While many enterprise communication vendors tout HD communications as a feature, as far as we know, only Tandberg touts it as their key differentiator. “HD across the product line and unsurpassed reliability set Tandberg apart,” says the company on its Web site. Founded in 1989, the Norwegian company entered the U.S. market about 11 years ago.
“Our growth supports the idea that HD is the wave of the current and the wave of the future,” Rick Snyder, Americas president of Tandberg told InternetNews.com.
The company is profitable and like most such companies it is increasing its cash hoard, which reached $193.4 million at the end of March, up from $59.6 million a year ago. Last year, the company reported earnings of $808.8 million worldwide.
A recent report from Wainhouse said that the videoconference endpoint market is dominated by Tandberg (42 percent share) and Polycom (36 percent share). Tandberg has an even better position in the videoconferencing infrastructure market with a 51 percent share, according to the report.
The company makes desktop video phones, conference room flat screens, CODEC servers for the enterprise network, and mobile video phones.
The company’s most recent major product launch was the E20 video phone (pictured, photo c/o Tandberg).
Asked why Tandberg is not participating at today’s HD Communications Summit, Snyder noted that the program focuses on voice, not video. Daniel Berninger, CEO of Pulver’s Free World Dialup, agreed, telling InternetNews.com that although this year’s conference focuses on voice, “I am familiar with Tandberg and will work to bring them in the loop.”
Tandberg’s product road map features more HD video. “We are shipping in June an HD USB camera,” said Snyder.
He’s already using the product. “The quality in my hotel room was stunning. I have a regular call with what we call the ‘Brady Bunch’ at Tandberg and I had them all on my HD screen. They were viewing an HD image from me. The price point will be in the $300 to $400 range.”
