StarLeaf, a privately held company with a global footprint, launched with a strong focus on real-time collaboration, messaging, and video conferencing. As both a manufacturer and service provider, StarLeaf offers a broad range of video endpoint solutions for desktops, meeting rooms, and mobile applications.
The StarLeaf brand was first founded 10 years ago in 2008, by veterans from the telecom industry: Executive Chairman Mark Richer, CTO William MacDonald, and CEO Mark Loney. Since then, the company has grown significantly, concentrating on serving the needs of the business communication market with high-quality calls and video support. Today, the organisation works alongside brands like Bose, Travelex, and even Dr. Martens.
Cloud-Based and On-Premises Communications
StarLeaf is a cloud-focused company, which makes sense in a world where businesses need to be as agile and flexible as possible. As organisations embrace a more global footprint with remote workers and freelancers, StarLeaf provides a range of mobile and desktop applications that provide a unified experience for quick video meetings, calls, and messaging. Of course, while StarLeaf might be looking forward to the cloud, they also have on-premises solutions available too.
Some of the offerings available from StarLeaf include:
- The StarLeaf app: A secure application for calls, meeting, and messaging that works on any device, from anywhere. This app allows employees to hold conversations and collaborate easily on the go
- Online meeting services: StarLeaf allows users to create unique virtual meeting rooms for their remote workers, bringing teams together from around the world. Web conferences can hold up to 50 remote attendees at a time
- GT Mini 3330: In the on-premises world, StarLeaf has a device to transform small to mid-size meeting rooms into suites for video conferencing. The GT Mini 3330 is a cost-effective service for many smaller companies
- Group Telepresence 3351: Another on-premises solution, the Telepresence device offers more immersive meeting room environments for larger spaces. It comes with support for multiple cameras, microphones, and screens
- PT Mini: The PT Mini on-premise device gives individual desktops access to state-of-the-art video calling with a touchscreen, handset and USB-connected camera. It provides complete StarLeaf meeting functionality
StarLeaf also offers the opportunity to extend your meeting room experience with the third-party room systems subscription “StarLeaf Cloud”. This room system subscription allows you to achieve full interoperability with a broad collection of other meeting room devices.
Add-ons and Integrations
These days, one of the most important features for many companies when they’re looking for next-level conferencing and collaboration solutions, is integration. In a world where most companies use more than one vendor to support their UC needs, Add-ons and integrations allow you to design the experience that’s right for you. StarLeaf comes with a number of APIs and integrations to help you make the most of your meetings, whether you need to check your calendar or check room availability. Integrations include:
- The StarLeaf Outlook plugin which allows users to schedule meetings directly from their Outlook client
- Meeting room calendars: Integrate StarLeaf with your meeting room calendars to make sure that teams don’t end up double-booking conferences
- Slack integrations: Escalate Slack messages into video and audio conferences with a couple of clicks
- BlueJeans integration: Join a BlueJeans meeting from your StarLeaf meeting room system. Your StarLeaf endpoints can even display Join Now buttons and meeting invitations for BlueJeans conferences
- Extron, Crestron, and AMX modules: make the most of your third-party controllers by integrating them with StarLeaf. The company offers modules for Crestron, AMX, and Extron to ensure a simple and immersive user experience
What we Liked Most about StarLeaf
With their rich portfolio of products, StarLeaf aims to create a fully-formed video conferencing and collaboration experience for their customers. Ideal for one-on-one meetings and large business-wide conferences alike, StarLeaf provides easy access to instant communication. Some of our favourite features include:
- Quick real-time messaging: Help your employees communicate instantly with a state-of-the-art messaging service that keeps everyone connected regardless of where they are. Plus, you can upgrade to a video call in a matter of seconds too!
- Video conferencing: Though they offer messaging and audio communication too, video is where StarLeaf really shines. You can hold your own video conferences anywhere you like, from any device, with cloud technology that provides unparalleled levels of interoperability with many of the most popular services on the market, including BlueJeans and Slack
- High-quality Admin control: It’s nice to know you’re in control of your collaboration system. With StarLeaf, regardless of how many users you’re working with at any given time, admins still have the power to upgrade room settings, check user statuses instantly, and more. The dashboard is incredibly easy to use too
- Recording: Whether it’s for accountability or training purposes, sometimes businesses need to record their video meetings. The StarLeaf Encore system allows you to make the most out of every video meeting by capturing screen sharing, video, and audio in one high-definition file
- Skype for Business Integration: The StarLeaf range also comes with support for all Microsoft Communication platforms – including Microsoft Teams very soon. That means it’s great for those who already use the Office 365 network
Target Market and Compatibility
One of the best things about StarLeaf is that it supports companies from a range of industries, regardless of their shape or size. The company shows off use cases for Financial Services brands, Healthcare organisations, Manufacturing brands, Education, and more. Additionally, your StarLeaf system can be used in anything from a huge conference space, to a huddle room, or on individual desks throughout your enterprise.
Designed to give you the communication and collaboration experience that’s best for you, the StarLeaf brand also has a range of APIs available so you can enrich your existing business tools too. You can provide your customers with a range of new ways to get in touch through the StarLeaf app, schedule video meetings from inside your existing business applications, and more.
Our Finishing thoughts on StarLeaf
If you’re looking for a collaboration and communication service that supports seamless collaboration and high-quality communication in a somewhat unpredictable work environment, then StarLeaf could be great for you. It’s designed for the business with a constantly-changing work environment, offering support from large meeting rooms to fixed desks and remote offices.
No matter what you need from your video systems, StarLeaf offers state-of-the-art cloud-based communication services to your entire team.
Have you tried StarLeaf yet? Leave your comments below to let us know what you think about the brand or share this article with your friends and colleagues today on social media!
