing and online collaboration. The Scopia products include the Scopia XT Telepresence, Scopia XT7100 Room System, Scopia XT5000 Room System, Scopia XT4300 Room System, SCOPIA XT1000 Piccolo,XT Meeting Center Room System, Scopia Firewall Traversal, Multipoint control units, Gateways, Scopia Control, Scopia Desktop Video Conferencing, and Scopia Mobile HD Video Conferencing. The Scopia products are developed and sold by Avaya and their Business Partner network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cisco TelePresence</span>

Cisco TelePresence, first introduced in October 2006, is a range of products developed by Cisco Systems designed to link two physically separated rooms so they resemble a single conference room, regardless of location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lifesize</span>

Lifesize is a video and audio telecommunications company in the United States which provides high definition videoconferencing endpoints and accessories, touchscreen conference room phones, a cloud-based video collaboration platform, and omnichannel contact center solutions under their CxEngage product line. Lifesize's headquarters is located in Austin, Texas. Its Europe, Middle East and Africa regional office is located in Munich, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidyo</span>

Vidyo, Inc., founded as Layered Media, now part of Enghouse systems provides software-based collaboration technology and product-based visual communication products. The company's VidyoConferencing products are the first in the videoconferencing industry to take advantage of the H.264 standard for video compression, Scalable Video Coding (SVC).

The Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF) is a non-profit alliance between communications technology vendors. It was announced on May 19, 2010, with the vision to maximize the interoperability of UC based on existing standards. Founding members of UCIF were HP, Microsoft, Polycom, Logitech / LifeSize Communications, and Juniper Networks. On July 28, 2014, UCIF merged with International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium (UMTC) into one consortium.

Yorktel is a video managed services company headquartered in Eatontown, New Jersey, that provides services for the assessment, design, integration, and management of video and audio communications. The company is involved in video interoperability, cloud products, and managed services, as well as for providing legacy video systems to large organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoom Video Communications</span> American video communications company

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. is a communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform used for video communications (Meetings), messaging (Chat), voice calls (Phone), conference rooms for video meetings (Rooms), virtual events (Events) and contact centers, and offers an open platform allowing third-party developers to build custom applications on its unified communications platform. The company was founded in 2011 by Eric Yuan, a former Cisco engineer and executive. It launched its software in 2013.

The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) is a non-profit industry consortium headquartered in Wakefield, Massachusetts and formed to develop open, royalty-free technology for multimedia delivery. It uses the ideas and principles of open web standard development to create video standards that can serve as alternatives to the hitherto dominant standards of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

Highfive is an American video conferencing company which combines cloud-based software with its proprietary in-room video conferencing hardware. The company, established in 2012 by former Google employee Shan Sinha, has its headquarters in Redwood City, California. In 2016, Fortune named Highfive on its list of the "10 Best Small Workplaces in Technology.". In September 2020, Highfive is acquired by Dialpad

StarLeaf was a global video conferencing and collaboration software company that provided cloud-based Instant messaging, meeting and calling for business users. StarLeaf enabled people to meet and collaborate from their desktop and mobile devices, as well as via proprietary StarLeaf and third-party meeting room systems. The company was headquartered near Watford, UK, with offices throughout Europe, the Americas and Australasia.

References

  1. A Microsoft RoundTable 360° camera
  2. "V.360° camera on vsnmobil.com". Archived from the original on 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  3. Dolcourt, Jessica Cisco Umi brings HD telepresence to the living room Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  4. Straits Times newspaper clip about P2P from 1993 [ permanent dead link ]
  5. Videophone definition, Merriam-Webster Online, retrieved April 13, 2009.
  6. Video definition, Online Etymology Dictionary
  7. PC Magazine. Definition: Video Calling Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine , PC Magazine website. Retrieved 19 August 2010,
  8. Mulbach, 1995. Pg. 291.
  9. Solomon Negash, Michael E. Whitman. Editors: Solomon Negash, Michael E. Whitman, Amy B. Woszczynski, Ken Hoganson, Herbert Mattord. Handbook of Distance Learning for Real-Time and Asynchronous Information Technology Education, Idea Group Inc (IGI), 2008, pg. 17, ISBN   1-59904-964-3, ISBN   978-1-59904-964-9. Note costing: "....students had the option to install a webcam on their end (a basic webcam costs about $40.00) to view the class in session."
  10. Lawson, Stephen. Vidyo Packages Conferencing For Campuses, IDG News Service, February 16, 2010. Retrieved via Computerworld.com's website, October 27, 2017
  11. Gomez, Al. Live Streaming Vs Video on Demand Al Gomez, March 24, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2010;
  12. USA Today. "Video Chat Growing by Light-Year Leaps", USA Today, March 31, 2010, p. L01d.

Further reading