A-LU targets enterprise with video solutions

Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) introduced a suite of video solutions for enterprises that work across desktop PCs, smartphones, laptops tablets, interactive whiteboards and display screens. The company’s Visual Collaboration suite uses an open approach that it says extends video in the enterprise to any end point and location. Meanwhile, Alcatel-Lucent confirmed last week that it was exploring the sale of its enterprise business, as well as other options for the unit.
Alcatel-Lucent is working with Smart Technologies, Radvision and Lifesize for its video collaboration suite. The company said its solutions encompass infrastructure, applications and end points. Indeed, even as video accounts for much of the traffic from consumers across the web, businesses are expected to embrace the technology as well, with a number of companies looking to capitalize on the space.
“Leveraging presence, easy to use interfaces and ‘drag–and-drop’ capabilities, employees can contact each other via any device and establish a video link for a real-time “face-to-face” conversation with content and collaboration, or share content via web portals,” Alcatel-Lucent said.
“Alcatel-Lucent’s Visual Collaboration suite brings video solutions across the enterprise to a broader range of users, locations, and endpoints.” said Tom Burns, president, Enterprise & Strategic Industries, Alcatel-Lucent. “Our strategy is designed to give our enterprise customers choice with a wide range of cost-effective options for video, from working with our valued solution partners to offer joint solutions to delivering embedded video capabilities with our new OpenTouch communications platforms.”
“Many enterprises have already adopted telepresence and are now looking into new and more affordable video solutions, reaching desktops and smart devices, to extend video beyond the meeting room,” said Melissa Fremeijer, research analyst for IDC. “As video becomes a business requirement and a channel demanded by customers, businesses will rely on solutions that increasingly reach more people across more end points and connect more locations.”
Regarding its enterprise business, Alcatel-Lucent said it is exploring strategic options to enhance the future opportunities of its enterprise business. “All options are being explored including discussions with third parties. In conjunction with this ongoing review, and in application of local legal requirements, Alcatel-Lucent is today holding meetings with employee representatives of its Enterprise business. No decision has been made on the options being explored and there is no certainty that this review will result in any change to the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise business,” the company said in a prepared statement.