Industry experts have welcomed Tandberg's decision to expand its videoconferencing range significantly, stating that savvy resellers will benefit from the move.
Tandberg's revamped products include a multipoint control unit (MCU) designed to allow large enterprises and service providers to connect a combined total of 96 video and audio sites into meetings.
It also unveiled the latest version of its Tandberg Management Suite (TMS) 9 network administration tool and updated its Video System software.
E Brent Kelly, senior analyst and partner at market analyst Wainhouse Research, said MCU devices could help Tandberg resellers extend their reach within existing customers and compete more effectively with rival Polycom's offerings.
"Tandberg resellers stand to benefit from this larger MCU because they will be able to offer large enterprises a broader solution made exclusively from Tandberg components.
"It may also shorten the sales cycle on some of the larger opportunities by avoiding the need to introduce third-party infrastructure components," Kelly said.
Oj Winge, Tandberg vice-president of EMEA, said: "The MCU will open up new markets for our channel and resellers. It will give our channel access to very large enterprise and service provider customers."
Kelly said Tandberg's move made strategic sense, as end-users are demanding a single source for videoconferencing systems.
"Although interoperability among videoconferencing end-points and infrastructure devices is good, there are still some features that play best only when all the components are from the same manufacturer," he said.
Snorre Kjesbu, Tandberg's vice-president of technology, said: "The videoconferencing market is in its third phase. People are beginning to use videoconferencing as a new way of working."
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