New Delhi, Nov.12 : Polycom Inc., a global leader in unified communication and collaboration has announced the launch of RealPresence Medialign 55 Express, an integrated video solution for the modern workplace.

Designed at the company's research and development (R&D) facility in India, this unique solution provides companies with the option to implement affordable, high quality video collaboration in smaller conference rooms and meeting areas. The solution is flexible and works together with the Polycom RealPresence Group 500 series for easy deployment based on the unique needs of the room of environment.

With integrated features such as Polycom SmartPairing, users can instantly share and annotate content via their devices, the web and cloud storage. The solution also comes equipped with additional features such as Polycom VisualBoardâ„¢ technology for virtual whiteboarding as well as NoiseBlockâ„¢ and Acoustic Fenceâ„¢ to remove distracting extraneous sounds, ensuring group collaborations are impactful and productive.

Minhaj Zia, Vice President, Polycom India & SAARC and South East Asia explained that the new solution was developed in response to growing demand in the local market for a high quality video conferencing packaged solution to simplify purchasing and deployment. "We listened to the pain points our customers were facing in transitioning to highly collaborative organisations and worked with our engineering team to design a solution purpose-built for India at the right price point", he said.

The solution comes complete with a single 55" LED display, integrated audio, EagleEyeâ„¢ IV camera, microphone array, remote control and display mounts. "What happens too often is that a deployment over several locations may use different display units from multiple vendors, requiring costly room remediation. The RealPresence Medialign 55 Express is extremely simple to set-up and use requiring only two cables to be connected to a power supply and network, and one remote control for the whole unit. With single vendor support from Polycom, customers can expect consistency in video deployment across multiple locations," Zia said.

In India meeting with Polycom customers and channel partners as part of the RealPresence Medialign 55 Express launch, Gabrielle Cichero, Senior Director, Marketing for Polycom Asia Pacific & Japan said, "We have seen adoption of video collaboration by Indian organisations increasing each year. This is driven by India's economic strength as a knowledge economy and by the need to connect with the global market. Video collaboration is a mission-critical business tool for many of our Indian customers and adoption is only going to increase as more users get access through affordable, easy-to-use solutions like RealPresence Medialign 55 Express."

Polycom has been growing progressively in the Indian video conferencing market and was this year named 'Video Conferencing Equipment Vendor of the Year' at the 2016 Frost & Sullivan India ICT Awards. Cichero added that the Indian government's initiatives such as Digital India, Skill India and its emphasis on eGovernance has opened up tremendous opportunities for increased investment in technology and collaboration. "Video collaboration effects real and impactful change across organisations and industries, from creating a culture of teamwork and establishing a smarter workplace, to building a stronger brand and ramping up client services, our customers in India and globally are showcasing the benefits of strong connections across distances," she said.

Mr. Rajanikanth, Additional General Manager - IT of NTPC Limited, a major Public Sector Unit customer of Polycom India, said, "As India's largest energy conglomerate, with over 21,000 employees across 60 locations in India, video collaboration is mission-critical to us. Management and employees across company's offices connect and collaborate with each other "face-to-face" via secure, high-definition video. Polycom's video collaboration solutions deployed across our 60 locations are extensively used to conduct trainings, business reviews and internal meetings, leading to faster execution of programs, decision-making and quick access to data for accelerated real-time decision making. This has helped the organisation in cost-cutting and quick decisionmaking."

Xavier School of Management (XLRI) serves as a strong example of the value which video collaboration can bring in education. It is the first institute in India to initiate virtual interactive learning via Polycom High Definition audio and video technology, and has successfully delivered its educational programs to over 6000 working executives since its inception. Today, students are able to enrol in courses, attend lectures, and participate in classroom discussions at 40 videoenabled centres in 30 locations across India including Chennai, Jaipur, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Professor A.K.Pani, Dean at XLRI is optimistic about the possibilities which video can bring to education in India. "Education levels in India from primary school to college do not maintain a consistent standard across the country because most highly qualified faculty and school teachers are based in metro areas and major schools. If we can use this same technology, we can offer the same levels of education to students in more remote areas who don't get a quality education. Likewise, teachers can also be provided increased access to training programs and collaborate with their counterparts in metro cities and schools." (ANI)