Start-up Focuses On SMB Telepresence

Telepresence has been making its way down the technology ladder, with system pricing dropping and its customer base expanding. Those market dynamics enticed XVD Corp. to develop a new system for SMBs.The vendor announced EspressoHD, a telepresence system designed to work with low bandwidth connections. The product delivers 1080 HD quality video over TI lines, which operate at a speed of 1.5M bps. The telepresence system, which costs $5,000, supports up to five sessions. The device operates as a hardware appliance connecting to a display monitor and a company network. EspressoHD uses a modest 25W of energy.

XVD is a Japanese supplier of video products. The EspressoHD has been sold internationally with customers, such as Mitsubishi, Telemarketing Japan and the Zambian government.

XVD has targeted an area with rising customer interest: a growing number of companies think that telepresence offers them the opportunity to increase productivity. However, the market has become quite competitive. Large IT suppliers, such as Cisco and HP, have made telepresence a cornerstone to their business initiatives. XVD will need to quickly establish a viable distribution channel and develop a strong brand in order to emerge as a key player in this space.