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Polycom RealPresence Group Series

Polycom RealPresence Group Series

Overview

What is Polycom RealPresence Group Series?

The Polycom RealPresence Group Series is a video conferencing codec that connects to a standards-based video conferencing infrastructure to allow users to make video conference calls. There are three products in the series – RealPresence Group 300, RealPresence Group 500,…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

The Polycom RealPresence Group Series is widely used by global companies to facilitate effective communication across multiple locations. …
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Great for meetings

9 out of 10
February 12, 2020
Incentivized
We use the Polycom RealPresence Group Series to participate in conference calls. We use Microsoft Teams to create and host the meetings. …
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Go for it

9 out of 10
January 26, 2018
Incentivized
My company uses the Group Series to teleconference with our remote offices and third-party companies using Skype for Business as the …
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Pricing

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What is Polycom RealPresence Group Series?

The Polycom RealPresence Group Series is a video conferencing codec that connects to a standards-based video conferencing infrastructure to allow users to make video conference calls. There are three products in the series – RealPresence Group 300, RealPresence Group 500, and RealPresence Group…

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Product Demos

Demo Polycom RealPresence Group Series Design Elements

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Demo Polycom RealPresence Group Series 1080p60 Experiences

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Demo Polycom RealPresence Group Series 1080p60 Experiences

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Polycom RealPresence Group Series -india 022 66886616 /76

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Demo Polycom RealPresence Group Series

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Demo Polycom RealPresence Group Series 1080p60 Experiences

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Product Details

What is Polycom RealPresence Group Series?

The Polycom RealPresence Group Series is a video conferencing codec that connects to a standards-based video conferencing infrastructure to allow users to make video conference calls. There are three products in the series – RealPresence Group 300, RealPresence Group 500, and RealPresence Group 700. It is certified to use with Office 365 and Skype for Business.

Polycom RealPresence Group Series Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(56)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

The Polycom RealPresence Group Series is widely used by global companies to facilitate effective communication across multiple locations. Users emphasize its versatility, as it can connect to various cloud services and function as both a stand-alone H.323 and SIP system. This flexibility allows it to be utilized in conference rooms of varying sizes, accommodating small 2-person rooms to large lobbies for company-wide meetings.

Customers highlight the value of the system in reducing the need for travel, as it enables remote access from other locations, fostering collaboration and saving costs. It serves multiple purposes, such as group video conferences, online training sessions, and educational seminars held outside of the workplace. By standardizing conferencing software and hardware, the system allows direct connections between meeting rooms equipped with these devices.

Reviewers praise the high-quality audio and video performance of the RealPresence Group Series, making it particularly suitable for high-priority and high-traffic conference rooms. Integration with Microsoft Teams and ceiling microphones further enhances the meeting experience while minimizing the necessity for extensive travel. The system has proven indispensable for engineers collaborating globally, tackling the costly problem of constant travel.

Another significant use case involves connecting different business units, functional groups, and teams worldwide for effective collaboration. Furthermore, it brings a sense of togetherness by enabling participation in conference calls and enhancing meeting experiences. Users appreciate its HD video quality, superb sound quality, and compatibility with various cloud services.

In addition to being deployed in board meeting rooms due to its low cost compared to other endpoint options when participating in meetings with Lifesize and Cisco conference systems, the Polycom RealPresence Group Series finds broad utilization within companies for basic audio and web meetings. Moreover, it facilitates HD video conferences for site-to-site or external board meetings while helping organizations phase out external conferencing products and leverage their internal investment.

Departments such as IT and marketing benefit from the system, allowing for efficient meetings and visual connections with participants. The ability to conduct calls globally, reduce the need for travel, and enable face-to-face communications is highly valued. The system is also being evaluated by users for recommendations to end-users and customers, with a strong emphasis on ease of use and setup.

Companies appreciate the implementation of the Group Series solution without significant cost or time investment, enabling productive teleconferences with remote offices and third-party companies. Moreover, it serves as a vital tool for connecting associates between geographically distributed home offices and branch offices, enabling productive meetings without the need for travel. Within the IT department, the system is widely used for video conferences and conference calls, enhancing collaboration and communication.

Users have found the Polycom RealPresence Group Series to be cost-effective and reliable. By utilizing this system, companies can evaluate its cost effectiveness and determine if it aligns with their budgetary needs. It offers a low-cost endpoint solution for participating in meetings with other conference systems, providing an accessible option for companies looking to enhance their meeting capabilities.

