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Highfive Meeting Connector overcomes vendor-to-vendor incompatibility, allowing users to easily meet and collaborate

REDWOOD CITY, CALIF., September 9, 2019 – Highfive today announced the general availability of Highfive Meeting Connector, a tool that allows any Highfive user to connect directly with third-party video conferencing platforms, including BlueJeans, Webex, Zoom, and other SIP-enabled platforms. Meeting Connector removes barriers to connectivity such as toggling between meeting platforms or connecting with outside organizations that use other meeting platforms, which can burden workers and inhibit collaboration. The interoperability capability developed by Highfive is the first of its kind.

Meeting Connector was built using proprietary technology from Highfive and functions that leveraged vendor APIs, WebRTC, and SIP interoperability. It is designed to enable teams to use hardware and software they’ve already deployed and then connect with parties using other meeting services. Unlike today’s existing integrations, such as purpose-built applications that connect two technologies like a Poly system or Zoom, Meeting Connector requires no special configuration and serves as a bridge between SIP-enabled meeting systems.

“While the video collaboration industry has come a long way in the last decade, we still tend to cling to legacy technologies and proprietary services. But is this approach what’s best for better collaboration so teams can get their best work done?” commented Joe Manuele, CEO at Highfive. “iPhone users can easily text with Android users, so why shouldn’t Highfive connect with another meeting vendor? Our ability to connect transcends the time, energy and frustration drain workers experience when there are barriers to connecting and collaborating with others.”

Given the migration to the cloud and availability of modern SIP and WebRTC technologies, Highfive’s Meeting Connector provides a seamless experience for end users who are able to connect with others with just a single tap. Meeting Connector was specifically created for mid-level and enterprise-size businesses that often leverage multiple video conferencing platforms across teams and with external clients. The new capability provides a way for these organizations to allow varying technologies across teams while ensuring the entire company can connect without hassle.

Corporate meeting rooms remain a linchpin in fostering greater adoption of video meeting capabilities in the enterprise, according to a recent research note titled “The Diverging Paths to the Meeting Room” authored by Sr. Enterprise Video Analyst Steve Vonder Haar of Wainhouse Research. The WR research note and their complementing end-user survey highlighted that individuals who use video meetings most frequently prefer doing so from the confines of a conference room instead of using video meeting solutions accessible from desktop computers or mobile devices. Additionally, more than four out of five (83%) respondents to WR’s July 2019 survey of 304 information technology executives say their organization has either already implemented or is “very interested” in using cloud-based, room-based video conferencing services.

“For any provider of room-based video conferencing services, the ability to deliver interoperability with other services is vitally important,” said Vonder Haar. “Highfive’s new Meeting Connector capability is likely to be viewed as a significant enhancement for all Highfive customers.”

“In our ongoing mission to make video conferencing ubiquitous, Highfive continues to make timely investments in smart technology, giving end users a seamless experience from the desktop to their Highfive meeting room,” concluded Manuele.

Meeting Connector is free for Highfive customers and is available now.