Background

Since its inception in the 1980s, the family of devices to enable room-based video conferencing has evolved continuously.  Devices have benefited from price/performance improvements in semiconductors, algorithms, user interfaces, and IP networks.  The result has been a steady improvement in ease-of-use, image resolution, audio bandwidth, reliability, and general quality-of-experience (QoE).

Until the early 21st century, almost all products could be described as appliances – devices designed to perform a specific task – in this case visual communications.  The devices were vendor-specific, designed by the vendor, and able to run only software created by the vendor.  Most of the solutions brought to market were based on a DSP architecture, but a few used x86 technology, though this was usually hidden from the user.

And then everything changed.  New products.  New services.  New customer expectations.  New delivery models.  Etc.

This note provides information, insight, and market data for today’s meeting room video conferencing marketplace.