VIENNA, Austria, February 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Success drives the rollout of Microsoft's innovative RoundTable 360-degree videoconferencing system.

Microsoft Corp today announced increased Western European availability of its unique Microsoft RoundTable videoconferencing system. Enterprises in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland can now enjoy the next generation of videoconferencing, maximising effective communication, reducing costs and giving businesses the opportunity to turn meetings into corporate assets.

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Microsoft RoundTable is an all-in-one videoconferencing device that broadcasts synchronised audio and video over a standard Windows-based PC. A tabletop device, not much bigger than a traditional speakerphone at the base, it captures and provides a 360-degree panoramic view of everyone in the meeting. Microsoft RoundTable follows the conversation, identifying individual speakers and broadcasting their image in close-up as they talk; as people enter the conversation, the system cuts seamlessly between active speakers.

Traditional audio teleconferencing presents problems, with effective interaction falling away as the number of participants increases -- establishing who is speaking at any given time becomes more and more difficult. Videoconferencing systems overcome this obstacle but are expensive and difficult to install, and can be complicated to operate. The results are a limited number of expensively adapted meeting rooms, which often need to be booked days in advance. The inflexibility of each solution can mean that physical meetings are unavoidable, with attendant costs and complications.

Unlike standard videoconferencing systems, Microsoft RoundTable is easy to use, requiring little or no training to operate. Its plug-and-play deployment means that, once the system is connected via Universal Serial Bus (USB) to either Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 or Microsoft Office Live Meeting service (2007), it is ready to use.

"Microsoft RoundTable looks like, and is as simple to use as, a teleconference audio phone but delivers the effective communication of videoconferencing," said Lukas Keller, Unified Communications Business lead at Microsoft. "Any space can become a videoconferencing room in the time it takes to attach Microsoft RoundTable's USB cable to a computer with a network connection -- and at a fraction of the cost of current systems. In extending availability, Microsoft is helping its Western European customers to save time and money whilst significantly increasing meeting effectiveness."

Leveraging meeting value, Microsoft RoundTable can also turn discussions into corporate assets. By recording them the system allows users to see content, view any Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation used and, importantly, understand the meeting dynamic by watching participants in real time. Recorded audio and video is synchronised with meeting content so users can easily fast-forward and rewind to relevant sections of the meeting.

Companies that include Netherlands water company Evides have been using the Microsoft RoundTable system. "We've found that Microsoft RoundTable has exceeded our expectations for ease of use, functionality, and time and money saved on travel," said Jan Urbanus, ICT manager at Evides. "We are now starting a major project involving two sites at opposite ends of the country. Before Microsoft RoundTable, staff would face a trip of at least four hours, but now we can use that time more productively with team members able to communicate and collaborate as though meeting face-to-face. Moreover, because Microsoft RoundTable is not tied to a specific meeting room, our people have the flexibility to hold virtual meetings wherever and whenever they want."

"Executives know the cost, disruption and dislocation that business travel can entail. Microsoft RoundTable delivers a videoconferencing system that is mobile, simple to deploy and use, and much less expensive than existing solutions," Keller said. "Microsoft RoundTable's flexibility ensures that there is now a much more effective way to bring people together in Europe and around the world."

Microsoft RoundTable is now available for customers to purchase at an estimated retail price of US$3,000 (US) through a direct Microsoft order process and, shortly, via authorised resellers in 13 Western European countries:

-- Austria -- Denmark -- Finland -- France -- Germany -- Ireland -- Italy -- Netherlands -- Norway -- Spain -- Sweden -- Switzerland -- UK

More information about Microsoft Unified Communications and Microsoft RoundTable, including purchasing information, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/uc/products/roundtable.mspx.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)

Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corp shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.

Web site: http://www.microsoft.com

Daniela Trivelloni, Microsoft Western Europe PR Manager, +44-(0)-7812-338101, i-datriv@microsoft.com; or Dan Roche, or Lucy Fairbrass, both of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +44-(0)-207-632-3800, WEIWPR@waggeneredstrom.com, for Microsoft; or Microsoft EMEA Response Centre, emearesponse@waggeneredstrom.com ; NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft in EMEA, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/emea or the EMEA Press Centre at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at the time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/contactus. If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft Corp, please visit the Microsoft web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages ; Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO, AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org, PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com