Frost & Sullivan Lauds PGi's Approach of Broadening its Portfolio with Lighter Desktop-Based Solutions that Deliver Audio/Video Conferencing and Web Collaboration

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the Conferencing Service Provider (CSP) based videoconferencing services market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes PGi with the 2011 North America Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Line Strategy. PGi's iMeet^® video conferencing and GlobalMeet^® web and audio conferencing solutions allow users to enjoy best-in-class, browser-based meetings with no guest downloads, an innovative "connect me" audio dial-out functionality, and flexible pricing options. These two mobile applications make it simple to connect to meetings anytime, anywhere and from any device.

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"PGi is positioning iMeet as a browser-based virtual meeting room application supporting video, which essentially brings the benefits of meeting face-to-face online to anyone and everyone," said Frost & Sullivan Principal Telecom Analyst Ronald Gruia. "PGi is perfectly positioned to be the provider of choice in an already growing segment of the videoconferencing hosted services market: desktop videoconferencing."

The iMeet marketing initiative has been largely viral and involved free trials to bolster acceptance among early adopters, supported by a multimedia awareness campaign. The pricing models are a mix of flat rate and license fee, with additional charges for add-on applications. The goal is to augment the adoption of videoconferencing services throughout enterprises, above and beyond telepresence or video rooms, and deliver superior quality of experience (QoE), along with the simplicity and efficiency of Internet-based tools.

While there are already informal "prosumer" applications that are readily available for free, the QoE in PGi's iMeet and GlobalMeet solutions makes them the conferencing solutions of choice among mid- to enterprise-level companies. The cost effectiveness, ease of use, and mobility of PGi's products provide high quality customer experience for all companies, big and small. iMeet, in particular, has gained a reputation for being simple, personal and mobile.

"Since most laptop models come with front-facing cameras, a light client that leverages collaboration alongside audio and video conferencing can be very useful in increasing enterprise-wide awareness and adoption of videoconferencing," notes Gruia. "PGi's meeting tools not only fulfill this requirement, but have also caught the eye of cost-conscious enterprises with their hosted pricing model."

In addition, the cloud-based model penetration in small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will grow over time, providing PGi with considerable opportunities, as SMBs in the United States represent about 56 percent of the total workforce (65 million workers).

PGi's iMeet product offers users their own personal meeting room online that combines videoconferencing, audio conferencing, social networking and file sharing. iMeet's mobility suite for the iPhone and iPad provides users the essential tools for meeting on the go.

"Given that desktop videoconferencing adoption remains relatively low, we believe that the market is ripe for this type of solution: a robust, enterprise-class application that requires no downloads, takes few desktop/laptop resources and can deliver a compelling end-user experience," observed Gruia.  "Adoption of the hosted model by SMBs is expected to grow solidly over time, with the resulting impact on market share being pretty significant."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates the most insight into the needs and product demands of its customers. The recipient company optimizes its product line by leveraging products with the various price, performance and feature points required by one or more market segments.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About PGi
PGi has been a global leader in virtual meetings for 20 years. Our cloud-based solutions deliver multi-point, real-time virtual collaboration using video, voice and file sharing technologies. PGi solutions are available via desktops, tablets or mobile devices, helping businesses worldwide be more productive, mobile and green.  PGi has a global presence in 25 countries and an established base of more than 35,000 enterprise customers, including 75% of the Fortune 100^™.  In the last five years, we have hosted more than 725 million people from 137 countries in over 65 million meetings. For more information, visit us at http://www.pgi.com.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan