In MTI’s recent agenda, we attended a Polycom presentation at the new Top Golf facility in Scottsdale. The demo showcased an innovative camera/voice device that is becoming extremely useful in the world of conference calling. Polycom is a world leader in communication technology, and they specialize in the simplification of conference calling within companies and corporations.

The device featured was called the CX5500, a speaker-driven, “roundtable” camera that provides a 360◦ panoramic view of the room to all those involved in the call. The main speaker, Richard Fann, exampled the product with a conference call to a Polycom colleague in New York City.

Some of the features include a 10-person inclusion limit on the conference call, BYOD capability, camera-following with the active speaker, and a panoramic view of the room in which the speaker is presenting. It was a remarkable glimpse into the future of conference calling.

This camera is especially beneficial to companies who use conference calling regularly, allowing users in and out of the office to participate in meetings. This can also be useful for companies who do a lot of business outside of their business residence, including companies who outsource to other states and/or countries. This camera can also be used for remote interviews with prospective clients and/or employees. Lastly, this device can be useful for businesses that rely on hands-on services, who can use this camera to walk their clients and customers through the service they need, providing real-time, live demonstrations.

The demonstration ended with Top Golf’s ball-driving games for all guests in attendance, light hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and networking-geared mingling between representatives from all companies present, in which MTI had the opportunity to market our services.