In today’s business environment, discussions and interactions encompass not just multiple people but also multiple locations for many businesses. Technologies such as videoconferences have been no substitute for in-person meetings and have presented challenges such as being difficult to set up, challenging to use and frequently delivering an unsatisfying experience to businesses.
TelePresence can deliver real-time, face-to-face interactions between people and places and uses advanced visual, audio, and collaboration technologies to transmit life-size, high-definition images and spatial discrete audio. It is now possible to discern facial expressions for those crucial business discussions and negotiations across the "virtual table."
Benefits:
TelePresence can enable organisations to complete face-to-face business interactions, without the constant need for domestic and/or global travel. The solution allows for real-time, face-to-face communication and collaboration over the network with colleagues, prospects, suppliers and partners.
Potential scenarios in which the solution may be beneficial include:
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Executive meetings.
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Human Resources — job interviews/performance appraisals.
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Customer service and access to remote expertise.
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Sales presentations and demonstrations of services, solutions and products offerings.
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Collaboration between teams and leveraging scarce remote resources.
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Staff meetings with personnel at mulitiple remote sites.
The associated benefits include:
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The ability to have a face-to-face discussion at a moment's notice with customers, suppliers, partners, and co-workers at remote locations.
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Reduce time to decision / market.
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More productive use of scarce resources - right resource , right time, and the right location — first time, every time.
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Better communications for critical interactions where it is not possible to be in the same location, resulting in improved understanding and relationships.
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Reduced travel time and the associated productivity losses as well as improved quality of life for staff as a result of less travel.
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Reduced carbon foot print through travel reductions.
Features:
TelePresence features standard technologies combined with specialised applications and hardware to create an approachable solution using the network and unified communications as core components.
Audio/Visual Technology — TelePresence incorporates the technologies to offer the best audio and visual results including:
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Highest quality and lowest bit rate video codecs.
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Support for Session Initiation Protocol.
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Native 720p and 1080p high-definition video.
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Low-latency architecture and low bandwidth utilisation.
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Wideband advanced audio coding and multichannel spatial audio .
Network — leverages standardised IP networking technology and runs on integrated voice, video, and data networks.
Hardware-Optimised Environment — The solution includes purpose-built office furniture incorporating cameras, displays, lighting, speakers, microphones, and projection capability into a specially designed table for larger rooms, or, in smaller configurations, into existing office furniture.
Software Applications — TelePresence software application components include:
IP Telephony — TelePresence works with IP-based phones and call-processing systems and simplifies launching calls as it uses a telephone instead of a complicated remote control.
Groupware — Integration with enterprise groupware solutions (such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes) accommodates easy scheduling of meetings and access to corporate information.
Services — Cisco TelePresence enables easy scheduling, management, reporting, billing, and metrics applications to ensure proper tracking and bill-back of activity on the system, as well as real-time support services.
