What is telepresence?

Whether you are new to video conferencing or are looking to upgrade your current solution, you have probably come across the term 'telepresence' in your research. Telepresence is a groundbreaking telecommunications offering which is setting new standards for visual collaboration.

A virtual meeting experience unlike any other, telepresence creates the illusion that remote participants are in the same room together. This effect is created by a close configuration of large screen video monitors, hidden cameras strategically placed to create the appearance of direct eye contact, consistent furniture arrangements across locations, and limited user interaction with the technology. All the participant has to do is walk into the room, and a life-like meeting between attendees across the U.S. or the globe can begin.

As you might imagine, this type of video conferencing system is at the high-end of the solutions available on the market today. This is due in part to the high quality images that are delivered with at least three high-definition codecs. Additionally, some solutions provide a completely immersive experience, since they come with a "room within a room" design. The result is a meeting so true to life, participants often feel as if it actually took place face-to-face.

The cost of a telepresence solution has recently come down slightly, and will vary depending on the manufacturer. And of course, to work effectively you will need to invest in more than one telepresence room. However, many telepresence solutions are now standards based, so they are compatible with other desktop or room based video conferencing solutions that may already exist within your organization.

Is telepresence right for my company?

Telepresence was originally introduced as a top-of-the-line video conferencing solution designed for high-level executive meetings. The idea was to create a conference room environment that delivered an experience so true to life an executive could use the solution instead of spending time and money traveling to meetings. A company would make the investment because the return would justify the expense.

A telepresence system can certainly benefit upper-management, but it is also useful for other levels of management. Like traditional video conferencing, telepresence can enhance collaboration, resulting in more efficient meetings. And once management realizes the benefits of telepresence, this positive attitude could permeate throughout the organization, resulting in an increased use of other video systems.

If you decide telepresence is right for your company, important factors to consider include your budget and the amount of bandwidth you have available to allocate to video. You will also need to decide whether to use a dedicated in-house IT team to manage the equipment, the network, and the users, or if it makes more sense to outsource this task to an experienced service provider.

How do I get started?

If you decide that telepresence could be a good fit for your company, your next step should be to schedule a demo of the solution, since this is the best way to understand the full potential of a telepresence system.

Your best bet is to contact a Platinum certified reseller of both Polycom and TANDBERG telepresence solutions, who has expertise in integrating these systems with any existing video conferencing solution your company may have. You should look for a reseller who can also provide managed conferencing services, including a 24/7 VNOC that fully supports telepresence systems.


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