Tandberg, a leading provider of HD video conferencing and mobile video products and services, has unveiled its Quick Set C20, the first-of-its-kind 1080 pixel video conferencing solution aimed at meeting the needs of SMBs.

The Tandberg Quick Set C20, which, according to a report, provides absolute quality in a compact, scalable, affordable plug-and-play solution, is expected to give small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) a competitive edge.

The SMBs will lead the economic recovery in large part due to their ability to be more nimble and responsive to opportunities, the report said.

Implementing high-quality, easy-to-use visual communications solutions, or expanding existing solutions, is simple and affordable without compromising on quality, said Fredrik Halvorsen, CEO, Tandberg.

“Tandberg predicts that SMBs will recover faster than many larger companies and we plan to help them succeed,” said Halvorsen.

“We are very excited to introduce the Tandberg Quick Set C20 as the first offering of its kind – providing absolute quality video at a price point within the reach of smaller businesses,” he added.

“With 1080 pixel team video conferencing, small and medium sized companies are able to appear larger. Video enables a lean staff to increase customer face time and reduce travel expenses; recruit top talent no matter where they are located; and build a culture around collaboration which will help SMBs adapt to changing realities.

“There’s no doubt that the most innovative and productive SMBs of today will be the large corporations of tomorrow.”

Comprising 90 per cent of the world’s workforce, SMBs are focused now more than ever on innovative ways to leverage opportunities and reduce operating costs.

By eliminating the need for travel – whether a six hour flight to meet with a customer, or one hour spent in traffic traveling to a local office – the Quick Set C20 helps reduce costs and improve productivity, while bringing together employees, customers, remote experts and suppliers to make faster, smarter decisions - all with an immediate return on investment, Halvorsen noted.

In the past, smaller businesses dismissed video conferencing as a technology for larger global corporations, but that’s no longer the case. Tandberg customer Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA), a firm with a staff of 350, cut costs and increased productivity with team video conferencing.

“Video conferencing means we can truly work across boundaries to collaborate on projects,” said David Hughes, CEO, SHCA. “It’s a huge boon for productivity and I wish we’d done it sooner.”

Roopam Jain, principal analyst – conferencing & collaboration, Frost & Sullivan, said: “SMBs are increasingly becoming remote, heightening their need for effective conferencing solutions to carry on normal business operations.”

“Video conferencing, while very effective, has traditionally required expensive equipment and resources, making it uneconomical for this group,” he continued.

“The Tandberg Quick Set C20 is unique in that it provides a plug-and-play high-definition video conferencing solution at an attractive price point that is easy to install; a requirement for many SMBs who have limited IT resources.

“Moreover, the high-quality visual and audio experience, coupled with the ability to get enhanced features through a simple software upgrade instead of requiring new expensive hardware makes the Quick Set C20 a great value for SMBs.”

The Quick Set C20 is a complete visual communication package that includes a Tandberg Codec C20, a high-resolution 1080p30 camera with 4x zoom, a remote control and a microphone. The system can be plugged into any high definition display for immediate video conferencing capabilities from anywhere in the world.

The Tandberg Quick Set C20plus is an enhanced offering that comes with a 12x zoom camera and the ab