Google unveiled video conferencing system for meeting rooms

Enterprise video conferencing systems (like Polycom, Tandberg ...) cost tens and hundreds thousands of dollars, and their installation and maintenance - is a difficult task. On the other hand videochat services (like Skype, GoToMeeting ...) can't provide the effect of presence that will let business users to completely abandon trips. Therefore, gasoline and airline tickets are still among the the main expenditures in many companies. Google decided to fight this evil and launched the professional video conferencing system based on Google Hangouts - Chromebox for Meetings. It costs just $999 + $250/year (the subscription fee is paid starting from the second year). As you can understand from the title, the system is based on the Chromebox - Google's desktop computer running Chrome OS. In addition, it includes Logitech HD camera, microphone, remote control and any LCD TV.

Because the system uses Google Hangouts in the backend, any user can participate in video-meetings from his computer, tablet or phone. One meeting can include up to 15 video streams. For example, executive, seating on the beach, can gather all employees in the meeting room and communicate with them using his tablet.

Thanks to integration with Google Calendar, the system makes it easy to organize online meetings and keep the meeting room schedule actual and available online.

The product is available in the U.S. today and is coming to Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and U.K.

See also: Top 10 Videoconferencing software