Today, Avaya, announced a set of enterprise video products and services. They are calling it Avaya Flare Experience. It was unclear from the company’s messaging on the pricing but the positioning is clear – it’s a direct strike at Cisco and Apple.

Avaya’s video device (tablet and iPad clone) features an 11.6″ HD touch screen with video and audio capabilities – very iPad like. The tablet (iPad clone) will enable campus-wide mobility and also offers USB connectivity for an optional keyboard or handset, 3G/4G access or a thumb drive.

The secret weapon for Avaya’s new Flare Experience is the Google Android operating system. As the big vendors all try to land grab the mobile and media user market, the one thing is clear – a standard has to emerge. Apple has set the market standard on user experience and application penetration. However, Google is moving fast to deploy Android whereever possible. This opens the door for players like Avaya and others to leverage Android and their developer community for a real market presence in video.

Apple has targeted the consumer market and is betting that the consumerization of IT which allow Apple to be a device player in the enterprise. More importantly the notion of cloud computing and virtual desktop makes this a viable strategy.

Cisco and the Avaya and Cisco tablets both target business customers and they are betting that the Apple-like standard will allow them to own the enterprise. The key thing that is in play here is brand loyalty and virtualization. We’ve seen this force in action when Window’s came out of nowhere to overtake the Apple Macintosh in the late 80s early 90s with an open approach. If virtualization takes hold (desktop virtualization – see our video coverage of VMworld 2010 for more on that) and Android continues to penetrate the device and equipment providers, then the Android non-Apple strategy has legs.

The Future? My Angle – Video Battle Cisco and Skype Key Players

Apple, Google, Cisco, Avaya all are going after the video teleconferencing mainstream user and consumer market which has to include a business solution. The enterprise is moving fast to consumer oriented services and no doubt Apple has influenced this market. With cloud and virtualization evolving fast new solutions can penetrate. The biggest proof points in the rapid consolidation and changing platforms in the storage market and the accelerating of virtual desktop technologies – both of these factors all point to one road – the mobile user where video consumption is in high demand.

Another wildcard to consider with Avaya is that they went private led by the private equity firms Silver Lake Partners LP and TPG Partners. It’s important to note that Skype was taken private by Silver Lake Partners. Is there a connection. With Skype building up their presence in Silicon Valley which we reported earlier in the year, there is no doubt that Skype want an angle on the mainstream video market.

Many are talking about Skype as voice provider. Yes, Skype is rolling up the voice market as a viable alternative to big overpriced telcos around the world, but lets not forget the killer app in today’s and future Internet – VIDEO!!

Skype was the real first company to be first with video in a big way and recently launched SkypeKit. Skype would benefit greatly from doing deals with emerging companies like Avaya. Skype also has those ties with Marc Andreeseen and Silver Lake Partners, their main investors.

Skype owns consumer Internet video right now, and the only way for them to compete with market forces like Apple and carriers is to open up the developer channel fast and do some big business development deals. Skype video is a killer application and that product alone is a complete game changer. Skype could bring telepresence to everyone not just “wealthy enterprise” CEOs if they expand with a deal with Avaya.

We’ll be watching Avaya.