Why are these guys smiling? You’d smile, too, if you were voted funds on Kickstarter to develop The PanaCast Experience.

Altia Systems is now shipping PanaCast Experience for desktop and mobile device multi-point communications.

PanaCast delivers an immersive, real-time 200° panoramic video experience with up to 60 fps and HD audio to anyone, anywhere, with an internet connection. Even at 3G wireless speeds, PanaCast enables Panoramic-HD video quality and always includes enterprise-level video encryption.

Each remote participant (using the free PanaCast app) can choose their own individual perspective from the stationary camera’s real-time panoramic video stream with the swipe of a finger (or zooming in and out with a finger pinch/spread). Read more...

Huawei launches the TP Controller-- an app offering allowing customers to control Huawei telepresence products via iOS devices.

Using the same UI as Huawei's Android-based telepresence system, the TP Controller provides an easy-to-navigate system for video conferencing system management and control.  

Users can also customise personal configurations through the app. 

The TP Controller is available from the App Store and compatible with TP1102 and RP series products, as well as future tri-screen telepresence system versions. 

Go Huawei Launches iOS Read more...

Suitable Technologies used the trendy SXSW conference in Texas to introduce what the company refers to as remote presence. Their Beam is a moveable feast of videoconferencing.

The walking videoconferencing unit swivels around using 360 degrees and rolls at speeds up to nearly 5km (3 miles) per hour. That’s the “perfect walking speed,” says the company. At that speed their device can comfortably “walk” alongside an employee in the building.

“Video conferencing is cool, walking is cool, so together this is very cool,” says Suitable Technologies CEO Scott Hassan. At least one person agrees: former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neill (aka Shaq) picked Beam as his favorite product at SXSW (and that choice may have given the new Google Shoes unveiled there a foot ache.) Shaq has even offered to invest, says the company blog publicly. Read more...

At the Enterprise Connect 2013, another desktop video conferencing vendor says it plans to offer business-class products at compelling prices.

Tely Labs, a California startup that partners with Skype, announced a sub-$1000 video calling appliance -- TelyHD Enterprise Edition -- to bridge the gap between free and high-end video conferencing systems.

Tely Labs initially catered to consumers with products that sought to improve the quality of Skype-based video calls, but the company noticed many SMBs had started to use Skype for corporate desktop video collaboration.

"While this collaboration is free, it's not good for room systems," said Dave Crilley, Tely Labs' VP enterprise marketing, referring to the consumer product.

The company's new Enterprise Edition supports point-to-point video, audio and screen sharing with any Skype-enabled device, for up to six people. Read more...