teleconferencing

Bots are there when you can't be (video)

The idea of teleconferencing has been around for a long time, especially in the corporate world. First there was the joining of phone lines. Next came the introduction of video, maybe even multiple screens from users in different locations. But that technology can be limiting and inflexible. As the remote user, you don't get a great view of the room and can't explore anything beyond its confines. Now companies like Anybots in Silicon Valley are hoping to make the experience more mobile and flexible with robots like the QB.

At Anybots' corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., the … Read more

Cisco works percentages toward Tandberg takeover

In its quest to acquire Tandberg, Cisco is close...but no cigar yet.

The network giant has won 89 percent of the outstanding shares of Tandberg, a healthy amount, but still 1 percent short of the 90 percent needed under Norwegian law to close the deal. The company had issued a deadline of December 3 to capture the required shares or it said it would walk away.

But as of Friday, Cisco is giving every indication that it will forge ahead, citing tendered shares that would put it over the 90 percent mark.

Looking to capture the growing videoconferencing market, … Read more

Cisco boosts bid for Tandberg to $3.41 billion

Cisco Systems has bumped up its buyout offer to $3.41 billion for video conferencing company Tandberg.

The network giant's initial bid received a thumbs down from most of Tandberg's shareholders, who felt the initial $3 billion offer undervalued the company.

So far, more than 40 percent of Tandberg's stockholders, which includes investment firm OppenheimerFunds and Norwegian government pension fund Folketrygdfondet, have pre-accepted the new offer.

Cisco announced on October 1 that it was pursuing a $3 billion cash takeover of Tandberg, a major global supplier of video conferencing equipment with dual headquarters in Oslo, Norway, and … Read more

eComm conference: The conversation is entering the mobile realm

I caught a few of the later sessions today at the Emerging Communications (eComm) conference in Mountain View, and the program was pretty good. The rigorously enforced commitment to micro-formats--a mix of five-minute lightning talks, 15-minute sessions, and 20-minute keynotes--worked out well: The presenters were forced to condense their thoughts to the core, and a wide range of viewpoints could be heard during the course of the day. Even the five-minute shorts were informative and sparked follow-up conversations.

For Luca Filigheddu from abbeynet, the five-minute limit was a natural fit for his topic, "Micro Video-Blogging and the Future of … Read more