Warburton resurfaces with videoconferencing venture

Keith Warburton makes channel return with CloudPresence enterprise

Former Technology Channels Association (TCA) chairman Keith Warburton has bounced back with a new venture aimed at promoting the video communications channel.

CloudPresence aims to give videoconferencing resellers and vendors a voice and promote uptake of the fast-growing technology among end users.

The subscription-based venture was founded by Warburton alongside Ian Vickerage, founder of audio-video distributor Imago, and Maggie Zaboura.

Warburton, who ended his 18-year association with the TCA earlier this year, told ChannelWeb: "My expertise is in building communities. I have done so in the generalist IT arena and am now setting out to do it in a more specialist area but if you had to find a part of the market where massive growth is forecast, this is it."

Warburton admitted the timing of the launch was fortuitous as today's headlines on the latest Icelandic volcano eruption serve to highlight the pitfalls of business travel.

According to research from Gartner, 200 million workers worldwide will be using videoconferencing at their desktops by 2015, up from just seven million in 2008.

Warburton said CloudPresence would focus on this desktop-connected segment of the market, rather than high-end systems such as telepresence.

Its remit will include working with the Department for Transport as it explores alternatives to travel. CloudPresence will also act as a national and international partnering service for videoconferencing resellers, Warburton said.

"It is important that videoconferencing resellers have the ability to find good partners in other geographies," he said. "We are starting out in the UK but we see ourselves as a global organisation."