DC08 - 283 August 18, 2008
BT targets Unified Communications market with Telepresence
Helping businesses to be more sustainable and cut down on expensive travel costs
Belfast/ Dublin 18th August 2008: BT has introduced Cisco TelePresence to its growing Unified Communications Video portfolio in collaboration with Cisco. Telepresence is a revolution in virtual meeting solutions that will highlight inter-company connectivity and the lifelike collaboration that can take place within it – to a much broader audience.
BT has the ability to deploy the Cisco TelePresence service in multiple cities around the world and has demonstrated the ability to support intercompany communication from a Cisco TelePresence room to a BT-provided Cisco TelePresence room. This will help companies transform their business models and relationships with customers, suppliers and partners.
The Cisco TelePresence solution makes it possible for colleagues, customers and partners to communicate and collaborate 'face-to-face' even if they are in different locations all over the world. As a breakthrough technology for remote meetings, the technology integrates advanced audio, high-definition video and interactive elements with the power of the underlying network, with no perceivable time lag.
This new service will help enable BT to extend its existing conferencing portfolio. High-resolution, life-size, real-time transmission creates a platform for a range of new applications. Potential uses include not only business meetings, but also telemedicine and 'remote teaching' in particular.
“Our international customers often have a presence in 30 or more countries and have substantial communications requirements, coupled with the need to drive down the cost of travel. With Cisco TelePresence, we offer companies a virtual conferencing platform which can simulate face-to-face meetings much more realistically than any currently established technologies,” explained ChrisClark, CEO, BT in Ireland . “The new system differs from conventional videoconferencing in that participants can see and speak to each other across the table, while facial expressions, gestures, and the documents in use, are as visible as if they were in the same room. By creating a realistic environment in which to conduct conference calls the need for expensive business trips and extended working hours will be greatly reduced.”
Cisco TelePresence will be offered as a fully managed service via the BT MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network. Use of the MPLS network will help ensure reliable provision of the required bandwidths and prioritisation of the data stream over all other data. This configuration offers voice, data and image transmission of the highest quality, so that the viewer perceives no difference compared with a real presentation.
Commenting on the relationship between Cisco and BT, Karl McDermott, Channel Sales manager, Cisco said, "BT has recently received Cisco’s Global Certification status which reflects its focus on maintaining best practices across all areas of its business. Video is rapidly becoming the most effective way to communicate and share information, but Cisco TelePresence is much more than video. It puts you into the meeting in every important sense and is a technological advancement in unified communications.”
The service is currently available across 15 countries throughout Europe and will be available to global organisations in September 2008.
For further information visit: www.btglobalservices.com/business/global/en/products/unified_comms_video
Notes to the Editor
A recent demonstration in Berlin showcased a life-like TelePresence call between the headquarters of the Media-Saturn Group, a BT client, in Ingolstadt, Germany, and Wolfgang Lux, managing director Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH, who was located at the Cisco Exposition presentation forum in the Estrel convention centre, Berlin, Germany.
The Media-Saturn Group has been a first mover to use TelePresence. In early 2007, Media-Saturn chose BT to deploy and manage TelePresence, and has subsequently rolled it out to locations in 15 countries throughout Europe.
Wolfgang Lux, managing director Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH said “We have been using this technology for more than a year now. The innovative character of TelePresence has helped us in saving costs and it will allow us now to include our external business partners in our video conferences. BT and Cisco are our dedicated partners in this area. Media-Saturn is cutting edge in the electronic retail business in Europe and we always strive for excellence in everything we do. This is what we expect from our international partners as well.”
