Headlines
 
 
Vol. 28, No. 38 dated November 17, 2008:

Google this: Google will offer videoconferencing and collaboration for free through Gmail, using software acquired last year from Marratech

Intel enters telemedicine field with hardware and software to allow clinicians to visit and treat elderly and disabled patients remotely

Glowpoint reports strong third-quarter results: Now manages 5,000 video endpoints for 1,200 customers

Telanetix reports third-quarter results

ClearOne wins suit against former employees in trade secrets case; stands to collect millions--if defendants have millions, that is


Vol. 28, No. 37 dated November 10, 2008:

Videoconferencing and streaming in Minnesota attempt to counter child abuse

USF and CSPs: Watch out for the other shoe


Vol. 28, No. 36 dated November 03, 2008:

Logitech buys SightSpeed for $30 million in cash; sees large market in consumer video (think social video-networking)

Polycom links CMA desktop video users to telepresence rooms: Polycom customers can now sense each other's "presence" and click to talk from the desktop to the conference room

ThinkEngine reports weakened third-quarter results

ClearOne stays profitable, but not as strong a profit as last quarter


Vol. 28, No. 35 dated October 27, 2008:

Global Crossing goes HD, video and audio around the Globe

Polycom uses PUG annual meeting to announce new products

Premiere Global Conferencing reports strong quarter-over-quarter growth, due to acquisitions, but flat sequentially

CPI’s financials down a bit; down three quarters in a row now

Avistar reports third-quarter results, with a side comment about Microsoft


Vol. 28, No. 34 dated October 20, 2008:

TeleSpan’s Big Six third-quarter group video sales

Tandberg reports 27% increase in revenues as unit shipments grow 13.6%

Polycom reports revenues of $275.8 million for the quarter, driven by nearly 27% growth in video endpoint revenues

Gene Warren officially leaves ACT, free to work for other CSPs

Industry veteran reports “bad debt” customer: Wants other CSPs to know about them


Vol. 28, No. 33 dated October 13, 2008:

USF Update: CSPs add surcharge for customers on audio calls, but not on Web

Tandberg no longer holding talks for takeover

Yugma software does work--Oy Gevalt!


Vol. 28, No. 32 dated October 06, 2008:

Psychotherapy for patients with depression moves to the phone, and patient retention rises: Maybe we can go to conference calls next!

American Capital announces change in management at Freeconference.com after growth of nearly two and a half times

Skype ships Skype 4.0 Beta 2 for Windows, has expanded video

Don't believe that prices for conference calls are tumbling? You can get toll free minutes now from American Express and CPI for 4.5 cents a minute!


Vol. 28, No. 31 dated September 29, 2008:

Telanetix tries to reshape the video market with "Represence": Slashing the price of telepresence while keeping compatibility to legacy systems

Cisco dives into "Collaboration," seeing it as a $34 billion pool; makes some sly remarks about Avaya and Tandberg in the process

Verizon teams with Cisco to sell new UC and collaboration tools


Vol. 28, No. 30 dated September 22, 2008:

ClearOne and 8x8 sign up as Microsoft Response Point Partners

Below the Radar: Ever hear of OnSync? Ever dance to the Digital Samba? Well, if you dance to it, you'll get unlimited multipoint voice, web, and video to your desktop

Boeing moves voice and conferencing business from Verizon to AT&T

MeetingZone provides help in saving "working animals" after Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar

Thought Skype was kidding about video? Asus introduces a Skype videophone

Letters to the editor


Vol. 28, No. 29 dated September 15, 2008:

Polycom wants to make multipoint video calls as easy to use as on-demand conference calls--and why not?

Maybe Avistar isn't Forgent

Aethra becomes #3 in TeleSpan's Big Six


Vol. 28, No. 28 dated August 20, 2008:

Breaking News: Compunetix buys Sonexis; will go after enterprise/managed services market through wholly owned subsidiary


Vol. 28, No. 27 dated August 19, 2008:

Tandberg’s T.B.D. might be a T.A.D. as in "Tandberg’s Avaya Deal"


Vol. 28, No. 26 dated August 18, 2008:

Is Tandberg for sale? If it is, is the buyer 1) Silver Lake, 2) Cisco, 3) Both, or 4) T.B.D?

Premiere Global buys SoundPath, major player in the legal market--its 11th acquisition

Glowpoint climbs again

Telanetix reports second-quarter results: revenues up, losses down


Vol. 28, No. 25 dated July 21, 2008:

TeleSpan's Big Six second-quarter group video sales

USF Tax Update: You’re not going to like this!

InterCall statement about FCC USF decision

Tandberg second-quarter results: ships 14,670 group videoconferencing units

Polycom reports second-quarter results: HD and telepresence now represent over 50% of video revenues; network sales tank

Avistar reports second-quarter results


Vol. 28, No. 24 dated July 02, 2008:

Breaking News: FCC rules against InterCall, will impose USF tax across entire conference call industry starting with the fourth quarter

If you thought the federal USF tax was a threat ... states are now queuing up to go after us right now, too; New York State already has several CSPs under audits


Vol. 28, No. 23 dated June 30, 2008:

If you thought the federal USF tax was a threat...states are queuing up to go after us right now, too; New York State already has several CSPs under audits

Would you buy an IP-PBX system with Microsoft software for your small business at CostCo????

