The Hardware Merchants: Who Sells the Gear That Makes You Look Human on Camera?

If the Cloud Lords (Microsoft, Zoom, Google, Webex, etc.) own the digital air you breathe, then the Hardware Merchants sell you the gas masks, oxygen tanks, and selfie-lighting rigs that make you look less like a badly lit hostage during meetings.

The hardware market is sprawling, fragmented, and surprisingly political. On one side, you have sleek Scandinavian startups making minimalist marvels. On the other, Chinese giants pumping out an endless array of aggressively priced gear. In between sit legacy titans like Cisco and Poly, trying desperately to prove that they’re still relevant.

Let’s explore the major players.

Cisco

Cisco doesn’t just run Webex; it also sells the Rolls-Royce of room systems. Cisco’s TelePresence hardware was once the stuff of boardroom legend—million-dollar installs with curved tables, perfect lighting, and video walls designed to make global CEOs feel like they were in the same room.

Strengths:

  • Premium build quality, enterprise-grade security.

  • Deep integration with Webex and Teams.

  • Government and Fortune 500 credibility.

Weaknesses:

  • Price tags that make CFOs cry.

  • Proprietary lock-in—great if you love Cisco, not so great if you don’t.

SEO: Cisco video conferencing hardware, Cisco TelePresence, enterprise meeting room solutions, Cisco Webex devices.

Logitech

If Cisco is Rolls-Royce, Logitech is Toyota. Affordable, reliable, and everywhere. Logitech went from making humble webcams to becoming the world’s most dominant video conferencing hardware vendor. Its Rally Bar series powers thousands of conference rooms globally.

Strengths:

  • Wide product range, from $99 webcams to enterprise kits.

  • Microsoft Teams and Zoom certified.

  • Distribution and channel dominance.

Weaknesses:

  • Doesn’t own a cloud platform—always playing partner, not master.

  • Mid-market identity: premium buyers sometimes look elsewhere.

SEO: Logitech Rally Bar, Logitech video conferencing systems, Logitech Teams Rooms devices, best webcams for Zoom.

HP | Poly

Poly, née Polycom, once ruled conference phones. Those triangular Polycom SoundStations became office icons. After merging with Plantronics and later acquired by HP, Poly now builds Teams Rooms systems, headsets, and video bars.

Strengths:

  • Legendary audio heritage.

  • Broad product catalog across phones, headsets, and video.

  • Backing from HP gives scale.

Weaknesses:

  • Brand identity crisis: Polycom → Poly → HP Poly.

  • Competes in the same lane as Logitech, Yealink, and Neat without clear differentiation.

SEO: Poly video conferencing devices, HP Poly Teams Rooms, Polycom heritage, Poly vs Logitech.

Owl Labs

The maker of the Meeting Owl—a 360-degree camera/speaker/mic hybrid shaped like a smart speaker with eyes. It auto-tracks speakers and creates a panoramic view. Owl is quirky, fun, and beloved by small businesses and hybrid teams.

Strengths:

  • Unique product design.

  • Strong in hybrid, flexible environments.

Weaknesses:

  • Not enterprise-grade.

  • Limited portfolio—basically “the owl.”

SEO: Owl Labs Meeting Owl, 360-degree conferencing camera, hybrid meeting devices.

Neat

Norway’s stylish gift to the world of conferencing. Backed by Zoom, Neat devices are minimalist, elegant, and designed for Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms. They look like the offspring of IKEA and Apple.

Strengths:

  • Stunning industrial design.

  • Tight Zoom/Teams partnerships.

  • Rapid innovation.

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive.

  • Limited to Zoom and Teams ecosystems.

SEO: Neat Zoom Rooms, Neat Board, Neat vs Logitech, Scandinavian design video conferencing.

Biamp

Founded in 1976, Biamp is an audio pioneer. Known for its DSPs, amplifiers, and installed sound systems, Biamp thrives in large rooms, auditoriums, and universities where acoustic challenges overwhelm consumer-grade devices.

Strengths:

  • Professional-grade audio expertise.

  • Strong presence in education and enterprise AV.

Weaknesses:

  • Less known for video than audio.

  • Complex installs—needs skilled integrators.

