The cloud is often seen as a challenge to the traditional IT channel, eroding its business by removing the need for the middleman. However, cloud based services can offer opportunities for the channel to extend and grow their business.
Kathea’s innovative “MeetME” virtual meeting room solution enables users of all sizes to access the power of video conferencing and communication tools using a variety of supported devices. As a subscription-based solution offered exclusively through Kathea’s resellers, it also opens up cloud services to the channel, providing the opportunity for resellers to add services to their basket of offerings.
“Our MeetME solution, which will be available immediately to our channel partners to sell onto their customers, addresses a gap in the market for individual users and organisations that cannot afford to or choose not to invest in their own expensive bridging equipment to allow for multi-party video conferencing.
“It enables users to communicate seamlessly, easily and cost effectively, in a device-agnostic way across various technologies, whenever and wherever needed. The solution is hosted in our data centre and delivered via the cloud, offering complete flexibility.
“Each participant also uses his or her own bandwidth to connect to the conference, meaning there is no need to make provision for aggregate bandwidth usage when requesting a video conference.
“As a complete hosted solution, resellers are able to simply sell subscriptions to a ready-made cloud service, add their own offerings and brand it as their own, opening new revenue streams,” says Sabine Moser, services director at Kathea.
MeetME provides conference capability by using Video applications which can be downloaded onto selected smartphones, tablets and PCs, as well as room-based video conferencing systems. Participants with an active subscription and an application or supported endpoint device can simply call into the bridge and connect to the subscriber’s meeting room using their unique code.
Once participants have connected, they are able to communicate and collaborate in a cost-effective manner using voice and/or video, as well as sharing content. MeetME allows users to connect whenever necessary using their own devices, offering the power of video conferencing and collaboration without the need for large capital investment into infrastructure.
“MeetME has many applications for users from a wide range of industries. For instance, estate agents can use MeetME to conduct live, interactive, virtual video tours of houses for potential customers who cannot be there in person.
“Insurance companies can engage in video conferences with customers or agents on-site, to better assess the claim from the outset. Journalists can even make use of video conferencing while doing a story, streaming footage back to the studio anchor and live onto the radio station Web site, as an example. The possibilities are infinite,” says Moser.
The solution is technology independent for standards-compliant environments, which enables users to leverage their existing infrastructure and also allows for ISDN and IP users to connect and communicate with ease, without the need to invest in expensive bridging technology.
Conferences can also be secured to enable small business or individual users to harness the solution for video conferencing with larger organisations that normally have stringent security requirements.
“The world is moving inexorably towards cloud computing, changing the traditional channel model and offering both challenges and opportunities. The MeetME solution allows our resellers to take advantage of a new revenue stream without the need to invest a large amount of capital into equipment, enabling them to offer cloud services without risk.
“It also offers a unique opportunity for resellers to service the small and micro business market, who stand to derive great value from cloud services,” Moser concludes.
Kathea’s innovative “MeetME” virtual meeting room solution enables users of all sizes to access the power of video conferencing and communication tools using a variety of supported devices. As a subscription-based solution offered exclusively through Kathea’s resellers, it also opens up cloud services to the channel, providing the opportunity for resellers to add services to their basket of offerings.
“Our MeetME solution, which will be available immediately to our channel partners to sell onto their customers, addresses a gap in the market for individual users and organisations that cannot afford to or choose not to invest in their own expensive bridging equipment to allow for multi-party video conferencing.
“It enables users to communicate seamlessly, easily and cost effectively, in a device-agnostic way across various technologies, whenever and wherever needed. The solution is hosted in our data centre and delivered via the cloud, offering complete flexibility.
“Each participant also uses his or her own bandwidth to connect to the conference, meaning there is no need to make provision for aggregate bandwidth usage when requesting a video conference.
“As a complete hosted solution, resellers are able to simply sell subscriptions to a ready-made cloud service, add their own offerings and brand it as their own, opening new revenue streams,” says Sabine Moser, services director at Kathea.
MeetME provides conference capability by using Video applications which can be downloaded onto selected smartphones, tablets and PCs, as well as room-based video conferencing systems. Participants with an active subscription and an application or supported endpoint device can simply call into the bridge and connect to the subscriber’s meeting room using their unique code.
Once participants have connected, they are able to communicate and collaborate in a cost-effective manner using voice and/or video, as well as sharing content. MeetME allows users to connect whenever necessary using their own devices, offering the power of video conferencing and collaboration without the need for large capital investment into infrastructure.
“MeetME has many applications for users from a wide range of industries. For instance, estate agents can use MeetME to conduct live, interactive, virtual video tours of houses for potential customers who cannot be there in person.
“Insurance companies can engage in video conferences with customers or agents on-site, to better assess the claim from the outset. Journalists can even make use of video conferencing while doing a story, streaming footage back to the studio anchor and live onto the radio station Web site, as an example. The possibilities are infinite,” says Moser.
The solution is technology independent for standards-compliant environments, which enables users to leverage their existing infrastructure and also allows for ISDN and IP users to connect and communicate with ease, without the need to invest in expensive bridging technology.
Conferences can also be secured to enable small business or individual users to harness the solution for video conferencing with larger organisations that normally have stringent security requirements.
“The world is moving inexorably towards cloud computing, changing the traditional channel model and offering both challenges and opportunities. The MeetME solution allows our resellers to take advantage of a new revenue stream without the need to invest a large amount of capital into equipment, enabling them to offer cloud services without risk.
“It also offers a unique opportunity for resellers to service the small and micro business market, who stand to derive great value from cloud services,” Moser concludes.