Last week it was announced by an analyst from Piper Jaffrey that Apple plans to release its long awaited Apple iTV product sometime around next November. The new product - not to be confused with the existing Apple TV set top box "hobby" - is expected to come in either 47 or 55-inch screen models. What really interested me was the "news" that the devices would also include both Siri voice controls and FaceTime video conferencing. The units are supposedly going to be priced between $1,200 to $2,000.
If Apple really does this then what they will essentially be releasing is a single codec telepresence unit with unmatched video clarity and some pretty cool features. Can you imagine how cool it would be to use Siri for call set-up and completion? "Siri - call Chris Lynch at the Boston office." Boom - call done. And if no answer there could be a follow-me aspect that would them to ring my cell phone (which Apple probably hopes is an iPhone - maybe exclusive features for that).
There could be some interoperability issues to work out but the VTC market is mature enough so that shouldn't be an issue. The 2011 market for single codec telepresence units was about $1 billion but that was just for new units many going into legacy networks. An Apple product like described above could prompt people to do massive upgrades or put these Apple iTV units into places these units normally don't go. A unit only costing $1,200-2,000 would be peanuts for most businesses - especially when the device can double as a person's PC screen in a small office.
Re-making the videoconferencing market may be the actual goal of the Apple iTV product. Brilliant if it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment