HP teams up with Vidyo to expand Halo range

HP is to partner with videoconferencing provider Vidyo to expand its Halo portfolio of collaboration products.

HP will use the VidyoConferencing range of desktop and room-based software to offer a choice of products that can run high-definition video calls over its networks.

Chief among the jointly marketed offerings is an executive desktop product that will run on HP's TouchSmart PCs.

Rob Scott, vice president of HP's Halo Telepresence Solutions, claimed that the move provides a complete portfolio of endpoint solutions, including video at the desktop, to enable more effective collaboration.

"With Vidyo we will provide quality desktop and conference room video experiences that run over the internet or wireless networks, are highly reliable and can seamlessly connect to existing video offerings," he said.

Vidyo's technology runs on H.264 Scalable Video Coding to ensure a more reliable video experience by reducing latency and eliminating the need for a multipoint control unit, the firm said.

The products will be HP branded but marketed by both companies, starting later this year.

The move follows several videoconferencing announcements this week. Polycom unveiled a new product that promises HD video at half the bandwidth, while Cisco has added its Telepresence protocol to Tandberg videoconferencing products.