Overall, the Polycom RealPresence Group Series has proven to be a valuable tool for global companies. Its ability to connect multiple locations and facilitate effective communication has made it a popular choice for routine meetings, collaborations, and educational sessions. With its high-quality audio and video performance, versatility in connecting to various cloud services, and seamless integration with Microsoft Teams, it is a practical solution that reduces travel costs and enhances meeting experiences. Whether it's connecting different business units or enabling efficient meetings within departments, the RealPresence Group Series continues to deliver reliable and cost-effective communication solutions.

Audio and Video Quality: Reviewers have consistently praised the audio and video quality of the Polycom RealPresence Group Series. Many users have described the audio quality as astounding and excellent, while also highlighting the sharpness, clarity, and high resolution of the video.

Versatility: The versatility of the Polycom RealPresence Group Series has been a standout feature for users. They appreciate being able to integrate the system with other applications, allowing for seamless online to phone interactions and easy sharing of computer content with participants at remote locations.

Ease of Use: Users find the Polycom RealPresence Group Series to be extremely user-friendly. They value its simplistic design and how easily it operates without any difficulties. The intuitive user interface, attractive touch panel option, and overall ease in running meetings are highly appreciated by reviewers.

Difficult to find unified solution: Several users have expressed difficulty in finding a unified solution to manage all Polycom RealPresence devices, making company-wide changes cumbersome. This lack of a centralized management system can lead to inefficiencies and increased time spent on device management.

Trouble pairing devices: Many reviewers have mentioned having trouble pairing their RealPresence device with a Polycom conference phone and getting them to work together. This issue can result in frustration and delays when trying to set up and use the system for conferences or meetings.

Interface not always intuitive: Some users have found the interface of the Polycom RealPresence system to be good but not always intuitive. They may struggle with navigating through different features or understanding how certain functions work. This lack of intuitiveness can hinder user experience and require additional time for training or troubleshooting.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-14 of 14)
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Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The Polycom RealPresence Group Series codecs were used as part of our outgoing Video Managed Service. Enabled collaboration for staff in meeting rooms over video conferencing. Where it was used it faciliated meetings with colleagues both internal and external and saved time on traveling nationally but crucially with international contacts including suppliers.
  • Solid codecs, well built and robust
  • Video and audio quality is very good including the microphones
  • Codecs are reliable, as long as users don't interfere with the cabling.
  • The UI is fairly dated compared to what's available on the market
  • Codecs require a fair bit of config before they are able to be used
  • Remote control is fiddly
If you're always working in the Polycom ecosystem then the Group Series codecs are reliable and the quality of the camera and microphones are extremely good. However, the system relies heavily on either having onsite server technology and/or cloud based bridging capability. In addition, the peripherals like cameras and microphones are quite expensive. Maintenance and support costs also make the ongoing investment a costly one.
Curt Sminkey | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Being a global company, it's important to be able to communicate effectively - more so than just a Microsoft Teams meeting. Polycom RealPresense Group Series allows our groups to sit in a conference room and speak with other conference rooms as if it was one large meeting. Generally, these are used by departments spread out across multiple locations to have routine meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. In a previous company, they were used so much that when our HQ was moved into a new building, the RealPresense devices more than doubled because we didn't have enough room. They were in anything from a small 2-person conference room to a large lobby where company-wide meetings would take place and accessed remotely by other locations.
  • The audio and video quality can not be matched.
  • For the most part, they are rather simplistic in their use and just work. People don't usually have a hard time operating them
  • They are rather versatile in that we have been able to integrate them with other applications
  • They are certainly not cheap.
  • I've struggled to come across any unified solution to manage all of our Polycom RealPresence devices instead of using the web interface of each one. It makes company-wide changes rather cumbersome
  • This might be an old issue but we had a really hard time pairing the RealPresence device with a Polycom conference phone and have them work together
While expensive, you can't compare the cost and time of people flying all over the globe to have in-person meetings when 95% of the time they can be done between a RealPresense.... even more so in today's post-pandemic world. You just get such a better video and audio experience than a Teams meeting.

