SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citrix Systems today announced that it is once again transforming the way people meet and collaborate through the general availability of Citrix® GoToMeeting® with HDFaces™, its popular, award-winning web conferencing solution, now with high-definition group video conferencing for up to six attendees.
Combining high-definition video, web and audio conferencing, GoToMeeting with HDFaces enables an amazing, telepresence-like meeting experience simply using a webcam and an Internet connection. With the general availability of GoToMeeting with HDFaces, a rich, integrated collaboration experience is now open to everyone; one click, users can quickly launch into a new world of natural, real-time face-to-face collaboration with colleagues, customers and partners, anytime from anywhere – it’s that easy. Simple to use, with no set-up required, GoToMeeting users can now choose to participate in, and experience, a high-definition, face-to-face meeting. For most people, it’s the next best thing to collaborating in person. This innovative capability completely transforms virtual meetings, supporting new ways of working across distributed workgroups and organizations.
“GoToMeeting with HDFaces changes the definition of face-to-face meetings from ‘a place you go’ to ‘a thing you do,’ said Brett Caine, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Citrix Online Services Division. “That is the essence of our integrated collaboration vision and the promise of our unique HD experience. Once again, we are changing the rules in the market, and customers everywhere will win as a result.”
Customers Agree – See Tremendous Value
“Our virtual organization depends on GoToMeeting with HDFaces video conferencing to maintain the company culture and promote teamwork. We get tremendous value from video conferencing when we’re demonstrating a new product to our staff because the reactions – positive or negative – are right there on people’s faces. HDFaces has also made it very affordable to incorporate high definition video to any meeting as it’s included in GoToMeeting subscriptions at no additional cost.” Mike Huska, Chief Technology Officer, Incential Software
“Personal engagement is one of the key challenges in running a work-at-home environment. For us, video collaboration with HDFaces has created a new type of virtual workplace. We use GoToMeeting with HDFaces to stay connected with our remote teams – it’s much more interactive seeing someone than hearing them on the phone. It helps our staff overcome the feeling of being isolated and faceless, and allows them to build relationships and have more meaningful conversations with their colleagues based in other locations.” David Buckmaster, Technology Manager, Medibank Health Solutions
“Our faculty and staff collaborate with colleagues and students across the country and around the world. As a professional school of psychology, we depend on video conferencing for that critical face-to-face connection. GoToMeeting with HDFaces, for most of our video conferencing needs, delivers to TCS Education System a ubiquitous, cost effective, simpler to use and support solution. Saving time, travel and money –whether it’s not having to walk across the Chicago River to a meeting when it’s 5 degrees below or meeting with our international programs staff who are in Hong Kong, Brazil, Peru and Chicago.” Donald L. Tom, Associate Vice President, Information Technology, TCS Education System
GoToMeeting with HDFaces: Telepresence for businesses of all sizes
“High definition video conferencing has traditionally been out of the reach of most small and medium businesses while the need for companies to cut travel costs has increased. A $10,000 to $30,000 telepresence system is not a fit for a small or medium business looking to cut costs and HDFaces for GoToMeeting provides a high quality SaaS alternative in the fast growing video conferencing market. HDFaces with GoToMeeting looks to be an attractive option for businesses of all sizes that need a high-definition video conferencing experience without breaking the bank.” Roopam Jain, principal analyst, Frost & Sullivan’s North America Information & Communications Technologies Practice
What Is New
- Easiest way to organize or join a high-definition video conference: Real-time collaboration with web, video and audio conferencing is enabled in just two simple clicks.
- Telepresence-like experience for everyone: All existing GoToMeeting customers and trial users can now use HDFaces at no additional cost. Existing customers can simply login to their accounts and click a link to upgrade to HDFaces. A 30-day free online trial of GoToMeeting with HDFaces is available at www.gotomeeting.com.
- No specific or proprietary hardware configuration needed or dedicated room required: Users just need a PC or Mac computer, webcam, Internet access and GoToMeeting. It is designed for the way everyday businesses operate – enabling impromptu real-time collaboration with its “Meet Now” feature from anywhere, without the need of expensive and complex room-based solutions.
