Virtual Offices
Virtual Office Technology “Beams Up” Conference Participants
Published March 2nd, 2009 by Jennifer LeClaire
There may be plenty of new virtual office providers springing up from sea to shining sea, but there’s also a lot of virtual technology purveyors that have been waiting for a moment like this for nearly a decade.
Looking for office space in the United States?
TelePresence is one of those purveyors. TelePresence Technologies is betting that virtual conferencing will finally get its due in the midst of a global recession. Yes, some thought the same thing after the dot-com bubble burst and again after 9-11.
In both instances, newspaper reporters, hungry for relevant story lines, explored the use of video conferencing and similar technologies. Often times those stories admitted that the technology wasn’t always quite ready for prime time. It was sometimes difficult to set up. And it didn’t always offer the best user experience.
What’s the difference this time? Better virtual technology.
A 3-D Conferencing Experience
TelePresence Tech’s systems offer more than video conferencing. The Dallas company offers a 3-D experience. The systems align the camera at the eye level of participants using a patented display system that incorporates a beam splitter.
Unlike the new Jonas Brothers movie that the Tweens are raving about, no 3-D glasses are required to participate in a telepresence conference. Yet, TelePresence Tech’s system displays life-sized images of your conferencing counterparts that makes it look as if they are sitting on the other side of your conference table, complete with a background that mimics the room you are in. If the 3-D effect is too much, the system lets you flip a switch and return to a two-dimensional background.
Who Uses It?
TelePresence Tech’s’ patents may give it an edge in this market. There are competing telepresence offerings, but the company insists there are misalignment problems that distract from the 3-D experience, making it far less life-like. Although Cisco is the 500-pound gorilla in the telepresence market, for example, its solution is dimensionally flat and conference participants don’t appear to be looking quite eye to eye.
TelePresence has hooked up with Sony. Sony will use the technology in its high-definition monitors, cameras and transmission equipment in an effort to compete with Cisco. TelePresence Tech has even won a nod from the U.S. government. The U.S. Army purchased 11 portable units so its personnel could have virtual patient conferences with psychiatrists. Lockheed Martin is also a customer.
Could this be the wave of the future, cutting down travel and virtually ‘beaming up’ co-workers for boardroom meetings? If you are a science fiction movie fan, you can probably imagine the scenario. In fact, if you are a believer that science fiction eventually becomes reality, then this may just be the beginning…
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Rob Zeus March 2nd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
This is really cool technology. I wish they had a video demonstration of this video conferencing system. I suppose something would be lost in the translation. I did see the images, and even on my flat panel you could tell that this is true 3-D. With Sony licensing the technology, it seems TelePresence Tech is going to give Cisco a run for its money — and probably at a cheaper price.
Elizabeth Sanchez March 2nd, 2009 at 12:45 pm
This video conferencing story line does pop up every time there’s a major travel disaster or an economic downturn. Of course, this time the costs have come down tremendously and the technology has improved. This 3-D virtual conferencing technology from TelePresence, though, takes the cake. Is there pricing information available?
Jennifer LeClaire March 2nd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Hi Elizabeth – I have not heard from the company directly, but the Dallas Morning News did offer some guidelines. Here’s what it said:
“Its least expensive mobile unit will lease for $500 a month, including two screens, a camera, a transmission system and maintenance. Since it takes two to teleport, that would be $12,000 a year for three years. A larger setup using a 52-inch high-definition screen for life-size virtual bodies and a 47-inch HD monitor for charts, graphs and other data will lease for $2,000 a month per unit. That compares with a purchase price of $52,000 and an annual maintenance contract of $6,000.”
Maggie Correta March 4th, 2009 at 9:38 am
This reminds me of Star Trek. I appreciate the virtual conferencing technology, but is it really necessary to have 3-D imagery? I mean, how much does that really enhance the business at hand? What’s next, holographs? Don’t get me wrong. Innovation is a wonderful thing. But is this really necessary in this economy? I think executive office space users would be happy with traditional video conferencing.