Polycom and Microsoft have unveiled the next generation of Skype Room Systems at the Ignite conference in Seattle. The new Microsoft Skype Room (MSR) System – formerly called Project Rigel – is designed to bring the Skype for Business meeting experience, with rich HD audio and video, to every meeting room. Polycom said companies can use the touch screen console device to easily join meetings, make phone calls and instantly share content in the room.
Customers can also bundle the MSR Series with audio and video products such as the Polycom RealPresence Trio phone, the CX5100 360-degree video camera, and the RealPresence Medialign system. The products, suitable for small to large conference rooms, will be available in the first quarter of next year in North America.
Separately, Polycom announced the preview of its cloud-based video interoperability RealConnect Service for Office365, designed to allow Skype for Business users in Office 365 to host video meetings with non-Skype for Business standards-based endpoints so that companies can keep their existing investments. The new service will be available for public preview later this year.
