At most companies, videoconferencing has yet to evolve from a technological parlor trick into an everyday utility like e-mail. One reason is there’s no cheap and easy way to make it available on all the devices people use. Even companies that opt for top-of-the-line equipment from Cisco Systems or Hewlett-Packard often pay nearly $1 million to upgrade the underlying corporate network.

That’s why tech industry veterans are keeping a close eye on Vidyo, whose technology will soon be sold by HP. The 120-person startup, based in Hackensack, N.J., makes software it says can run on almost any device that connects to the Net—and adjusts whether that’s a high-speed link in the boardroom or a cell connection from the 18th hole.

The aim is to bridge the gap between traditional systems costing up to $300,000 for a just-like-being-there telepresence room and cheap but low-quality PC-based services such as Skype—and in a way that lets people using all of these options participate in calls together.

Vidyo focused on implementing a little-used software approach called scalable video coding. The technology strips out data so that devices with weaker signals can maintain a good picture without expensive back-office gear. The program, which runs on a PC, costs $6,000. Another plus: Vidyo’s software can be tweaked to run on new devices.

In June HP announced a deal under which it will bundle Vidyo software on business PCs so workers can make video calls from their desks. HP will also adapt its own high-end telepresence system, dubbed Halo, to work with Vidyo’s technology so corporate buyers can use them without million-dollar network upgrades. While HP has existing contracts to sell gear from Polycom and others, it will be marketing Vidyo’s technology under its own brand.