Item: Lifesize Video Conferencing
Rating: 9
Author: Michael Ball-Marian

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

It is used across the entire organization, primarily for connecting remote conference rooms. We use it for smaller daily meetings, but particularly for large team (20-100) person meetings. A good example of this is our quarterly planning activities (these involve hundreds of people and take a full day). But we also use it for small 1-on-1 calls when needed.

Pros and Cons

High definition video.
High-quality audio.

Price?
Generally, it is bullet-proof.

Return on Investment

Higher-fidelity conversations.
Fewer audio/video problems (when the system is well configured).

Implementation Rating

I didn't implement the system, only used it.

Alternatives Considered

Zoom, Cisco Webex Calling, Google Voice and GoToMeeting

Lifesize is a combined hardware/software solution that provides rock-solid and high-fidelity communications. It really shines in larger organizations that have dedicated conference facilities and the staff to maintain those properly. The quality is unmatched, and I have never experienced an audio or video quality issue when using a Lifesize system. The video quality (including dynamic cameras) are fantastic.

Likelihood to Recommend

Seems best suited to large-scale, multi-site companies that want to provide the highest fidelity communications, and have the staff, hardware, and money to support this infrastructure. I expect that it would be less useful in smaller organizations where traditional PC-based teleconference would work well enough at a fraction of the price.

Rock solid, High-def conferencing for multi-site distributed companies.

Overall Satisfaction with Lifesize Video Conferencing