Facebook Pitches SMB Videoconferencing

Hopping onto the work-at-home trend, Facebook is pitching its portable video calling devices as videoconferencing tools. The company announced support Tuesday for Microsoft Teams, planned for December, for its Portal touch-based instruments. The company is creating a new account type, Portal for Business, with built-in Microsoft security, for small-to midsize businesses that will be available for Facebook work products over the coming year, it said. The service is in closed beta. Portal for Business also supports Zoom, Webex, GoToMeeting, BlueJeans and Workplace, it said. Facebook also announced Tuesday it's taking preorders for two new Portal video calling devices with an Oct. 19 ship date. A portable model, the 10-inch Portal Go ($199), has a 12-megapixel camera with ultrawide field of view and a speaker. Portal+, with a 14-inch HD tilting display ($349) also has a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera; it adds stereo speakers. Facebook referenced iHeartRadio, Pandora and Spotify as streaming music service options. Users can view Facebook and Instagram photos from a smartphone camera roll and share them with friends and family via shared albums on the smart displays, it said.