We were also able to connect our RealPresence to Teams so that you can join a meeting and choose whether to join it from your desk with Teams or from a conference room with a Real Presence. This solved 2 issues for us in that there's now a simple link on the Real Presence to join a meeting instead of making a direct phone call to another RP device, and for meetings with 1 or 2 people from a site, they can now join this meeting from their desk and free up the conference room for a large meeting.
February 25, 2020

Talking to the World

Alfred Brock | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Polycom RealPresence Group Series was used at the North American headquarters and select locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The business problem it addressed was that is standardized the conferencing software and hardware we had in use. This allowed us to connect directly from any meeting room equipped with the devices to any other meeting room so equipped.
  • The sound quality is excellent
  • The images are sharp and crisp
  • We needed to interact with the networking staff who were intent on using Cisco products, and this slowed down implementation.
  • Though it was easy to train users to operate the equipment those who were not trained frequently had difficulty starting up a meeting without assistance
  • Polycom RealPresence Group Series is well suited when individuals or teams need to meet together instantly with video, voice, and data. It is especially well suited to provide this service over great distances - as long as the supporting hardware and internet speed are installed and available.
  • We had difficulty with technicians and administrators that were reluctant to include the devices in our networking environment. This was in this particular location, but anyone taking on this technology should be aware that technicians and administrators may be reluctant but that the work necessary to overcome any difficulties was easily done.


Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We standardized our enterprise video conferencing platform around the Polycom RealPresence Group Series for several reasons. The most compelling were:

1) The ability to support HD video quality at the lowest required bandwidth in the industry.
2) Superb sound quality.
3) Flexibility to work with various cloud services.
  • HD resolution at low bandwidth.
  • Sound quality.
  • Microphone compatibility.
  • Physical interface standards.
The Group Series is well suited for all meetings spaces. I cannot think of a scenario where video conferencing requirements would not be fully fulfilled by a Group Series device.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The Polycom system was deployed in the board meeting room. Board members have lifesize and cisco conference systems in their offices, and Polycom was chosen as a low-cost endpoint to participate in those meetings.
  • It's fairly straightforward to deploy.
  • Good integration with Polycom® SoundStation® IP 7000 phone to achieve high-quality audio coverage in the room without installing a more complex ceiling microphone's solution.
  • Integration with other solutions, such as Skype or Teams, requires additional licenses.
  • We ended up using it only for meetings between conference rooms, not with individual users.
Polycom is a good low-cost solution for satellite offices not heavily engaging in conference room meetings. Good quality audio and video.
John-James Worrall | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use the Polycom RealPresence systems for communication both within the company and with external Partners and Customers. I work remotely, so having a system available to me not only allows the highest quality communications for day to day meetings, but a reference point for supporting users when needed. Having a system that connects to the Cloud services that we use, but is also a stand-alone H.323 and SIP system is very versatile.
  • Polycom are still a high-end videoconferencing manufacturer and it shows. The build quality is very high, with quality components provided. In the current environment where 'huddle-room' systems are taking over and are a mix of solutions from multiple manufacturers, you can tell the difference when you open the box and get dedicated hardware that is designed to work as a single package.
  • The audio quality is very good. May sound like an odd thing to consider audio quality before video quality, but if the sound is poor, it doesn't matter how good the video is - you wont stay in the meeting.
  • Great video from the dedicated cameras. The image quality is high and the camera is silent when it moves to presets.
  • Interface is good, but not always intuitive. For regular users, everything they need is instantly available.
  • Not 1080 out of the box, though the hardware supports it. Need a license to activate.
Small meeting rooms to large board rooms - there are RealPresence Group (RPG) systems of varying sizes that have additional features to manage all room sizes. If you have a small huddle room environment and feel that the RPG is a little too expensive, then the Trio with a Visual+ will provide you with the functionality, while keeping the familiar interface.
January 26, 2018

Go for it

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
My company uses the Group Series to teleconference with our remote offices and third-party companies using Skype for Business as the backbone for transport. Without adding any significant cost to infrastructure or time, my company was able to implement the Group Series solution at a rate of one office in one day. We were able to overcome the issue of a soft speaker by also installing the SoundStructure module.
  • Amazing audio
  • Simple setup
  • Easy for users to understand
  • Many options for room sizing
  • The ability to share camera feed and content simultaneously
  • More layout options
Any room where you would want to hold a meeting or face to face conversation or even if it is just an audio call, the Group Series is compatible and scalable with any size room. Probably the least advisable solution would be a small office. For that Polycom has the Trio to assist.
January 24, 2018

Polycom after One Year!

