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Polycom Turns Video Display Screens into Virtual Whiteboards

Polycom has unveiled an innovative whiteboard solution, the Polycom UC Board, which improves communication and collaboration in video conferences by allowing meeting participants to leverage their existing video display screens and mobile devices as interactive whiteboards for video collaboration.

Whiteboards are an important communication tool, but when traditional whiteboards are used in a video conference, it’s a common problem that remote participants have trouble seeing the whiteboard content, which undermines teamwork and participation. The first integrated video collaboration whiteboard technology of its kind, the Polycom UC Board is a simple, elegant and cost-effective solution combining a plug-and-play receiver and stylus for ease-of-use, and a compact design for portability.

The solution transforms LCD monitors and display surfaces into a video whiteboard space so every participant can stay fully engaged. The Polycom UC Board software natively integrates with the latest Polycom RealPresence Room HDX solutions to share content naturally, efficiently, and easily. Users participating in a video meeting can also share content such as a presentation, and use the Polycom UC Board to write, annotate or highlight key points, right on top of the presentation for everyone to see in real-time.

“The Polycom UC Board is the first integrated video collaboration solution to make sharing whiteboard content as easy as picking up a pen,” said Sudhakar Ramakrishna, executive vice president and general manager of UC solutions and chief development officer, Polycom. “That’s great news for organisations of all kinds looking to bring remote employees and customers in a sales presentation, brainstorm, planning meeting, or training class with clear access to all the visual content being presented and discussed.”

“The Polycom UC Board makes real time content annotation quick and easy. The user interface is so intuitive that you can just hand the stylus to a first time user and let them take over,” said Christianne Orto, associate dean and director, Recording and Distance Learning, Manhattan School of Music. “Instructors can annotate scores and presentations as naturally and easily as with a traditional whiteboard, and their students see the results immediately. It instantaneously breaks down a significant barrier to remote instruction.”