No Jitter Roll: Collaboration Devices, 5G Business Internet

This week we share announcements around video collaboration and room devices, a 5G service, QoS network testing, and CCaaS.

 

Avocor, a collaboration display company, this week announced the G Series, a new line of thin-framed bezel-less, edge-to-edge interactive displays designed to support workplace collaboration and compatible with UC meeting hardware and software.

 

The G Series collaboration displays come in 65-, 75-, and 85-inch sizes; feature three top-edge USB ports in addition to a Type-C USB port for 4K video, audio, Ethernet, and power; and have a 40-watt audio output and beamforming microphones with a range of 15-plus feet. Users can access their meeting via a one-touch interface, which includes a customizable start screen, remote-free menu, and secure over-the-air firmware updates, Avocor said. Through advanced object recognition, users can also switch between a pen, finger, and palm on an ad hoc basis, as well as annotate and draw on the whiteboard from their PC, phone, or tablet, Avocor added.

These devices, available through Avocor distribution and reseller partners, range in price from $7,000 to $11,000. The smaller units are generally available now while the G Series 85-in. display will be globally available in February 2022.

 

A/V provider ClearOne this week announced the general availability of its first all-in-one A/V capture device, the Versa Mediabar, which combines the look of a soundbar with intelligent audio capture and a 4K camera.

 

This HD camera features a 110-degree ultra-wide-angle field of view and offers pan, tilt, and zoom functions controllable via standard UVC commands, ClearOne said. The media bar also has a four-element microphone array with 360-degree voice pickup, an intelligent digital signal processor for acoustic echo cancellation and automatic noise reduction, and a built-in Bluetooth speaker, ClearOne said. It also has dual wall and display mounting options.

 

The Versa Mediabar is priced at $1,100 and comes with a two-year support and maintenance warranty, with extension options available.

 

Verizon Business this week announced that its fixed-wireless 5G Business Internet service, powered by 5G ultra-wideband technology, is now available in various parts of 42 U.S. cities. The list includes Ann Arbor, Mich.; Akron and Columbus, Ohio; Fresno, Calif; Seattle and Spokane, Wash; Columbia, S.C.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla; Memphis, Tenn.; San Antonio, Texas; Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh, N.C.; Tucson, Ariz.; Des Moines, Iowa; and New Orleans with additional cities to be announced on a rolling basis, Verizon Business said.

 

5G Business Internet is priced at $69/month for 100Mbps, $99/month for 200 Mbps, and $199/month for 400 Mbps. Additionally, Verizon Business announced a credit of up to $1,500 to offset early-termination fees for eligible customers switching from another Internet provider to Verizon.

 

NICE this week announced the availability of its Microsoft Teams-certified capture and archiving technology for criminal justice agencies and law enforcement. With Capture and Archiving for Teams courts, police officers, and prosecutors can record and archive voice, video, chat, screen, and document sharing interactions via the Teams platform. For example, if a field officer is in a court hearing, they might use Capture and Archiving for Teams to record testimonies along with presented exhibits, videos, photos, and other shared materials, NICE said. Additionally, a record-on-demand feature allows agencies to start/stop recording in situations where full-time capture is unnecessary or prohibited; optional transcription add-on capability enables users to search for hidden phrases and words within audio recordings, NICE added.

 

Capture and Archiving for Teams is available for cloud, on-premises, or hybrid deployments.

 

Spearline, a provider of telecommunications assurance, monitoring, and testing, this week announced that it has expanded global coverage by increasing its in-country points of presence (PoPs) to 94% of the GDP, adding 32 PoPs in 2020 to bring coverage in 70 countries. Customers receive real-time alerts to detect issues and escalate them to the carrier via Spearline’s automated Voice Assure platform, which allows global organizations to proactively test their numbers and network. Businesses can use in-country POPs to replicate the exact experience their customers are having and choose the origin and termination countries that they want to test, regardless of their own location, Spearline said.

 

Cloud communications provider Nextiva this week launched Nextiva Contact Center, a CCaaS offering that integrates with Nextiva’s Phone System. Nextiva Contact Center pairs with secure network and VoIP technology aimed at helping businesses manage customer interactions to efficiently respond to their needs, Nextiva said. Features include skills-based routing, self-service IVR and IVAs, intelligent call routing, in addition to workforce management and optimization capabilities to improve agent performance, Nextiva added.

 

Nextiva Contact Center is available to Nextiva customers and via channel partners.

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