Polycom and HP have announced a broad strategic alliance: Polycom will acquire HP’s visual collaboration business and the two companies will partner for telepresence and video unified communications solutions.
Under the terms of a signed agreement, Polycom will acquire the assets of HP’s visual collaboration business, including the Halo Products and managed services operation. As part of the initiative, Polycom will serve as an exclusive partner to HP for telepresence and certain video UC solutions, including both resale and internal HP deployments. The two companies have also agreed to make available Polycom’s video applications for HP’s webOS platform.
As part of the agreement, Polycom will provide software technology and UC infrastructure expertise for mobile, desktop, room and telepresence solutions. HP will provide expertise for UC solutions marketing, and it will resell Polycom’s personal and group UC devices, UC infrastructure, UC managed services and audio/video software.
Given HP’s installed base of visual collaboration products and technology, the acquisition and alliance will extend Polycom’s market share in the unified communications and collaboration market as the partnership broadens the strategic relationship between the two companies and expands the UC solutions HP offers its global customer base.
Commenting in a prepared statement, Andrew Miller, Polycom president and CEO, said, “The transaction makes the most of the strength of two industry leading, customer-centric organizations to offer a seamless UC experience with high-quality, enterprise-class telepresence solutions to millions of customers. Our broadened relationship with HP underscores Polycom’s focus and commitment to bring the most advanced and innovative UC solutions to market.”
Shane Robison, HP executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer, also commented, saying, “This transaction and alliance allows us to focus on executing our strategy in cloud computing and connectivity, while ensuring the long-term care of our customers and development of our services business.”
The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2011, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
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