Iotum launches Calliflower, a beta conference call service based on iotum’s social networking experience with FaceBook

Dell bundles SightSpeed video on laptops; offering free "Video Chat"

Aethra introduces Hydra desktop videoconferencing system, compatible with group systems

Verizon rises with the tide (of floods) and keeps conference calls afloat

Tandberg works with Freedom Calls for holiday video calls to troops in Iraq

Summertime, when the livin' is easy, and the lemonade is in my hand!


Vol. 28, No. 22 dated June 23, 2008:

Verizon Business (think Conferencing) expands global VoIP footprint, integrates with latest Microsoft LiveMeeting (2007)

SightSpeed adds nine-way videoconferencing

Skype releases Skype 4.0 Beta with better and bigger video

Adobe plays its long suit

How do you spell InfoComm? T-S-U-N-A-M-I!

FCC delays decision on applying USF tax to conference call companies

Westell pulls ConferencePlus off the market, will not be selling it


Vol. 28, No. 21 dated June 16, 2008:

Pow! Wow! Zow!--A company that thinks people hear better than they see--and can make phone companies money!

U.S. Patent Office rejects (some of) Microsoft’s calls for re-examination of Avistar video patents

A rose by any other name........"Telepresence is just video conferencing done right"


Vol. 28, No. 20 dated May 26, 2008:

Tungle tries to ease scheduling of meetings and conference calls

Radvision’s latest release of Scopia software adds compatibility with HD TV and support for IBM Lotus scheduling software

Telectroscope: Isn't this Hole in Space deja vu?

Videre Conferencing bringing wisdom to video solutions


Vol. 28, No. 19 dated May 19, 2008:

ILinc sells its automated call business to Premiere, allowing iLinc to focus on Web and make money again: iLinc got only 1.1 times revenues

Speaking of the USF tax...

Tandberg sells 10,000th "Personal Telepresence System"

Cisco expands telepresence product portfolio, adds "personal" telepresence system

MeetingZone crosses the Atlantic, opens new offices in US and Canada, adds Bryan Walkey as North American manager: Now there’s an old timer!

Glowpoint reports first-quarter results

Genesys reports first-quarter results

Telanetix reports first-quarter revenues

Verizon adds China to list of countries with local access numbers for domestic and international conference calls

TeleSpan announces an Old Timers Reunion--Las Vegas, August 3-5


Vol. 28, No. 18 dated May 12, 2008:

Collaboration with animated characters through virtual reality helps kids with autism

Learning from GIs cared for by the VA, or really from their Game Boys

Northwestern University research supports "Playing with Virtual Peers" through collaboration

SightSpeed rolls out Mothers Day service


Vol. 28, No. 17 dated May 05, 2008:

ThinkEngine cuts nearly a third of staff "due to market conditions"; New product releases to be announced son

Compunetix celebrates 40th anniversary

Spectel ports available

Think your videoconferencing bill is too high? Go to MySpace, and use SightSpeed for free

And speaking of Skype, it's upped the Vapps ante for high def audio

ClearOne third-quarter results show slight decrease in revenues

Who's got "skin" in the game? TeleSpan's annual update on ownership of the companies in our space


Vol. 28, No. 16 dated April 28, 2008:

BT provides details on WireOne acquisition: Expected to close June 1

TelePresence Update II


Vol. 28, No. 15 dated April 21, 2008:

TeleSpan's Big Six first-quarter group videoconferencing system sales

Polycom reports flat video sales, yet growing HD and telepresence revenues--Audio zooms with SpectraLink

Tandberg reports nearly 39% increase in group and executive unit shipments; revenues also grow 39%

Premiere posts first-quarter financials

Genesys updates fourth-quarter results: Debt slashed to 4 million Euros--Expect acquisition by Intercall to be completed by May 15

LifeSize takes prices down for high definition endpoints

Aethra previews new Electra HD system


Vol. 28, No. 14 dated April 14, 2008:

TelePresence Update

Teliris Update--"It's not about videoconferencing, it's about immersion..."

Digital Video Enterprises--How about 3D Virtual Reality?

Polycom update: Telepresence drives HD sales

Cisco drinks its own brew

Reader looking for Brooktrout cards for Octave bridge


Vol. 28, No. 13 dated April 04, 2008:

TeleSpan's Third Annual Future of Conferencing Workshop: Cisco, Intel, IBM, Skype show new tools to the industry--users agree with TeleSpan’s research: low price is no longer the attraction


Vol. 28, No. 12 dated March 31, 2008:

Bet you thought cold calls/recorded messages couldn’t possibly bring in conference call business, right? Wrong! Better think again--better think Broadnet

Avistar announces layoffs "in response to patent challenge by Microsoft"

Apple expected to add videoconferencing to its iPhones--another TeleSpan Prediction comes true!

