Breakthrough Technology

The technology that creates telepresence isn’t brand new, but the effective packaging of the components is a recent development. For example, Cisco TelePresence, which launched in late 2006, brings together high-definition plasma TV screens, high-definition cameras, wide-band microphones and speakers, and consistent viewing experiences via similarly outfitted endpoints installed in rooms, offices, or cubes.

True telepresence aligns the various elements in a way that makes meeting participants forget about the technology. Part of the experience has little to do with the technology and everything to do with the lack of a complex user interface, and the room environment in which telepresence participants meet. If you’re sitting at a desk in a room that looks just like the desk and the room that you see on the plasma screen, you’re more likely to forget that the plasma screen is there. Cameras that fade into the background, and simple controls and scheduling contribute to getting meetings started in a snap. (In other words, you don’t need to call in IT to launch a meeting.)