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Tag: BlueJeans

  • Verizon Updates BlueJeans to Support Remote Learning

    Verizon Updates BlueJeans to Support Remote Learning

    Verizon has announced an update to BlueJeans, one that brings support for remote learning.

    BlueJeans is the Zoom competitor that Verizon bought in April 2020, at the outset of the pandemic. The company has since been integrating the platform in its various services, striking deals for other companies to support it and expanding its support for other industries, such as Telehealth.

    In the latest update, Verizon is adding Remote Learning to BlueJeans’ capabilities.

    “Teachers are telling us they’re lost, and they’re struggling to keep students engaged in today’s live virtual setting,” said Amy Jefferson, Head of Americas Revenue and Growth, BlueJeans by Verizon. “Having to spend time playing administrator and technical support expert is minimizing their ability to think through compelling, interactive ways to deliver the curriculum virtually. By bringing together our comprehensive education, collaboration and training features into one consolidated experience, we’re making it easy for teachers to operationalize their learning environment so they can go back to focusing on what matters most—educating students.”

    The new Teacher Dashboard is designed to provide an instructor with the various classroom management tools they need. Remote Learning features include student rosters, customizable layouts, flexible views, floating chats and teaching apps.

    Teachers and organizations can learn more at https://www.bluejeans.com/use-cases/education.

  • Verizon Launches BlueJeans Telehealth

    Verizon Launches BlueJeans Telehealth

    Verizon is continuing to leverage its BlueJeans acquisition with the launch of BlueJeans Telehealth.

    BlueJeans is a videoconferencing platform that Verizon bought in April 2020, at the outset of the pandemic. Since the acquisition, Verizon has been heavily promoting BlueJeans, using it for its own services and partnering with other companies.

    Now Verizon is expanding into telehealth, providing a way for patients and healthcare providers to connect virtually.

    “While the use of telemedicine has been steadily growing for some time now, the pandemic has accelerated telehealth adoption and changed the conversation around what patient care will look like moving forward,” said Tami Erwin, CEO, Verizon Business. “We worked closely with an advisory board of health system clinicians and healthcare decision-makers to build BlueJeans Telehealth specifically to address the most pressing needs for a virtual-first telehealth offering–from ease of experience to enhanced security. Today’s launch is just the beginning for Verizon in what we see as the future of telehealth, especially when you consider the innovation that will come from 5G mobility, broadband and cloud capabilities.”

    While the global pandemic has greatly accelerated the adoption of telehealth medicine, the industry is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Verizon is clearly positioning itself and BlueJeans to play a pivotal role in the transition.

  • Microsoft and Verizon Deepen Teams/BlueJeans Partnership

    Microsoft and Verizon Deepen Teams/BlueJeans Partnership

    Verizon has announced further integration between Microsoft Teams and its BlueJeans videoconferencing platform.

    Verizon purchased BlueJeans in April 2019, in the early days of the pandemic, in an effort to gain a bigger piece of the remote work and collaboration market. Verizon quickly started buildingon BlueJeans’ existing features, and added partnerships to help speed its adoption.

    Microsoft Teams is one of the biggest partnerships Verizon has managed to score, and today’s announcement furthers that with enhancements to BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams (BlueJeans Gateway). Pairing the two services helps companies collaborate, regardless of their physical location.

    Verizon has also been named one of Microsoft’s launch partners for Operator Connect, an initiative to create “a direct peering relationship between the Microsoft Teams platform and Verizon’s far-reaching SIP trunking network.” The goal of Operator Connect is to bring PSTN calling to Teams, along with enterprise-grade security, reliability and management.

    “The pandemic has intensified the need for organizations to have enterprise-grade collaboration solutions for their global workforces to stay connected and work more effectively from every possible environment,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, President of Global Enterprise at Verizon Business. “These latest updates to our advanced communications portfolio with the BlueJeans Gateway and Microsoft’s new Operator Connect platform, further simplify how enterprises can readily deploy solutions at-scale to streamline connectivity, extract the most value from existing investments, and future-proof collaboration infrastructure to meet the most pressing demands of the hybrid workplace.”

  • Verizon 5G Brings the Indy 500 to Fans’ Homes

    Verizon 5G Brings the Indy 500 to Fans’ Homes

    The coronavirus pandemic may be keeping people at home, but Verizon is bringing the Indy 500 right to them.

    Verizon, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and NBC Sports have teamed up to provide a front-row experience to fans. A high-definition, 360-degree camera will be placed in the infield and take advantage of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service, as well as augmented reality (AR).

