Plantronics Brings Business Class Video Collaboration to Huddle Rooms with Polycom Studio

New plug-and-play HD video-conferencing solution transforms small meeting rooms into true centers for collaboration

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - February 20, 2019 - Plantronics (NYSE: PLT), an audio pioneer and unified communications technology leader, today announced its first entry into the huddle room video market with its new plug-and-play video bar, Polycom Studio. Packed in a portable USB device, the plug-and-play video bar immerses small meeting groups in an upgraded collaboration experience with Polycom's legendary HD audio and video quality, and is compatible with PCs or Macs for video collaboration on popular Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, Amazon Chime, among others.

Today's open office spaces have resulted in an explosion of smaller meeting spaces, or "huddle rooms," where groups of 2-6 can escape the noise to collaborate, often with coworkers in other locations. But of an estimated 32 million huddle rooms globally, only two percent of those spaces include equipment for video conferencing[1], which is becoming increasingly important for the mobile workforce. In APAC, a recent Growing Big Ideas from Small Spaces study by Polycom found an overwhelming 96% of workers in the region (including Singapore) agreed that collaboration technologies such as video-conferencing help them to be more productive and to work smarter, but only 41% of huddle rooms in Singapore are video-enabled, lagging behind India and China.

"With an increasingly mobile workforce, workers are no longer bound by physical limitations when it comes to having meetings and collaborating. There is a growing need for companies to equip their workspaces to enable workers to work smarter, collaborate more and achieve greater productivity.  With the HD audio and video clarity that Polycom Studio provides, even the smallest of spaces can have boardroom capability," said Low Mei Lin, Director, APAC solutions marketing at Polycom.

With a simple USB connection, any PC or Mac can leverage the power of Polycom Studio to elevate audio and video meeting experiences. Its patented NoiseBlock and Acoustic Fence technologies reduce or eliminate distracting noise from office environments for professional-sounding communications. Automatic speaker tracking focuses on whoever is speaking within an ultra-wide 120-degree field of view. With 4K resolution and 5x electronic zoom, Polycom Studio provides TV studio-like quality and experiences in a meeting.

"Enterprises around the world have come to understand the strategic importance of their smaller meeting spaces. In fact, we expect the number of AV-enabled huddle rooms to increase by 15 percent in the next 12-24 months," explains Ira M. Weinstein, managing partner at analyst firm Recon Research.  "With the release of Polycom Studio, Polycom can finally bring its decades of experience in high quality video and audio to smaller rooms with lower budgets. And based on our initial testing, we think Polycom Studio will meet the expectations of even the most discerning huddle room users."

For IT managers, Polycom Studio is refreshingly easy to manage. Unlike most USB devices that give IT little or no visibility into what is being used or any means for management and updating, Polycom Studio wirelessly connects to a corporate network to allow IT professionals a "no touch" means to manage Polycom Studio units -- across a few huddle rooms, a large campus, or offices around the world. Customers can easily manage their Polycom Studio video bars along with their other Polycom devices through the cloud with the Polycom Device Management Service for Enterprise or on premises with Polycom RealPresence Resource Manager.

Polycom Studio will be available in Singapore from February 28^th, 2019 through channel partners and distributors at a recommended retail price of US$ 949.

For more information, visit https://www.polycom.com.sg/hd-video-conferencing/room-video-systems/polycom-studio.html. Email asiainquiry@polycom.com for product enquiries.

About Plantronics

Plantronics is an audio pioneer and a leader in the communications industry. Plantronics technology creates rich, natural, people-first audio and collaboration experiences so good ideas can be shared and heard--wherever, whenever and however they happen. The company's portfolio of integrated communications and collaboration solutions spans headsets, software, desk phones, audio and video conferencing, analytics and services. Our solutions are used worldwide by consumers and businesses alike and are a leading choice for every kind of workspace. For more information visit plantronics.com.

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