RADVISION is purchasing selected assets from the Aethra group of companies including certain intellectual property and technology for telepresence and high definition (HD) video conferencing systems. RADVISION plans to tightly integrate Aethra’s state of the art HD video endpoint technology with its award-winning video network infrastructure and desktop solutions to offer a complete video conferencing portfolio that will cater for customer demand created by rapid change and consolidation in the video marketplace.
Aethra was founded 18 years ago and is a pioneer in the design and creation of video conferencing systems with an established reputation for innovation and elegant design. Its recently developed HD video conferencing technology offers top of the range 1080p performance and elegant Italian design in every aspect.
The addition of the Aethra technology assets enhances RADVISION’s existing video network infrastructure and desktop solutions to provide a more complete solution to enterprise customers. This is an important addition to RADVISION’s portfolio and complements RADVISION’s introduction late last year of the VC240, a disruptive all-in-one HD desktop offering, which RADVISION co-developed with SAMSUNG. RADVISION also plans to use the Aethra technology to offer room conferencing systems with the same price-value advantage for which RADVISION is known.
For more information, please refer to the press release on the acquisition.
- What is RADVISION purchasing from Aethra?
- We are purchasing selected assets from the Aethra group of companies (namely, Aethra Video Srl and Aethra SpA) mainly the intellectual property and technology for high definition endpoints. We are also purchasing selected inventory, some fixed assets and some selected supplier and distribution contracts.
- What are your plans with the Aethra technologies and products?
- We expect to start generating revenue from this acquisition after we have integrated the endpoint technology and product designs with our SCOPIA product portfolio. We expect to start shipping products based on the Aethra technology at the end of Q2 2010.
- Are you getting into the endpoint business?
- In a way, we have actually been in the endpoint business for a long time with our SCOPIA Desktop product providing a software endpoint client. We expanded that solution with a hardware endpoint by virtue of our joint venture with Samsung, which has provided us with the VC 240. While we expect the VC 240 to do very well, its current design point is for personal conferencing and our partners and customers are asking us for a conference room solution as well. That is why we are adding additional endpoints from Aethra, which are designed specifically for the requirements of enterprise conference rooms.
- Why did you decide to go into endpoints now?
- Several years ago, we embarked on a strategy to broaden our penetration into the market, which led to new partnerships with UC companies like IBM, ALU and Microsoft. All of these partners and many others wanted a more complete solution from us to service their customers. The VC-240 was the start of our broadening our portfolio and the Aethra endpoints will expand it further. Additionally, the market is currently changing dramatically and we see a significant opportunity to expand and grow.