Gartner Says Enterprises Should Purchase High-Definition Videoconferencing Instead of Standard Definition From Now On

Worldwide Videoconferencing Market Set for 20 to 30 Percent Growth As a Result of HD

STAMFORD, Conn., March 27, 2008 —

Organizations considering a refresh of traditional, standard-definition (SD) video systems should purchase high-definition (HD) video systems from now on, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner said that some HD videoconferencing solutions have reached a price point that’s low enough (less than $10,000 per endpoint) to appeal to most businesses that are considering updating their videoconferencing technology.

“The HD videoconferencing market is still in the early maturity phase, with market penetration of these systems only in the single digits so far (less than 5 percent),” said Rich Costello, research director at Gartner. “However, it has reached the point where it’s a significant upgrade in terms of quality, and it’s competitive enough in terms of cost, to appeal to organizations evaluating videoconferencing technology for room-based environments.”

Gartner expects the transition to HD solutions to be a driving factor for the estimated annual growth of the worldwide videoconferencing market in the 20 to 30 percent range during the next couple of years.

Although an uncertain economic outlook for 2008 is causing organizations to reconsider and perhaps curtail their IT spending plans, an investment in new HD videoconferencing equipment can produce long-term benefits for the customer and the environment. Mr. Costello said that helping to decrease the amount of executive travel is a key factor, especially at a time when the U.S. economy is so uncertain and fuel prices — particularly gas and jet fuel — are so high. Other benefits include contributing to a company’s "green IT" initiative; increasing employee available/productive work time and other indirect and difficult to measure savings and benefits.

Gartner advised organizations considering a move to HD video technology to consider other cost considerations when budgeting for migration, including: provisioning an appropriate room, ensuring that adequate bandwidth is available and anticipating an increase in use rates.

Additional information is available in the Gartner report “High-Definition Videoconferencing Moves to the Forefront." The report is available on Gartner’s Web site at http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=616107
&subref=simplesearch.

 

Contact:


Christy Pettey
Gartner
+1 408 468 8312
christy.pettey@gartner.com


About Gartner:
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is the indispensable partner to 60,000 clients in 10,000 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 4,000 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 80 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.