Sony is looking into the future of conferencing and the workplace… and sees a beautiful thing.

In Sony’s vision, the powerful combination of high-resolution real time audio/video and IP networking holds virtually unlimited potential for improving communication in the workplace. That’s why the company is calling its newest visual communications initiative, announced last month, IPELA. The name is derived from a combination of “IP” and “bella”, the Italian word for beautiful.

“A/V over IP is a revolution,” says John Scarcella, president of the Sony Broadcast and Business Solutions Company, based in New Jersey. “With IP communications, businesses can improve productivity, reach customers more effectively, improve collaboration and speed up the decision-making process. We chose IPELA as the new product name for Sony’s videoconferencing and IP video monitoring products, to express our vision for our Integrated Visual Communications and its role in the workplace of the future.”

Because Sony is planning a global presence for this initiative, the name IPELA will be applied worldwide to selected products that deliver A/V content over the IP network.

Double-Digit Growth
“Videoconferencing is a key component in our IPELA vision,” says Mike McCausland, vice president and general manager for Sony IP Communications products. “The age of digital has brought on IP-networked A/V, making it possible to use industry-standards networks and equipment, and existing staff, for videoconferencing.”

Analysts agree that technology advances and infrastructure improvements have contributed to a fertile testing ground for the increasing use of conferencing. Videoconferencing achieved double-digit growth from 2003 to 2004, and analysts expect it to grow by about 46% per year through 2006. Thanks in part to recent product introductions like the PCS-G70 and the PCS-TL50, Sony’s position in the market continues to improve.

With unique features like five monitor output and dual stream video, Sony’s top-of-the-line PCS-G70 system is perfect for boardrooms, lecture halls and other custom installations.

The PCS-TL50 is Sony’s executive desktop model, combining a sleek LCD computer monitor with a full-featured videoconferencing system. It can readily switch from PC-screens to videoconference – or even display both at the same time.

A Commitment to Open Standards
While integrated visual communications is a core competence for Sony, the company is also committed to working with others to broaden and strengthen its various customer offerings. “One measure of potential in a networked world is your ability to play well with others,” says Eric Murphy, Sony vice president of business development. “It’s ironic that in a networked field like videoconferencing, some of our competitors are moving forward with proprietary ‘wrinkles’ on open standards. They’re trying to lock customers in with one-brand systems.”

Sony is taking the opposite approach. “We are pursuing strict adherence to open standards including IP and the H-dot and V-dot standards,” says Murphy. “This enables Sony to ally with best-of-breed vendors to offer total communication solutions.”

Is this the final innovation in videoconferencing? Not according to Sony. Its engineers are already working towards High Definition, or HD, videoconferencing to enhance realism in future videoconferencing systems.

The broadcast-quality pictures you see today, says Murphy, “are by no means the ultimate in IP videoconferencing. Just consider them a good beginning.”