Korea - Sep 17, 2012 : Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), today announced that POSCO Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (POSCO E&C) has selected Polycom RealPresence video collaboration solutions, for its Video Conferencing Project, designed to accelerate business operations and minimize travel through enhanced collaboration between the company's head office, local offices, and constructions sites in and out of Korea, and globally, including operations in Brazil and Indonesia.

 

Working together with POSCO ICT, a specialized company in IT & Engineering, POSCO Engineering and Construction deployed Polycom RealPresence video solutions – including Polycom® RealPresence® Room systems – in six locations across Korea including executive conference rooms in its Songdo office building, and conference rooms for employees in provincial areas. The system was also built in 13 locations in nine countries abroad including China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, Australia, Chile, Peru, and Israel.

 

A key requirement for the project was the need for a secure and stable system interoperable with other solutions and highly scalable. Polycom’s video solutions are powered by the Polycom® RealPresence® Platform – the most comprehensive and interoperable UC software infrastructure for universal video collaboration – which transforms islands of fragmented communications systems into a seamless culture of collaboration, with enterprise-grade video easily and securely accessible to all authorized personnel whether they’re mobile, remote, or on-site.

 

With an easy-to-use interface, proven reliability, and capacity for multi-lateral collaborations, the video solutions have already been used frequently across POSCO’s offices including those in Seoul and Busan, and construction sites in many different parts of the world for everything from business and executive meetings, design and process review and remote inspections, to project team meetings with construction crew and remote site staff, conducting as many as 15 video calls a day on average, across the company’s global sites. By replacing business trips with video, the company secured a channel for quick information sharing and interactive collaboration, thereby helping to enhance productivity and ensure business continuity. The company frequently connects anywhere between 40 to 800 participants over video at the one time, and is benefitting from streamlined operations and smooth collaboration.

 

“POSCO E&C has long been a believer in advanced information and communication technology, first deploying early-stage video collaboration solutions almost 20 years ago. With Polycom video, we have been able to reduce the number of unnecessary meetings and reporting, while improving the work efficiency and productivity of our employees. With video collaboration, we are able to connect to remote staff in construction sites across the globe and initiate instant collaboration between our Korean offices and sites abroad including in Brazil and Indonesia,” said Jae-hyun Kwon, manager, Administrative Support Group, Management Support Division, POSCO Engineering and Construction.

 

“The result has been phenomenal: we have significantly accelerated our time-to-market on key projects, improved our productivity, and cut our travel substantially. With Polycom high-quality video solutions, POSCO E&C’s Video Conferencing Project will continue to grow and progress well into the future,” Jae-hyun Kwon added.

 

As part of the project, POSCO E&C also deployed Polycom® RealPresence® Collaboration Server (Polycom® RMX®), a solution for multi-party conferencing, which supports features such as continuous presence and superior high-definition audio. With this solution, the company can securely and efficiently connect multiple parties across its 19 different offices and construction sites across continents. Combined with the Polycom video content sharing capabilities, POSCO E&C staff can more easily discuss process and design and view content up close in maximum clarity, allowing for more accurate and productive project review meetings, without having to hold face-to-face meetings.

 

Going forward, POSCO E&C aims to expand its current video network to create a “Smart Meeting Culture,” whereby all employees can participate via video conferencing beyond the office and meeting rooms, and have access through desktop PCs and mobile devices.

 

“POSCO E&C is a leading global construction company, and is attracting attention from other companies with its successful use of video to connect construction sites in many different parts of the world to its offices. By maximizing the utilization of video collaboration solutions for secure and accurate communications anytime and anywhere, POSCO E&C is able to greatly enhance its working environment,” said Dae-jun Shin, country manager of Polycom Korea.