SEO: Biamp conferencing systems, Biamp DSP, large room audio video solutions.

Q-SYS

Part of QSC, Q-SYS is more platform than product. It provides an AV ecosystem—audio, video, and control—customizable for huge deployments like universities or corporate campuses.

Strengths:

  • Flexibility and scalability.

  • Integration across AV domains.

Weaknesses:

  • Not a simple plug-and-play vendor.

  • Overkill for SMBs.

SEO: Q-SYS platform, QSC AV solutions, Q-SYS video conferencing integration.

Crestron

Crestron is synonymous with control systems—the one-button panels that make executives feel powerful. But it also builds Crestron Flex video devices for Teams and Zoom.

Strengths:

  • Premium brand trusted by Fortune 500.

  • Deep integration with room automation.

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive.

  • Complex support requirements.

SEO: Crestron Flex, Crestron Teams Rooms, Crestron AV control.

Huddly

Another Norwegian innovator, Huddly makes compact AI-powered cameras that often get embedded in other vendors’ devices (like Logitech or Crestron).

Strengths:

  • Innovation and AI features.

  • Small form factor.

Weaknesses:

  • Limited standalone portfolio.

  • Competes with giants.

SEO: Huddly IQ camera, AI video conferencing camera, Huddly vs Logitech.

Lenovo

The world’s PC giant also sells ThinkSmart room kits for Teams and Zoom. Lenovo’s pitch is straightforward: scalable, enterprise-ready, and easy to deploy in bulk.

Strengths:

  • Trusted enterprise brand.

  • Distribution muscle.

Weaknesses:

  • Not an AV specialist—products can feel generic.

SEO: Lenovo ThinkSmart Hub, Lenovo Teams Rooms kits, Lenovo video conferencing.

AudioCodes

A voice infrastructure veteran pivoting into conferencing. Deep ties with Microsoft Teams make AudioCodes a credible choice for voice/video integration.

SEO: AudioCodes Teams devices, AudioCodes video collaboration, Microsoft partner conferencing hardware.

Aver

Aver builds affordable cameras and document solutions, particularly popular in education and training.

SEO: Aver video conferencing, Aver education cameras, budget conferencing cameras.

DTEN

Zoom’s pet partner. DTEN makes Zoom Rooms all-in-ones, offering simplicity for SMBs and mid-market buyers.

SEO: DTEN Zoom Rooms, DTEN D7, DTEN vs Neat.

Jabra

Known for headsets, Jabra now offers PanaCast video bars and speakerphones. Strong in small rooms, Jabra PanaCast 50 is a serious contender.

SEO: Jabra PanaCast 50, Jabra conferencing devices, Jabra vs Logitech.

Huawei

Technically strong, geopolitically toxic (in the West). Huawei remains huge in Asia, offering enterprise video conferencing solutions at scale.

SEO: Huawei video conferencing, Huawei enterprise collaboration, Huawei meeting devices.

Yealink

Yealink is China’s conferencing juggernaut. Known for Teams Rooms systems, desk phones, and all-in-ones, Yealink’s breadth is staggering.

Strengths:

  • Aggressive pricing.

  • Certified by Microsoft and Zoom.

  • Broad product line.

Weaknesses:

  • Perception as “budget” vendor in some markets.

SEO: Yealink Teams Rooms, Yealink Zoom devices, Yealink video conferencing hardware.

Conclusion: The Great Hardware Divide

The hardware market is a mirror of the cloud:

  • Cisco, Crestron, Biamp, Q-SYS → premium, enterprise, secure.

  • Logitech, Poly, Lenovo, Jabra → mid-market, practical, scalable.

  • Neat, Huddly, Owl Labs → innovators with style and quirks.

  • Yealink, Huawei, Aver, DTEN → value players, aggressive pricing, massive reach.

For buyers, the trick is aligning the hardware ecosystem with the cloud platform you already use. Buying Neat for a Webex shop, or Cisco for a Google Meet shop, is like wearing mismatched socks—possible, but socially awkward.

In the end, it’s not about the prettiest camera. It’s about integration, longevity, and security. Or, as procurement teams like to call it: “avoiding being fired.”