Logitech acquires online video communications services provider

Logitech has announced the acquisition of Sightspeed, a company that offers video conferencing applications for various platforms. The hardware manufacturer pays 30 million dollars for the venture.

Sightspeed, which is based in the US state of California, was founded in 2001 and has 25 employees. The company’s communication software, unlike that of competitor Skype, uses the open sip protocol. A webcam can be used to make video connections, with Sightspeed claiming that its software can display smooth images over a broadband connection. For stutter-free viewing of webcam images with a resolution of 640×480 pixels, a speed of at least 1.5 Mbps is required. Furthermore, the software can make VoIP connections and users can send messages to each other via a chat window.

Sightspeed offers a free version of its chat application, but also sells subscriptions to consumers and the business market. The takeover by Logitech comes as no surprise, as the hardware manufacturer has a large number of webcams in its range. logitech expected to complete the acquisition next month.