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Polycom is used by the whole company for basic audio and web meetings. [We] Use HD video conferences for site to site or external board meetings. Dozens of sites have invested in 300 and 500 room systems. [We're] Phasing out external conferencing products to leverage internal investment. User adopting of advanced features is continuing, hopefully will utilize more.
  • Sales team at Polycom is engaged and wants to sell.
  • End support is pretty good compared to tech companies and is represented locally thru VARS.
  • Once installed, updated and debugged the platform is stable.
  • Install was a bit fast with a tech that was not the best, this lead to a round of support issues, fixes, and training.
  • Much of the internal learning was on our own with trial and error, and the Outlook integration was not really 100% (abandoned that as users could not understand and remember the shortcomings when meetings changed. Moved to reservation-less.
  • Stability was better after a major upgrade(only 1 year old) and a better Polycom tech.
Telecom audio, web meetings work well. Can further integrate room systems like Crestron but the learning curve for people is steep. Would like to see people embrace and adopt video meetings to reduce travel cost but that is hard to do without a mandate. Some people get it and use it, some do not or do not want to, but in the end it works well if you know how.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Sappi recently purchase six Group Series 500 codecs this past year. The units have been distributed to our major sites with the hopes of decreasing travel costs.
  • The clarity of the video is a strength.
  • Support is strong with Polycom.
  • The units will integrate with Skype which will help us in the future.
  • The user interface/remote could be more intuitive.
  • The EagleEye Director is good, but the tracking needs refinement.
  • I would like to see more on-line self support.
For larger rooms the 500 series works well with the EagleEye (EE) Director. The Director would not be helpful for smaller huddle rooms.
David George | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
[We're] Using it to facilitate group video conferences across several locations including home workers. It allows us to do face to face meetings at a lower cost and disruption than traveling.
  • Video quality is good.
  • Switching the video across several users seem to work well
  • It is hard to use/set up. One has to be fairly tech savvy and it still sometimes doesn't work right. Should work more like FaceTime in Apple - which is intuitive and easy to use.
  • Ability to select on your screen where the video boxes go within the container would be useful.
  • Haven't tried it but sharing a screen doesn't seem as intuitive as say WebEx.
For formal meetings which we can set up in advance it works fairly well (see comments on what could work better - namely it isn't overly user-friendly on the set up). Would be nice to have it so one could have an ad-hoc meeting.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We currently have Polycom RealPresence Group Series in 2 of our conference rooms. One in Santa Monica which is only used by IT, and one in Phoenix which is used by IT and marketing. It allows meetings between these departments in these corporate offices to have more efficient meetings by being able to visibly see the other participants.
  • Easy to use interface
  • Detail on upcoming meetings on screen
  • Option of a touch panel makes meetings easy to run
  • Can't use touch panel and remote on the same system
  • Call order placement is an issue
  • Slow user interface
It is well suited for larger rooms where you need video horsepower for a meeting. This includes 2 screens and a larger room. In our smaller rooms, we are evaluating the Group Series 300 and the Debut. Those rooms don't have multiple screens and the larger 500 series is over kill.
November 10, 2017

Polycom at Work!!

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is used for the entire company to facilitate calls globally. It helps lower the need for travel while still allowing face to face communications.
  • Easy and attractive interface
  • Integrates well with a control system
  • Very easy to manage via web
  • Better integration with Cisco CUCM
  • Adding audio calls can sometimes be tricky when dial tones are needed
  • Put labels on the new remotes so people know which buttons do what
Any place where solid video conferencing is needed. The small [package] provided enterprise level video conferencing.
Alan Balasundaram | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Polycom in our offices to facilitate both local and video conference based meetings. The Polycom system is integrated into our meetings allowing us a quick 1-2 touch way to start a meeting.
  • Integration with video conference software
  • Digital White Board
  • Touch interface
  • Better integration with Outlook to auto start conference software.
Works well in:
  • Medium / Large conference rooms
  • Multiple presenters
  • Multiple locations
October 31, 2017

You May Like this.

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We are currently in processs of evaluating multiple difference VC systems, so that we can make recommendations to our end users and customers. We like different thing about difference devices, however have not made and full decisions on which direction to take. We like the Real Presence for its ease of use, and set up.
  • Ease of use
  • Ease of setup within a room
  • Remote control
  • Control interface with control systems is a bit time consuming
Government applications where security is a must have. This was one of the reasons my clients turned me on to it in the first place.
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