Avistar General Manager, Darren Innes:

CityIS is a significant player in our strategy to deliver our C3 solutions through the reseller channel. CityIS has more than a decade of specialized experience in the videoconferencing space, and knows first-hand what its clients need to remain competitive in today’s challenging global marketplace. With offices around the world servicing global clients, CityIS offers a breadth and depth of channel coverage that will be instrumental in our goal of making Avistar desktop videoconferencing services as ubiquitous as large room implementations.

CityIS Chairman, John Thompson:

More and more, our clients see the value of videoconferencing as a means to boost workplace efficiency, optimize supply chain operations, accelerate decision-making and reduce carbon emissions. This agreement allows us to complement our extensive videoconferencing offerings with an easy-to-use, intuitive desktop solution that maximizes the productivity of users and does not disrupt the work flow they have underway at their desks.

Wainhouse Research Senior Analyst, Ira Weinstein:

Today’s challenging economic climate has spawned increased interest in both group and desktop/personal videoconferencing. CityIS’ experience selling and supporting professional videoconferencing solutions makes them well suited to offer Avistar’s C3 integrated desktop conferencing solution to its roster of enterprise clients.

As the boom in videoconferencing services increase, many web conferencing and video conferencing companies are creating strategic partnerships with similar firms to increase their offerings to their clients at prices that reflect the economies of scale. Webconferencing companies such as Webex are able to offer services at far lower prices and strategic parterships among smaller corporations allow them to stay competitive.

Allegheny County Executive, Dan Oronato:

This project will reduce the trauma children experience when testifying in abuse and custody cases, as well as reduce expenses and improve efficiency. I want to thank the organizations involved for making this cutting-edge initiative a reality.

Video conferencing in child protection and custody matters will provide Allegheny County and its child welfare system with leading edge videoconference technology and improve court experiences for children. The county’s use of the technology in dependency cases will also occur at non-county sites, such as Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Family Court Administrative Judge, Kim Berkely Clark:

Our goal for this project is simple: to improve court proceedings and enhance participation in the court process, particularly for children who need to feel comfortable and safe. With this project, we hope to minimize the pain of these proceedings for children.

The video conference pilot program is being implemented at eight sites, with the long-term plan for the program expected to expand the system to 36 sites including Children’s Court courtrooms, conference rooms and other county centers.

In addition to a bigger sales force, the partnership will enable video conferencing among multiple corporate customers, compared to being limited to intra-company use as it is now.

The TelePresence 3000, sold in the form of a small conference room with three high-definition screens, was originally sold at $299,000 per unit. In addition to that version, a cheaper, one-screen option will also be available through the AT&T-Cisco partnership, the companies said.

Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed and the monthly fee for the service was not immediately available.