Using a remote, a user can make the camera pan across a room, zoom in on one person or object, and tilt up and down. The remote can also be used for call control. In a demonstration in a dim room, the image from the camera was sharp, wide enough for three people, and automatically adjusted for slightly greater brightness. The remote was easy to understand, with a simple four-way control for panning and tilting.

The ConferenceCam's interoperability with other systems is thanks to its use of the H.264 video standard, which allows it to work with most other videoconferencing platforms, Kintz said. Though there are differences in lighting and sound between a BCC950 ConferenceCam and dedicated room systems such as Cisco TelePresence, Logitech users will be able to appear in HD quality on the Cisco system.

The BCC950 ConferenceCam is set to ship in May through Logitech for Business's channel partners. Logitech for Business, formed last year to market the company's standard products to businesses, now has started to develop its own products, such as the ConferenceCam, Kintz said.

The IDG News Service