Travel costs reduced significantly (up to 1.45 million per month); 3,000 hours a month gained in productivity; over 90 percent of staff now video-enabled

Dubai, UAE - 14 November 2012: Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), today announced that global engineering consultancy Buro Happold has implemented Polycom® RealPresence® video solutions  across its global offices to reduce travel costs, improve engagement and collaboration, and increase productivity. With engineers based in multiple locations including Dubai involved in a wide range of design and construction projects from hospitals and living spaces to commercial developments, the firm uses video meetings to enable teams to collaborate face-to-face in real time. With RealPresence video solutions, Buro Happold has reduced travel costs, amounting up to £3 million annually; gained 3,000 hours a month in productivity by working smarter; and improved the work/life balance for employees, 90 percent of whom are now video-enabled.

Buro Happold recently implemented a unified communications solution for its global workforce* based on Microsoft Lync Server 2010*. Virtually every desk has its own high-tech camera and speaker system, enabling team members to connect and collaborate from anywhere with anyone, using instant messaging, video, audio, at any time.  Polycom RealPresence video solutions directly connect with Lync through open standards. This tight combination of Microsoft Lync and Polycom enables Buro Happold employees, for example, to click a name on their Lync contact list and instantly meet with a colleague face-to-face on a Polycom video collaboration solutions.

"We are delighted to be working with Polycom to develop a robust unified communications solution which integrates with the way we work." said Roger Nickells, Managing Director - Middle East. "The connection between our desk to desk video conferencing and their platforms provides us with a fantastic opportunity to connect all of our teams from the West Coast of the US all of the way to Beijing. In addition we are starting to connect with our clients and collaborators in a way that means we can work across physical and cultural boundaries in a progressive and positive way. "

"Using Polycom with Microsoft Lync integration has enabled better communication and collaboration for our employees based in remote site offices across the Middle East and beyond," said Tristan Harvey, Regional Services Leader - Middle East, India and China.

"The use of video collaboration has helped make Buro Happold more competitive," said Paul Westbury, CEO, Buro Happold. "If anyone in our 27 offices needs to offer a client their unique expertise, whether it's a hotel or stadium development or the design for a new city, we can readily bring in the relevant people using Polycom HD video. And I can now join in meetings all over the world from my laptop, even from home, without worrying about interoperability issues--because it's Polycom."

Buro Happold has used Polycom® RealPresence® Room video solutions (including the HDX® 7000), powered by the RealPresence Platform - the industry's most comprehensive and interoperable software infrastructure for universal video collaboration to video-enable many of the company's work processes that previously had involved costly travel and eaten in to staff time. These processes include:

  • Engineers communicating and visually collaborating and sharing data in real time on complex designs to accelerate decision making and enhance teamwork.

  • Staff hosting client meetings over video to discuss and collaborate on projects plans.

  • Project teams holding real-time digital design review meetings to present their designs and get feedback.

  • Managers holding internal management and team meetings across multiple locations.

*Buro Happold has offices in the following countries - UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, India, United Kingdom, and US. 

About Buro Happold
Buro Happold is an independent international practice of consulting engineers. Since 1976 we have grown in size and reach to serve public and private clients across a full range of sectors through an international network of 27 offices.

The opening of our Dubai office in 2004 meant Buro Happold was even better placed to provide clients with a full multidisciplinary engineering consultancy service in this fast developing region.

We draw on the multi-disciplinary skills, knowledge and experience of our local experts to design and deliver award winning building, infrastructure and environmental projects that excel for clients, engage with communities and enrich the lives of users.

Sustainability, innovation and holistic consulting are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to touching the earth lightly. We think harder and are dedicated to addressing the big challenges that face the planet - climate change, population growth and scarcity of natural resources.

Current and recent projects include the Grand Museum of Egypt (Cairo), the Louvre (Abu Dhabi), the Aviva Stadium (Dublin), the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, the King Abdullah Financial District (Riyadh), the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford) and the O2 (London).

Contact 
Gill Sincock, Corporate Communications Manager
Tel +44 (0)1225 320600  
Email  gill.sincock@burohappold.com
Website: www.burohappold.com
Follow us on Twitter: @burohappold

About Polycom
Polycom is the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC) solutions for voice and video collaboration, trusted by more than 415,000 customers around the world. Polycom solutions are powered by the Polycom® RealPresence® Platform, comprehensive software infrastructure and rich APIs that interoperate with the broadest set of communication, business, mobile and cloud applications and devices to deliver secure face-to-face video collaboration in any environment.  Polycom and its ecosystem of over 7,000 partners provide truly unified communications solutions that deliver the best user experience, highest multi-vendor interoperability, and lowest TCO.  Visit www.polycom.co.uk or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn how we're pushing the greatness of human collaboration forward.

Contact
Abbey Linfoot                                                                                                                               
Edelman UAE
Abbey.Linfoot@edelman.com             

Ahmed Al Derazi
Edelman UAE
Ahmed.alderazi@edelman.com

© 2012 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM®, the Polycom logo, and the names and marks
associated with Polycom's products are trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc. and are registered and/or common law marks in the United States and various other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

© Press Release 2012