Video conferencing telepresence vendor Tandberg has brought to the market a new video IP phone – the E20 – which it claims makes scalable, DVD-quality video on every desktop a reality.

Tandberg CEO, Fredrik Halvorsen, says the E20’s ability to integrate into any unified communications platform enables everyone in an organisation to easily and securely connect face-to-face over business-quality video.
 
“They also have access to familiar telephony features such as call transfer, message waiting and call forwarding, as well as quick keys for access to advanced IP phone and video services,” adds Halvorsen, who cites a recent study by the International Association of Business Communicators which found that direct, face-to-face communication practices are the most valuable for building employee engagement and increasing productivity.
 
“Yet the expanding global and remote workforce makes in-person communications challenging and expensive. With the E20, organisations can affordably connect all employees face-to-face from their desks, no matter where they are located, enabling instant knowledge sharing and collaboration to drive innovation and productivity.”

Tandberg lists a range of features of the new E20, including a 10.6 inch LCD widescreen coupled with a five-megapixel high-resolution camera for users to clearly see facial expressions and read body language.

“With the E20, employees at all levels and locations can stay visually connected from their desks, bringing together expertise from anywhere to drive efficiencies and speed decision making. This is the “new way of working,” according to Halvorsen.

Nancy Gofus, senior VP business products for Verizon, agreed with Halvorsen, saying that visual unified communications and collaboration speeded decision-making and improved productivity for enterprises.

"By employing a high-quality video-enabled IP phone like the E20, businesses and government agencies can experience a greater return on investment from their existing IP connections and begin to make desktop video conferences as common as joining an audio conference call."