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Polycom Announces Acquisition of ViVu, Inc.
Posted on Monday, October 17, 2011
Acquisition bolsters Polycom® RealPresence™ software strategy and accelerates its goal to make video collaboration ubiquitous with innovative software that can easily be embedded into web-based apps
 
PLEASANTON, Calif. - Oct 17, 2011 : Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in standards-based unified communications (UC), today announced the acquisition of ViVu, Inc., a privately- held video collaboration software company. ViVu has developed innovative video collaboration software that can be easily embedded into web applications such as enterprise, social, and vertical industry applications to enable instant web-based HD video collaboration. ViVu gives Polycom a fast-track to embed HD video into web-based applications through an OEM model, accelerating time-to-market and adoption of Polycom HD video collaboration solutions, and driving awareness of the Polycom brand powering video collaboration inside a wide range of applications.
 
Polycom's vision is to make it possible for millions of people to use video collaboration as their preferred method of communication – easily, reliably, and securely – regardless of network, carrier, protocol, application, or device. The acquisition reinforces Polycom's software strategy (announced Sept. 14th), and is expected to be a key enabler for Polycom to continue to provide customers with the highest quality and scalable video collaboration solutions across the broadest range of business, video, mobile, and social networking applications. Polycom will leverage ViVu technology in the Polycom® RealPresence™ Platform – the most comprehensive software infrastructure for universal video collaboration.
 
"ViVu is a compelling acquisition for Polycom as their technology provides a scalable architecture to quickly deploy rich video collaboration for a range of web-based applications for social, business, and industry-specific applications, such as those for healthcare, finance, and customer service," said Sudhakar Ramakrishna, executive vice president and general manager of UC solutions and chief development officer, Polycom.
 
"ViVu is excited to join Polycom as we both believe in the power of video collaboration to increase productivity and improve communications and collaboration," said Sudha Valluru, founder and CEO, ViVu. "I'm confident that ViVu's video collaboration technology will thrive and grow in the future, as a result of Polycom's leadership in UC and video collaboration, power of distribution channels, and the breadth of its customer reach within the enterprise market and beyond."
 
The ViVu software enables instant video collaboration in any web-based enterprise application, and is device independent. Example applications include: customer service – faster helpdesk resolution; healthcare – doctor and patient conversations via video; and finance – improved trader to client collaboration. Polycom also plans to leverage ViVu technology to accelerate embedding video collaboration into social business applications.
 
Founded in 2008, ViVu's corporate headquarters is based in Cupertino, Calif. ViVu video collaboration software technology is already embedded into a number of enterprise applications. A couple of examples include:
  • TIBCO – ViVu powers the HD video collaboration in TIBCO's enterprise social platform tibbr™, enabling users to collaborate in real time.
  • Thomson Reuters – ViVu powers the video collaboration inside Thomson Reuters' financial content application so financial professionals can collaborate in real time and view and discuss the latest news.
The acquisition of ViVu gives Polycom innovative and scalable software technology for web-based applications – as well as first-mover advantage – to deliver HD video collaboration for social media and vertical market applications.
 
This transaction was signed and closed on October 14, 2011, for undisclosed cash consideration, and Polycom expects the transaction to be neutral to earnings.
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Douglas Fearing- Co-Founder / President

A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.

Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.

Lois Fearing- Co-Founder/Accounting, Human Resources

A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.

Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.

Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.

Ehren Tresner-VP of Technology and Innovation

Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.

Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.

Ben Voeck-Director of Commercial AV

With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.

By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.

Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.

Chris Matson-Senior VP of Sales

Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.

Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.