Google representatives claim that this is the first “leading webmail service” to include video chat in a web-based email client. The service should already be available to all GMail users. Being a web-based service, video chat is available to both PC and Mac users alike, requiring only the simple plugin download. Users can view the video full screen, or scale it to any size they desire.

Pund-IT Principal Analyst Charles King:

When Google got into email and was the first to offer loads of free online storage, it really started shifting how users viewed what their online experience should be. Specifically, that they should have access to these services for free or very little money. Google keeps upping the ante for the rest of the industry by leveraging its infrastructure to offer these services for free.

The release of the GMail video chat feature, comes on the heals of a Google Video application that was released in early September. This video feature, however, was targeted more towards sharing corporate training videos and high resolution information internally, more than short, live video conferences that this new service provides. The release of GMail’s video chat service also comes at a time of increased interest in collaborative technologies, as video conferencing services, instant messaging and social networks are being used more than ever.

More than half the members of The Association of Corporate Travel Executives have made “major cutbacks” this year in business travel. Businesses large and small are looking to cut costs and increase productivity during challenging and uncertain economic times. Video conferencing provides a convenient, affordable alternative to the hassle of traveling while still allowing direct communication with offices anywhere in the world.

Aside from the obvious cost savings, web conferencing and video conferencing services are environmentally friendly. According to the 2006 Meetings Marketing Report by the International Congress & Convention Association, corporations spend an average of $107 billion sending employees to conventions and meetings. The number of meetings - including groups and small seminars - held worldwide in 2007 was more than 1.2 million. Every airline trip releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and choosing an online meeting over conventional travel significantly reduces the carbon footprint of a company.

SightSpeed’s video conferencing services, which are SIP-based and standards-compliant, deliver high quality video on standard computers and consumer broadband connections as a result of the company’s patented technology. The Sightspeed services are based on more than ten years of research and development originating out of Cornell University.

Privately held SightSpeed is based in Berkeley, California and has about 25 employees. Currently along with its business video conferencing solutions, its client software comes preloaded on Dell Inc. computers marketed as “Dell Video Chat.” There’s no word on whether this buy out of Sightspeed will affect the contract will Dell Inc.

Logitech said the acquisition is part of a move to take video conferencing beyond the computer and into the living room. Currently several companies are looking to integrate video conferencing into television sets, making it a more commonly used means of communication. Logitech shares rose 16 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $14.57 in premarket trading Wednesday.

Polycom VP Joe Sigrist:

Customers are looking for telepresence offerings that fit within a broader solution for enterprise-wide visual communication, and Polycom is delivering a comprehensive solution. These new telepresence offerings extend Polycom’s industry-leading telepresence portfolio, giving customers a range of options for different application, space and budget requirements that fit within a comprehensive architecture allowing them to video-enable their entire organization. Supporting enhanced levels of HD resolution up to 1080p gives customers the flexibility to adapt telepresence to their specific network and application needs today and as those needs evolve over time.

The addition of full high definition video to PolyCom’s otherwise extensive line of telepresence offerings, make it a strong contender in the emerging telepresence market. The Polycom HDX 8006 package is available now starting at $17,499, which is significantly less than competing high definition telepresence solutions offered by other companies. The package includes the proprietary codec, an EagleEye 1080p camera, remote and microphone array, requiring you to provide your own monitors and computer system to complete the setup.

The previous Lifesize HD camera that produced only half the frame rate, consumed about 1Mbps in bandwidth, whereas the new Lifesize Conference 200 solution has reduced those bandwidth requirements by 25 percent, allowing networks as slow as dial-up cable modems to be able to use the technology. The new system runs more quietly, more cooly, and has a new video compression algorithm to reduce bandwidth requirements with smoother video playback.

The Conference 200 system supports up to three display HD monitors and another HD demonstration screen for sharing documents and online presentations. In presentation mode, the old Conference camera would drop to 5 frames a second, whereas the new technology drops to 30fps, still fast enough for video, so conferencing and online presentations can occur simultaneously.

