Microsoft and Polycom partner to expand Skype for Business solutions

SAN JOSE, CA: Microsoft Skype for Business customers now has more choices when it comes to video collaboration. Microsoft has teamed up with Polycom to connect Skype for Business Server and the RealPresence Group Series of in-room videoconferencing products.

Polycom will release new room videoconferencing products designed specifically for Skype for Business, extending the unified communications platform to a wider variety of endpoints. The RealPresence Group products provide customers with several form factors for videoconferencing – from huddle rooms up to telepresence-style rooms.

In addition to developing new videoconferencing units for Skype for Business, Polycom isalso in the process of certifying existing products with the Microsoft UC offering. It's currently working on certifying its CX5100 and RealPresence Trio products under the certification program (dubbed Project Rigel).

The two companies also announce that Polycom will deliver an industry-first, cloud-based video interoperability service, hosted in the Microsoft Cloud, for Office 365 customers. This enables Office 365 customers to leverage their existing video investments and unite with those of other vendors, including Polycom, Microsoft and Cisco, as they move to the cloud.

“Over the course of our 12-year partnership, Polycom and Microsoft have worked in tandem to deliver industry-leading collaboration solutions designed to promote enhanced productivity and workflows, while providing an unmatched user experience,” says Peter Leav, Chief Executive Officer, Polycom. “Our customers have told us that they rely on our combined solutions to reach the highest level of productivity and efficiency. Together, we equip our customers of all sizes with cloud-ready solutions that will help them realize the powerful benefits of collaboration in the workplace of the future.”