And, speaking of predictions, how about the one that TelePresence becomes a consumer tool for under $1,000?


Vol. 28, No. 11 dated March 24, 2008:

Breaking News: FCC puts USF tax on conference call providers on hold for 90 days--Allows TeleSpan to gather comments at USF Forum in Las Vegas March 31 and April 1

Friday night dinner at BJ's--Great dinner, but better dessert

Avistar regains NASDAQ compliance, for now, pre Microsoft...

...and speaking of Microsoft, it's going HD-TV with a $300-$400 camera from Tandberg

And Polycom's dancin' with Microsoft, but at least with more endpoints and network gear


Vol. 28, No. 10 dated March 17, 2008:

Did you know there's an audio conferencing company in Israel? And it just got sold for 2.6 times revenues!

ThinkEngine gets delisting notice from American Stock Exchange

Forgent (sorry; "Asure Software") reports zeros for intellectual property licenses for the quarter, and a loss


Vol. 28, No. 09 dated March 10, 2008:

Is Avistar the next Forgent to get eclipsed by Microsoft? Or will Microsoft simply eat it?

...meanwhile, back at the Redmond Ranch


Vol. 28, No. 08 dated March 03, 2008:

Is ConferencePlus for sale? Looks like it!

Under the Radar: iotum rolls out free conference calls to consumers, first with FaceBook, and now with carriers around the world

Premiere Global reports 29% growth in revenues for fourth quarter, fueled by Webconferencing and international conferencing

TeleSpan to hold forum on USF debate at Workshop: We've filed a "comment" for the industry already


Vol. 28, No. 07 dated February 20, 2008:

West/InterCall makes tender offer to buy Genesys for $268.8, deal expected to close by second quarter; Combined entity will produce a third of the industry’s annual revenues!


Vol. 28, No. 06 dated February 18, 2008:

What goes around comes around: The history of North American Conference Calls, 1986-2007

Update of FUSA/FCC vs. InterCall: The government will take comments from you CSPs now--Otherwise, the decision could cost you, too!

Hold the Presses! Hold the Predictions! Looks like Compunetix did take its lead back!

And speaking of predictions...Cisco and Apple seem to be talking about one of mine

Mark Jackson of Moreson Audio-Ex, responding to suit by shareholders, accuses TeleSpan of "slander"!

WorldGate Ojo follow-up: And the un-named creditor is...


Vol. 28, No. 05 dated February 11, 2008:

InterCall hit by Feds over lack of payment to Universal Service Fund (USF); if it holds, Intercall will owe millions--and other CSPs may as well

Copper Conferencing buys The Conference Depot for $11 million

WorldGate shuts down operations due to dispute with "large customer": What happens to its patents?

Yugma: Man is this easy to use!

Oy Gevalt! Freeconference.com charges 10 cents for...


Vol. 28, No. 04 dated February 04, 2008:

TeleSpan's Big Six fourth-quarter group system sales

Tandberg reports $192.9 million in fourth-quarter revenues (partly from Codian acquisition) and jump in total video endpoint sales to 16,787 (14,940 group units)

Freeconference.com adds Outlook interface to its InstantConference offering; now has toll-free calls at 7 cents a minute

Sony goes HD big time

ClearOne clears a nice profit

A SMART correction (a.k.a. Oy Gevalt!)


Vol. 28, No. 03 dated January 28, 2008:

Polycom introduces new products at Channel Partners Conference

Polycom reports strong growth for year--up 36%, nearly 20% without SpectraLink: Ships over 78,100 group video systems for the year, 21,000 for quarter

Indosoft: Below the radar VoIP audio bridge

Update from SightSpeed

Verizon bumps up to HD in video offering

SMART Stuff: SMART Technologies rollsout wide-screen whiteboard and lower priced whiteboard

Avistar awarded more patents, announces deal with P&G for desktop video over...you guessed it, Lotus Notes Sametime

Glowpoint flexing its marketing muscles, now that it's doing better


Vol. 28, No. 02 dated January 21, 2008:

TeleSpan's 2008 Predictions


Vol. 28, No. 01 dated January 14, 2008:

Consumer Electronics Show: CES shows why consumers spent $161 billion on home electronics last year, and why they will spend $171 billion this year

Don't believe in Skype yet? As we said in the Sixties, "Read on!"

Logitech introduces HD Webcam for $99.99

Packet8 adds its Videophone to Virtual IP PBX offering

Creative Labs ups the ante with new inPerson videophone

Shenzhen Kinstone sells a gazillion different models of Webcams

AlphaCam 2 Mb Webcams with...


 

Google this: Google will offer videoconferencing and collaboration for free through Gmail, using software acquired last year from Marratech

Intel enters telemedicine field with hardware and software to allow clinicians to visit and treat elderly and disabled patients remotely

Glowpoint reports strong third-quarter results: Now manages 5,000 video endpoints for 1,200 customers

Telanetix reports third-quarter results

ClearOne wins suit against former employees in trade secrets case; stands to collect millions--if defendants have millions, that is