Industry Comparison: HP Halo Collaboration Studio System v. Video Conferencing Software

The following commentary is provided by WiredRed Software regarding general media coverage of Hewlett-Packard Halo Collaboration Studio, Halo Video Exchange Network (HVEN), and its application in corporate and government networks (LANs, WANs, VPNs, and the public Internet).

A WiredRed Commentary

Founded in 1998, WiredRed Software is a technology leader in the real-time communications. The company specializes in multi-office communications over existing networks, with more than 4,000 corporate, government and educational customers worldwide.

Until recently, real-time communications has enjoyed a behind-the-scenes profile. It was the domain of government, financial services and healthcare concerns that needed to communicate complex topics quickly across distributed teams, but without creating serious network security violations. Boardroom video conferencing systems from Polycom and Tandberg enjoyed a substantial installed base; while secure messaging and rich media conferencing systems from WiredRed, among others, enjoyed a growing market, even during the IT budget freeze of recent years. Not until recently has the public and the general business media been interested in topics such as “real-time”, firewalls, routers and TCP/IP connections.

Today, real-time communications has taken center-stage. Web conferencing, once used only in sales and marketing for web seminars, is now being employed in work-a-day meetings. Internet connections are prevalent, and Logitech has shipped over 25 million webcams. Digital video is everywhere and growing. And to the delight of the industry at large, Hewlett Packard has jumped into the video conferencing game promoting their $500,000 Halo Collaboration Studio. The HP name has drawn the attention of the general media in a way the entire real-time vendor community has never done before. This publicity is a wonderful thing.

Why the Sudden Interest in HP Halo Collaboration Studio?

The reasons are simple. Video, and more specifically, video over the Internet is getting more popular. The HP name is a big draw. And the market drivers for video conferencing have never been stronger: travel restrictions, green environment policies, telecommuting, telework and so on.

There is another reason too. The general business press does not know what the information technology media and real-time vendors have known for years. Namely, that full-screen video conferencing is easily possible, routes over the Internet, and does not have to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Industry Quotes and Comments Regarding HP Halo Collaboration Suite

So the time was ripe for a fresh look at video conferencing, and the timing of HP’s product roll-out was fortuitous. But let’s face it, every editor worth his or her salt has done some business travel, and seen trophy boardroom video conferencing equipment collecting dust. So it’s no surprise that many editors include both favorable and critical comments in their HP Halo coverage. They know their audience has heard of video conferencing.

The critical commentary surrounding Halo has often focused on price. Each video conferencing room (called a “studio” in HP parlance) costs $550,000. Two are needed, plus $18,000 per month in bandwidth (Internet data service). For example, in a recent interview a noted industry analyst says “It’s a Halo-to-Halo system only. It would be like buying a Toshiba fax machine that could only fax to other Toshiba fax machines … add to that what I think is a ridiculous price, and I’m just really surprised that a company as technically savvy as HP would come out with a system like this.” [San Diego Union, page B-1, April 7, 2006].

HP Halo v. Traditional Boardroom Hardware

Indeed, full-screen video is available from existing vendors such as Tandberg and Polycom, for price points below $550,000. Like HP Halo, these systems are capable of HD, full-screen, full-motion, and high-quality audio. HP Halo is a step up in the sense that it provides a complete, physical studio build-out, and fully-immersive experience lacking in traditional boardroom solutions. It comes at the expense of a dramatically higher price tag and proprietary hardware. In an unusual for HP, surprise move, the Halo system is devoid of industry standards. It does not interconnect with Polycom and Tandberg existing installations.

What Else Is New?

Telepresence isn't the only thing new in the industry. Recent Internet Video Conferencing products, sometimes called IP video, or IP video conferencing, from companies such as WiredRed, allow any two end-points to enter a conferencing session – from anywhere in the world they have a desktop PC and a standard web cam.

It’s also a surprise to many that Moore’s Law has caught up with video conferencing hardware. A desktop PC with a Pentium processor and a Logitech or Sony webcam can easily provide full-screen, full-motion video. Good software can take advantage of these cost effective, reliable and readily available peripherals and successfully connect several users into a multipoint conference. Something simply not available from legacy systems without investing thousands of dollars in custom routing equipment such as video multiplexers (MUXs) and multi-channel units (MCUs).

Moore’s Law, Pentium processors, and well-designed software have caught up with old fashioned boardroom conferencing systems. New software-based video systems provide full-screen, full-motion video, connectivity to any desktop, anywhere in the world over public and private networks, all the while using reasonably priced, off-the-shelf video peripherals.

Schedule a Live IP Video Conferencing Demo

Click here to schedule a Live Demo and see e/pop multiparty video conferencing for yourself, right from your own desktop!

HP Halo and a Video Conference Industry Round-Up

For purposes of discussion, let us assume that the quality experience and HP brand catapult HP Halo over Polycom and Tandberg in the boardroom video conferencing market. Or, said a different way, create a new market called “telepresence.” An industry round-up would look like this:

HP Halo

$500,000 x 2, plus $18,000/month in data service.
Quality: tele-presence. Full-screen, full-motion video, multiple screens, with collaboration.
Industry standards & connectivity: No.
Multiparty: unknown, but believed to be limited (4).

Tandberg, Polycom, Others

Pricing: very complex. End-points with quality higher than readily available Logitech USB devices run $5,000 to $100,000 per site, times two, plus systems installation. Multipoint applications require video MUXs driving total cost into the hundreds of thousands.
Data service for full-screen conferencing starting at $600/month (T-1 or 1.54 mbps) for each site.
Quality: full-screen, full-motion video. No collaboration features without extra cost. High-end audio peripherals such as ClearOne conference room mixers are often used where multiple pick-ups and/or high-quality audio is required (note: these devices work with e/pop too).
Connectivity: limited to pre-determined, fixed sites.
Multiparty: usually limited to 2 or 4. Substantial additional cost, as hardware-based video MCU/MUXs are required.

Desktop Video Conferencing, WiredRed's e/pop

$3,000 (or $350/month) for up to 5 connections, 3^rd party installation not needed (uses standard PC a/v peripherals, including $80 webcams, and $900-$1500 pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras.
Data service: usually $0, uses existing networks without modification and additional MUX/MCUs, etc.
Quality: full-screen, full-motion video. Usually one screen, but dual monitor capable. Collaboration features included.
Connectivity: to any desktop in the world with an Internet connection and a web browser.
Multiparty conferences: yes, 10 or more.

Summary

Telepresence - The New High End - HP Halo
$1,000,000 for two end-points, plus $18K/month.
Halo to Halo connectivity only.

Traditional Boardroom Video - Polycom & Tandberg
Complex pricing, in the range of $100,000 & up for two fixed sites, plus $3.2K/month in dedicated routes for full-screen conferencing.

New! Desktop Video Conferencing - WiredRed's e/pop
$3,000, or $350 per month, for multiple desktops, easily uses existing networks. There are no additional data service or usage-based fees.

Software and browser-based IP video systems such as WiredRed’s e/pop can provide an experience comparable to telepresence and boardroom systems – especially with added displays and comparable bandwidth – but at a far more affordable cost, right to users’ own desktops, and using reliable, industry standard peripherals. This opens the door to far more video conferencing applications, including everyday meetings and training.