- Multistream HD™ technology: The highest resolution video conferencing quality available on the market among web conferencing providers: up to six streams at a resolution of 640p x 480p each, for a total maximum resolution of 1920p x 960p.
- Screen sharing and high-quality video: The video conferencing streams are integrated into the content screen so attendees can collaborate on shared content and see each other at the same time without the need to switch between the two. The high-definition video experience combined with user adjustable zooming and resizing makes the experience easy to use and very compelling for quick conversations and all day meetings. Now as individuals present ideas or solicit feedback from their team they can interact as if they were actually sitting across the table.
- Video optimization: Adjusts automatically to fit the hardware and network each participant is using when video, audio or screen sharing are in use.
- Resizable viewer and layouts: Easily adapts to numerous monitor and projection configurations.
Why It Matters
- Enabling the Modern Distributed Work Environment: As workforces become more distributed and business extends to global customers and partners, the ability to work from anywhere on any device has become a fundamental requirement for businesses. Enabling simple access to the best package of collaborative tools to support today’s virtual work styles is critical.
- Achieve Better ROI: The cost and complexity of existing telepresence solutions have made natural, real-time collaboration with high-definition video out of reach for many companies and workgroups, particularly small and medium businesses. The GoToMeeting with HDFaces subscription is as little as $39/month including the integrated HD group video conferencing experience. This makes the experience affordable and available to everyone in an organization for the first time.
- Quality Video Experience With No Additional Fee: A natural, real-time collaboration experience which combines video, audio and web simplifies the meeting experience by providing one-click participation for attendees, at no additional cost and with no registration or special equipment required. Existing desktop video conferencing solutions do not combine the telepresence-like high definition experience with the ease of deployment and use provided by GoToMeeting with HDFaces. Additionally, GoToMeeting with HDFaces provides a powerful experience for companies’ internal and external collaboration needs.
- Improve Productivity With Personal Cloud Apps: GoToMeeting with HDFaces represents the innovation and power a new generation of cloud-based applications can bring to the way we work. The freedom to be untethered from a specific location to collaborate with others can yield business and individual productivity benefits.
Pricing and Availability
- HDFaces is included at no additional charge in all GoToMeeting subscriptions. GoToMeeting subscriptions start as low as $39 per month. For more information about GoToMeeting, visit www.gotomeeting.com.
Related Links
- GoToMeeting with HDFaces
- Medibank Health Solutions Connects with HDFaces
- GoToMeeting with HDFaces Enables Telepresence for Everyone
- Integrated Collaboration – Simple Connections from Citrix
- Citrix and the Distributed Workforce – Workshifting
- Boost Your Image: Master the Three Stages of Video Conferencing Success
- GoToMeeting with HDFaces Fact Sheet
- Workshifting blog: workshifting.com
Follow Us Online
- Workshifting Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/workshifting
- Twitter: @GoToMeeting
About Citrix Systems, Inc.
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leading provider of virtual computing solutions that help companies deliver IT as an on-demand service. Founded in 1989, Citrix combines virtualization, networking, and cloud computing technologies into a full portfolio of products that enable virtual workstyles for users and virtual datacenters for IT. More than 230,000 organizations worldwide rely on Citrix to help them build simpler and more cost-effective IT environments. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies in more than 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2010 was $1.87 billion.
The Online Services Division of Citrix provides secure, easy-to-use cloud-based solutions that enable people to work from anywhere with anyone. Whether using GoToMeeting® to hold online meetings, GoToWebinar® to conduct larger web events, GoToTraining® to train customers or employees, GoToMyPC®to access and work on a remote Mac® or PC, GoToAssist® to support customers or GoToManage® for IT support and management, businesses and individuals are increasing productivity, decreasing travel costs and improving sales, training and service on a global basis. For more information, visit www.citrixonline.com.
Citrix®, GoToMeeting® and HDFaces™ are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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