Glowpoint Inc. specializes in affordable, highly reliable and easy-to-use video conferencing technologies.

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Focusing on video conferencing since 2003, Glowpoint Inc. provides high-quality video services for corporate clients, as well as sports broadcasters and content owners such as ESPN, NFL, NASCAR, Fox Sports and Comcast Sports. “Glowpoint’s unique offerings feature services that enable broadcast-quality images and network reliability with easy-to-use features,” the company says.  

The New Jersey company became a leader by introducing new features to video conferencing technologies, as well as making such services affordable. President and CEO Michael Brandofino says video conferencing technology was previously unreliable and required the use of multiple Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) phone lines. Glowpoint was developed in response to the high cost, poor performance and lack of features available with ISDN.

Glowpoint is primarily focused on video communications, supported by quality of service (QOS) enabled IP-based video services. The IP-managed video services combine a QOS managed connection circuit and Glowpoint’s backbone with unique features and services. “For example, before Glowpoint, if you attempted to place a video call and it didn’t connect, you would receive some type of erroneous network error message,” he explains. “Using the Glowpoint service, you get a pre-recorded video message from our automated attendant named Lisa. She informs you of some possible causes for your call not connecting, and leaves you at an interactive menu on screen.

“We have also added features like video mailboxes and provide real phone numbers so that customers can initiate and receive calls from any ISDN video systems in the world – creating a seamless transition to IP.”

Glowpoint was the first service provider to provide a comprehensive managed IP-video service and developed a number of solutions in order to support video customers in a service-provider environment. The company received its first patent in 2007 for its video operator/call center service, and has eight additional patents pending – all centered on providing telephone-like features for video communications users.

“Our initial patent for operator services has been repurposed to provide a remote video banking application for a major bank,” Brandofino explains. “The bank was able to easily add video banking agents, leverage Glowpoint’s hosted call routing capabilities – and manage video services – to increase sales at a number of branches around the country.”

‘Visual Culture’
Rich Reiss, CEO of Wire One Technologies – a video equipment reseller – acquired Brandofino’s company, the John’s Brook Co., in 2000, and asked him to come on as chief technology officer to build the Glowpoint service and business model.

Glowpoint had its first invoice run in March 2001 with approximately five customers and only $4,000 in monthly revenue. Glowpoint now supports more than 600 customers and announced revenues of $5.8 million in the third quarter of 2007. “We live in a visual culture,” Brandofino says. “It isn’t a matter of if video communications will become part of everyday life – it’s when.”

Creating Partnerships
After separating from Wire One in 2003, Glowpoint experienced some challenges. For example, it had not shown much growth and was faced with restating its financials due to issues related to its discontinued equipment business.

The company was also burning as much as $1.2 million per month and was on the pink sheets.
Brandofino and his team began to run the business in April 2006 with the goal of restructuring the company. “I’m pleased to say that in the last 18 months, we have successfully executed a drastic turnaround in our business,” he notes.

Brandofino says the company’s goal is to become the underlying video service provider for multiple companies, and to partner with manufacturers and network carriers as much as possible. “We want to enable them with the ability to provide enhanced video services, without the need for them to attempt to replicate what Glowpoint has already been delivering for years,” he says.