Polycom is no longer a video conferencing company. Right before our eyes, the company is being transformed into a vendor of video communications technology. The distinction in this terminology is slight, but the implications for Polycom’s future are huge: an organization that once focused on selling big-ticket video gear for conferencing rooms is now embracing a worldview that aspires to make video a ubiquitous element of business communications. The vehicle for the Polycom transformation is software. The long-time video conferencing stalwart last month drew attention to a fresh commitment to a “software strategy.” In short, Polycom’s future does not rest in selling cameras, conferencing units and real-time high-quality video encoding. Rather, growth for Polycom over the long-term focuses on developing software applications that make video more useful – creating value in day-to-day business communications. The latest evidence of this came Oct. 17, when the video conferencing giant announced that it…Read More