Best Desktop Video Conferencing Vendors

By Jelani Harper
Updated: July 12, 2011

Although there are a number of vendors which supply options for desktop video conferencing products, the market is somewhat consolidated in the fact that there are five primary purveyors which customers repeatedly turn to. RADVISION, Vidyo, Lifesize, Polycom and Cisco have established themselves as the forerunners of this technology that provides personable, natural communication between several parties of indefinite distance. 

RADVISION

RADVISION not only supplies a number of desktop video conferencing products and applications, it also provides communications technology for other vendors such as Cisco. One of its foremost desktop video conferencing options, Scopia Desktop, is designed to integrate with both Microsoft Office and IBM Lotus Sametime and delivers HD H.264 viewing with standard PC and internet connections. Scopia VC240, the more premier desktop videoconferencing product, features a Samsung high resolution 24 inch LCD monitor for standalone PC display and videoconferencing. The VC240’s bandwidth supports up to 2Mbps and is one of the leading HD videoconferencing solutions in the market.

Vidyo

Vidyo’s desktop video conferencing offering, VidyoDesktop, is designed for use with Windows, Macintosh and certain Linux computers, and integrates with Microsoft Lync and IBM Lotus Sametime. Expedient installation and intuitive graphical user interface make it relatively easy to use and to integrate with unified communications and traditional H.323 and SIP endpoints with the use of VidyoGateway. Another boon is that Vidyo’s Adaptive Video Layering Architecture enables its desktop video conferencing solution to combine with Vidyo’s proprietary router to adjust video communications to network conditions and CPU utilization so that all users in a conference can optimize the potential of their devices.

Polycom

Polycom provides a free trial download of one of its videoconferencing solutions, Polycom PVX, which is designed for smaller companies. Advanced features such as computer calling and video conferencing over IP networks require other Polycom products purchased in addition to the PVX. The company also offers the HDX4000 series which provides conventional HD quality with privacy features such as a headset and microphone for third party communication.

Lifesize

Lifesize provides a free 30 day trial of Lifesize Desktop, the company’s primary videoconferencing desktop option which is a standalone client that doesn’t require a server. It supports off-the-shelf webcams and offers quality video at any bandwidth. Its low CPU allows for it to be used while running numerous other applications on a PC, and it is TLS and SRTP encrypted for secure calling.

Cisco

Cisco provides scalable and flexible desktop video infrastructure and video management solutions. The Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 7.0 was created for HD environments, provides continuous presence video processing up to 1080p, and supports Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, and Cisco Telepresence. The infrastructure for its multipoint video is supplied by RADVISION, which features individual video layouts per participant and a resource allocation that maximizes the potential for mixed endpoint environments.