The new camera in the package, features 4x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom. The camera interfaces with the industry standard HDMI cable, so it can be used with other video conferencing systems. The LifeSize Conference 200 system is available in the United States for $49,999.

Stream57 president, Ben Chodor:

I’ve been looking forward to this feature, and I can proudly say we nailed it. Offering a truly revolutionary capability like multi-video affirms our position as the ultimate custom-development webcasting company. Anticipating and preempting the demands of the industry as a whole is just one of the reasons why Stream57 is driving the future of streaming media.

Multi-video support, to be officially released with the launch of the StreamLine 2.9 webcasting software platform, will be rolled out through select presentations in the coming weeks. Look for upcoming demonstrations, examples and many multi-video webcasts in the coming weeks.

Multi-video webcasting technology is a perfect balance between standard video conferencing solutions and much more expensive and stationary telepresence systems. The ability for multiple presenters to contribute to a web conference makes this technology much more useful as a conferenece and collaboration tool.

Chambers remarked that the social networking culture driving by the younger generation, will lead the way to the next stage of business technology. While his remarks shouldn’t be considered as an actual forecast of his company’s performance, Chambers predicted that U.S. productivity will rise 3 to 5 percent in the next decade, returning to the boom of the 1990s.

Technologies such as Cisco’s telepresence and video conferencing services will allow businesses to perform tasks much more quickly at a reduced cost. Chambers said telepresence has allowed him to meet with twice as many customers while spending half the time on the road - a process that for Cisco as a whole saved $150 million last year and $100 million this year.

With a general “leadership” theme at the WBF in NY, Chambers argued that improved technology led to a different management model. He said the old style of “command and control,” where he and other top management dictated the process of a new project to others in the company, was at one time the more efficient way to move forward. With collaboration and communication technology making instant online meetings more efficient and affordable, that’s all about to change.

Telepresence solutions strive to make online meetings as realistic as possible. Desks, monitors, and directional microphones and speakers make it seem that you are actually talking directly to a person instead of blankly looking at a camera. While this solution might be the most comfortable and “futuristic” way to communicate, it’s expensive and not necessarily the most productive.

Traditional video conferencing, offered in a wide variety of flavors, is a much more cost effective solution with additional features to enhance collaboration. Whiteboarding, discrete messaging, file sharing and other features allow you to not only see the person you’re communicating with, but collaborate with them on projects simultaneously.

While telepresence may replace board meetings with disparate board members and company officers, as a stand alone technology in a tightening economy it seems inefficient. I think that eventually, telepresence and typical video conferencing systems will merge into a single type of collaboration communication as technology and adoption of the services increase. For now, video conferencing services like InstantPresenter that offer full video conferencing, web conferencing and webinar services at a fraction of the cost of telepresence seems like a much more efficient solution for your business.

Cisco Vice President, Bert vanderZwan

As we expand our international footprint it’s important for us to meet internationally accepted standards in addition to US requirements. These updates to our infrastructure demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that our customers’ meetings are the most secure in the industry.

Cisco WebEx is also actively pursuing ISO-27001 certification, as recently made available by the ISO board. In addition, it reviews against DIACAP (Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process) and FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) requirements, and submits source code for all major product releases to third-party reviewers, with results made available in an independent security report.

Wednesday’s video conference was the first time the family of three was able to be “together” since Hotard’s deployment. To partake in the video conference, Hotard is required to travel across the war zone from Baharia to Fallujah since that is the only location that has the equipment required to interface with the video conferencing that Freedom Calls enables.

Mariela Hotard:

I’m so thankful that Saint Francis Hospital stepped up to help us in our time of need. I thought I’d be having this baby alone and could never have imagined that my husband could be here to meet the baby when he is 8,000 miles away fighting a war. This means the world to me and my family.

Freedom Calls will arrange for the Hotards to video conference three times a month from their home so that the family can stay in touch, and so that Brandon can see his daughter grow up. The family video conferences are being conducted over the satellite network that Freedom Calls has built in cooperation with the Army and Marines to serve U.S. deployed military personnel and their families 24 hours per day, free of charge. It is funded 100% by donations from the public.