Poly

Poly is a developer and manufacturer of voice, video, content collaboration, and communication technology. The communication company is born from Polycom and Plantronics, an electronics company.

Jeffrey Rodman, and Brian L. Hinman, who were colleagues at PictureTel Corp, co-founded Polycom in 1990, while Plantronics was founded in 1961. In 1992, Polycom introduced the “SoundStation” conference phone, which earned the company $1.4 million in revenue in their first fiscal year. In 1996, Polycom appeared on NASDAQ as PLCM. In 1997, the company introduced a document conferencing projector with live annotation—the ShowStation—and in 1998, Polycom earned $100 million in annual revenue and introduced “ViewStation” to the video market.

In 2001, Polycom acquired PictureTel and entered the VoIP business through another acquisition, Circa, leading to the launch of the SoundPoint IP 500 using open standard SIP protocol. In 2003, the company's HD voice product, the “SoundStation VTX 1000” was released. Polycom unveiled the “Real Presence” media application and converged management application for multi-point enterprise video calls in 2008. In 2009, Polycom delivered HD video solutions to the healthcare industry, allowing professionals to converse over long distances and launched CAPspace to connect educators using video collaboration or classroom projects.

In 2011, Polycom announced the acquisition of the HP visual collaboration unit and entered the video content management space via an acquisition of Accordent Technologies. By 2014, RealPresence One was launched as a virtualized solution for conferences and communication in businesses of different kinds. With RealPresence solutions, businesses working with Polycom can access video conferencing solutions anywhere, with a browser and a web camera. On the 15th of April, 2016, Polycom announced an expectation to be purchased by Mitel Networks for $1.96 billion. Instead, the company took an all-cash offer for acquisition from a company based in New York, called Siris Capital Group. In 2019, Polycom and Plantronics merged to form Poly.

The company has a range of products including the following:

• Bluetooth Headsets & Headphones
• DECT Wireless Headsets
• USB Headsets
• Call Center Headsets

One of Poly's headsets. The Poly Savi 7300

• IP Conference Phones

• USB/Bluetooth Speakerphone

Elara 60 Series

• Desk Phones

• Wireless Phones

Poly CCX Series for Zoom

• Group Video Solutions

• Personal Video Solutions & Webcams

• Video Carts

Poly Studio P15

The company has a range of products for different industries:

• Customer Service Solutions: the company offers different kinds of headsets, cameras, IP desk phones, and audio processors to customer service departments in organizations.
• Education Solutions: Poly offers the POLY STUDIO X50—a video solution that can be mounted on a monitor or cart, and the POLY EDUCART 2—a cart that includes a G7500 video system.
• Financial Services: for business, the company offers products like the SAVI 8200 series with a wireless Dect headset system, which allows users conference on up to two devices at once and choose from three styles—mono, stereo, or convertible.
• Solutions for Government: The company offers the POLY G750—a room-based video system used in courtrooms and meeting spaces that can integrate with multiple microphones and camera systems, the POLY STUDIO X50—a video system that is ideal for visitation and telehealth applications that can be integrated with Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other service providers, as well as TRIO C60—a speakerphone ideal for a courtroom and office where remote participants will be brought in.
• Solutions for Healthcare: Poly offers a Telehealth Station and Cart that enable telemedicine programs to conduct full remote patient encounters, a POLY STUDIO X30 / X50, which are clinics and consultation rooms that require an all-in-one video solution that can be mounted on a monitor or cart, as well as the CCX 700—a solution for smaller spaces like school-based health programs.
• Solutions for Media and Entertainment: The company offers the POLY STUDIO P5 KITS—HD web cams that can be paired with different headsets or speakerphones.