As easy to use as a smart phone, the P3000 Unified Communication System is a sleek, portable, self-contained videoconferencing system that comes in a thin, lightweight (1.6 inches, or 40 mm), notebook-sized package containing a camera, microphone, speaker, network connectivity and a push-button console. Thanks to the portable design, users can simply connect the P3000 to the network and participate in a video conference and share documents from anywhere, making reserving a dedicated conference room for video conferencing a thing of the past.

Connecting up to 20 participants at once with the push of a button, the hardware/software combination features a wide-angle camera for clearly capturing small groups of participants in a single frame. It also includes an address book for quickly connecting participants, flexible screen sharing and easy controls for spotlighting participants on screen. The P3000 combines the security and video quality of much more expensive, fixed-room videoconferencing systems at a fraction of the cost and complexity.

To complement this powerful device, Ricoh unveiled its Unified Communication System Apps, enabled by Vidyo's APIs. This software application (free download) is priced at a reasonable monthly subscription fee for Windows computers and iPad(®) devices that give users the same secure, encrypted videoconferencing capabilities of the P3000 without the hardware. As with the P3000, resolution and frame rate are automatically controlled based on network load for smooth, stress-free communication. Users can now quickly and easily initiate a real-time video and audio conferencing session via the cloud, from wherever they are, including the home office, traditional office, conference room or airport.

"Our research has shown that people who want to work outside the office fear they will lose connection with their organizations and become irrelevant," said Matt Sakauchi, Vice President, Visual Communications Group, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "The P3000 and the Unified Communication System Apps close this gap between the worker and the organization, giving workers and other participants the business-quality, face-to-face experience they want - anywhere at any time."

Built on the VidyoWorks platform
The P3000 and software applications, initially offered in Japan, are the first Ricoh products resulting from a partnership with videoconferencing company Vidyo as part of Ricoh's entry into the unified communications market. Now available in the United States, the P3000 is built on Vidyo's patented H.264 scalable video coding architecture which delivers unmatched telepresence-quality video conferencing over the Internet, 4G and LTE networks.

The VidyoWorks(TM) platform at the heart of the cloud-based service that powers the P3000 leverages Vidyo's patented VidyoRouter(TM) architecture, eliminating the need for a multipoint control unit (MCU). It offers unprecedented error resiliency, low latency and rate matching. These strengths combine to provide a natural, affordable, high-quality video experience.

"The P3000 is a game-changing product and is a perfect example of how our VidyoWorks platform can simplify enterprise grade business communications and workflow," said Ofer Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of Vidyo. "This innovative service is another example of how our platform can drive industry changing cloud-based services and open new markets previously not addressed by legacy video conferencing solutions."

The P3000 Unified Communication System is available today through Ricoh's direct sales force for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $2,200 (USD), plus a monthly subscription to a cloud service. The Ricoh Unified Communication System Apps, available for Windows here and iPad at the iTunes Store(®), are included with the paid monthly subscription.