    In addition to being streamed via Verizon’s BlueJeans platform, AR will allow fans to watch the race on their smartphones, choosing the perspective that best suits them. They will even be able to tour the garages and see the drivers.

    “Thanks to Verizon, fans around the globe will be given unprecedented digital access to the biggest personalities and the most exciting behind-the-scenes action of this year’s Indianapolis 500,” said Jonathan Gibson, Executive Vice President, Penske Corporation. “From 5G powered Race Day footage to a public drivers meeting on an innovative platform like BlueJeans, we’re excited to team up with Verizon for an epic Race Weekend.”

    This is just the latest example of what can be accomplished when combining 5G with other innovative technologies, such as AR.

  • Verizon Hits the Ground Running With Zoom Competitor BlueJeans

    Verizon Hits the Ground Running With Zoom Competitor BlueJeans

    Verizon has announced a slew of new features for BlueJeans, its videoconferencing Zoom competitor.

    Verizon announced a deal to purchase BlueJeans in April, as the coronavirus pandemic was gaining momentum. Zoom had established itself as the go-to option for remote work and education, as well as for individuals to stay in touch with friends and family. Verizon saw an opportunity to snap up one of Zoom’s competitors in the hopes of combining BlueJeans with the company’s Verizon Business offerings.

    Verizon has now announced some major new features for BlueJeans, as well as significant partner integrations. The platform now integrates with Salesforce, using hands-free lead tracking to capture attendee data. BlueJeans can also use Splash to help streamline event promotions, as well as follow-ups. Similarly, BlueJeans can use TicketSocket for event monetization.

    Even more significant, BlueJeans has increased the size limit of virtual events, supporting up to 150 presenters and 50,000 attendees. The platform previously only supported 15,000 attendees. In addition, BlueJeans will support seamless integration with YouTube Live. While the platform already supported Facebook Live, adding YouTube Live will greatly increase the potential reach of a live event. Similarly, better support for Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) in BlueJeans Events will make it easier to stream to additional social media platforms.

    “When COVID hit, the video industry was ready,” said David Maldow, Founder, Let’s Do Video. “Changes in culture and technology were already driving organizations to embrace live streaming prior to the pandemic, but now that traditionally in-person events are being forced to go virtual, we’re really seeing the benefits of platforms like BlueJeans Events. With these latest updates, BlueJeans continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible when it comes to hosting large-scale, interactive experiences online that exceed audience expectations while providing moderators peace of mind.”

    It seems Verizon is moving full-speed-ahead with BlueJeans, and this will make hosting events post-pandemic a little easier.

  • Verizon Snaps Up Zoom Competitor BlueJeans

    Verizon Snaps Up Zoom Competitor BlueJeans

    Verizon Business has announced a definitive agreement to buy up Zoom competitor BlueJeans, as the videoconferencing market heats up.

    Amid the coronavirus pandemic, videoconferencing has become one of the most critical components that has allowed businesses, schools, religious organizations and more to keep functioning. Zoom’s stock has reflected its newfound status as a nearly indispensable tool.

    In spite of that success, Zoom has also come under heavy criticism for privacy and security missteps, prompting many organizations and government agencies around the world to ban the app. The company has responded by putting a moratorium on new features for 90 days, while their entire engineering staff focuses on improving security and privacy.

    In such an environment, rivals are moving to take advantage of the company’s missteps. Microsoft has made improvements to both Skype and Teams in an effort to make headway, and now Verizon is acquiring BlueJeans in an effort to move squarely into the space. Verizon specifically touts their intention to deeply integrate BlueJeans videoconferencing with the company’s 5G network, making things like telemedicine and distance learning more mainstream.

    “As the way we work continues to change, it is absolutely critical for businesses and public sector customers to have access to a comprehensive suite of offerings that are enterprise ready, secure, frictionless and that integrate with existing tools,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Collaboration and communications have become top of the agenda for businesses of all sizes and in all sectors in recent months. We are excited to combine the power of BlueJeans’ video platform with Verizon Business’ connectivity networks, platforms and solutions to meet our customers’ needs.”

    “The combination of BlueJeans’ world class enterprise video collaboration platform and trusted brand with Verizon Business’ next generation edge computing innovation will deliver highly differentiated and compelling solutions to our joint customers,” said Quentin Gallivan, CEO of BlueJeans Network. “We are very excited about joining the Verizon team and we truly believe the future of business communications starts today!”

    Combining BlueJeans’ platform with Verizon’s network is likely to be a win for customers of both companies, while the added competition should be good for everyone.

    Image Credit: Verizon