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CallWave Shows Some Online Conferencing SaaS with FUZEBy Pedro HernandezSeptember 16, 2008
Today, CallWave released FUZE, an aptly-named convergence of high-definition video delivery, voice, online collaboration, instant messaging, telepresence and online whiteboard features built on a software as a service (SaaS) model. When travel budgets were flush and airline fares cheap, no one gave a second thought to booking a flight and traveling clear across the country for a day or two of meetings. Things are different now that businesses are trimming expenses in an effort to stem the effects of a global economic decline and cutting sources of carbon emissions to be green. Meanwhile the web browser is quickly becoming a conduit for conducting all manner of business, a shift that's not lost on CallWave. More than just an online meetings platform, CallWave President and CEO, Jeff Cavins, says FUZE reflects how today's employees approach their work lives. He states that "this new workforce communicates in real time, grew up on social networks." Cavins also points to increasingly decentralized pools of skill and talent -- a "workforce virtualization" of sorts -- made possible by broadband adoption, as a factor that influenced FUZE's development. This, of course, means appealing to the tech and Internet-savvy. In a recent, through-its-paces demonstration, the default interface revealed a clean, darkened, and clear-cut UI with an unmistakable Web 2.0 aesthetic. The interface is dominated by a main screen -- in this case a video with a real-time, whiteboard-like overlay -- surrounded by controls, IM windows and participant indicators. The objective, according to Cavins, was to craft a functional, "Fisher-Price simple" experience for users. And not just for workers in front of full-featured PC or laptop. Operating on the principle that "mobility is the computing platform of the future," the hosted service's footprint covers not just personal computers, but also the lion's share of business smartphones such as BlackBerry, Nokia, and Windows Mobile-powered handhelds. The capability comes as a result of the company's WebMessenger acquisition last month, which also makes integration with Microsoft's desktop extending Office Communication Server (OCS) technology possible. And not to worry, the iPhone has not been overlooked. It is with this broad footprint and the lure of "true interoperability" that CallWave is preparing distributed enterprises for a SaaS-powered online collaboration and conferencing future. Besides the primary goal of "delivery everything in real time and high fidelity," according to Cavins, the FUZE also provides "federation across all public and private networks and federates all presence agents." Other enterprise-centric features include the security of 128-bit SSL encryption, document sharing and Microsoft Outlook integration, which allows users schedule conferences and issue invites within Outlook's calendar. However, it is the ability to deliver high-definition video (bandwidth permitting) with synchronized play, pause, zoom and overlaid annotations that CallWave says sets the product apart, particularly for creative professionals and businesses involved in corporate video training. The service is built on Amazon S3, in part. CallWave's FUZE is available now. Currently, the company is offering a free trial and introductory pricing of $19 per month for yearly subscribers and $29 per month for those that prefer to go month-to-month.
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