TelePresence

Video conferencing has evolved dramatically. In the past, video conferencing was a novelty that lets friends and family members see and hear one another remotely on their computer monitors. But video conferencing is still too often plagued with grainy images, muffled audio, jerky motion, dropped connections, and difficult-to-use software. Businesses sometimes shy away from using basic video conferencing tools because the technology cannot provide professional-level image and audio quality.

Cisco TelePresence: An Immersive, Easy-to-Use Solution

Video conferencing technology isn't always able to dissolve barriers and facilitate remote collaboration. Cisco TelePresence recreates the meeting room experience, so you can meet face-to-face with your globally dispersed teams. Now "in-person" meetings can be happen without the hassle of travel, so you can be more available and more effective than ever before.

The Cisco TelePresence experience delivers high-quality audio and high-definition video over a reliable Internet Protocol (IP) network. Unlike video conferencing, your meetings will look and sound as if all the participants are actually together in the same room. You can initiate or participate in a Cisco TelePresence session using tools you're already familiar with, such as a telephone interface and groupware such as Microsoft Outlook or IBM Lotus Notes. This way, you can focus more on your meeting and less on the technology.

Here's how a Cisco TelePresence meeting works:

• Anyone can easily schedule a Cisco TelePresence session using familiar groupware tools, such as Microsoft Outlook or IBM Lotus Notes.
• When it's time for the meeting, attendees assemble around a 'virtual' semi-circular table in a TelePresence-equipped conference room. Integration with Cisco Unified CallManager means that you can start meetings with just the push of one button to launch the TelePresence session.
• Participants on one side of the table are positioned directly across from large plasma monitors and high-resolution cameras and microphones. Displayed on the monitors are realistic, life-sized representations of the participants who aren't actually present in the room. The participants on the screens may be in another part of town or on the other side of the world. Regardless, to all attendees, it appears as if everyone is physically seated around the same table together.

The immersive Cisco TelePresence experience helps to quickly develop a sense of camaraderie among participants. Misunderstandings due to cultural, language, and other barriers occur with much less frequency than they do during telephone or traditional video conferencing sessions. As a result, organizations can make decisions faster and react more quickly to changing competitive pressures. Everyone can communicate and collaborate effectively, even if they're on different continents.

> Find out how Cisco uses TelePresence to enhance relationships with its customers.

> Discover what Cisco TelePresence can do for your business.