ChannelLife New Zealand - Industry insider news for technology resellers
Story image
New panoramic video conference camera by Jabra
Wed, 19th Jun 2019
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Jabra is to releases the PanaCast, a smart, panoramic-4K plug-and-play video camera with a 180-degree panoramic view that ensures everyone in the room is seen.

The PanaCast is designed for huddle rooms and spaces, delivering wall-to-wall video and audio, and data that is critical for modern video collaboration.

Jabra PanaCast is an intelligent panoramic video collaboration device with three 13-megapixel cameras, working together as one via core technology embedded in the built-in processor.

The multi-camera array solution offers a 180-degree panoramic field of view delivering a naturally immersive experience and giving everyone in the room equal possibility for participation.

The device uses fourth-generation stitching technology and Intelligent Vision software to ensure optimal performance.

It enables companies to make use of their full meeting spaces, eliminating the approximately 40% room wastage seen with conventional camera solutions.

The PanaCast's built-in people detection technologies will provide the possibility of system-wide business intelligence by capturing accurate usage and occupancy information.

As AV and IT become more and more integrated, the need for accurate data and metrics increases.

The upcoming PanaCast API will enable developers and partners to query the system for real-time information, such as people count data.

The advanced AI utilises a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to count the number of people in the field of view, up to 12m away, and provide numeric data which organisations can use to inform decisions.

The technology will be available through the Jabra PanaCast API built for the Windows operating system and can be used for large areas like classrooms, auditoriums and general gatherings.

“We have always valued the importance of sound and personal interaction in every product within our Jabra portfolio,” says Jabra CEO René Svendsen-Tune.

“The introduction of Jabra PanaCast shows our commitment to enable businesses to achieve optimal collaboration and productivity through both sound and video technology. Now is the time to bring remote workers and huddle room participants closer together through the addition of high-quality plug-and-play video to your huddle rooms.

Jabra's conference speakerphone series “Speak” can be integrated with PanaCast, which boasts an omni-directional microphone and HD Voice – providing 360-degree coverage and picking up sounds from any angle.

The PanaCast easily mounts on a digital display or on a wall with available mounting hardware.

The USB based connection allows connection to any compatible device for instant setup and mobile meeting capability.

The solution is compatible with popular cloud-based solutions including Microsoft Teams, Skype, Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Slack, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, Unify Circuit, BlueJeans and more.

“We want to challenge the market in both video and audio solutions with a solution that offers the best in audio, video and data. And the first responses are promising: users report a four-time growth in video-based meetings and a nearly 20% reduction in meeting duration,” adds Svendsen-Tune.

Available from end-August 2019. This product announcement follows the recent acquisition of Altia Systems.

Key features and specifications: 

  • Simple plug-and-play operation with no software required via a single USB cable
     
  • 180-degree panoramic view seamlessly integrates video from three cameras with real-time dynamic stitching embedded in the onboard Jabra PanaCast Vision Processor
     
  • Naturally inclusive and immersive experience gives everyone equal participation
     
  • Crystal clear sound that picks up every voice in the room w. Jabra Speak series
     
  • 0% wasted space with industry-first multi-camera array system
     
  • Intelligent Vision (AI) products sense, anticipate and adjust automatically so people can focus on their meeting and discussion
     
  • Industry-first Intelligent Zoom autonomously and continuously optimises the field of view to include everyone in the conversation
     
  • Jabra PanaCast Vivid 2.0 automatically adjusts the video properties to optimise the video experience under varying light conditions
     
  • The upcoming open and standards-based API provides data for companies and ecosystem partners to build value-added services that can help optimise workflows, automate room/calendar management, enable green energy initiatives like automatically turning off unused equipment (smart building capabilities enablement)