CVI (Cloud Video Interop) is a Microsoft certified video conferencing solution implemented by third-party developers that allows SIP/H.323 devices to connect to Microsoft Teams conferences.
As of early 2021, there are four Microsoft-certified CVI solution vendors available:
- Poly RealConnect Service
- Pexip Infinity for Microsoft Teams
- BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams
- Cisco Webex Video Integration for Microsoft Teams.
Lifesize also announced the CVI service, but it is not included in the Microsoft Certified Partner list. The company did not comment on our request in this regard.
As part of current video conferencing trends, all major players are gradually migrating from generally accepted standards to custom solutions based on their own proprietary protocols. However, you can still find many SIP/H.323 devices in meeting rooms, as replacing them can be quite expensive. Unlike TrueConf solutions, Microsoft Teams does not have native support for SIP/H.323 protocols.
CVI is designed to integrate such devices into the Microsoft Teams ecosystem. Once configured, the device is added to the system as a regular Teams user and becomes available for communication. Calendar integration is also supported: conferences scheduled from the Teams client or using the Teams Meeting plugin for Outlook already contain all the required parameters for connecting CVI-compatible devices.
All data processing is performed in the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, which may be unacceptable for customers that have high security requirements or are located in countries with strict data regulation policies.