THE GREEN OFFICE
Telepresence, is a technology with extraordinary
capabilities and is set to become commonplace in the
coming years. In short, it means that intimate, intuitive
and effective interactions are occurring over great
distances, without the need for physical travel. Ex BBC
presenter and current European Chairman of Teliris,
Martyn Lewis, examines applications and implications
of this next generation communications tool.
REVOLUTIONISING
COMMUNICATIONS
THROUGH
TELEPRESENCE
elepresence systems reflect the result was the formation of a new
T
way people act in a natural company that is now delivering 25 percent efficiency was boosted by
setting. This enables companies of their global profits. Having senior executives able to
to hold meetings at the drop of Qualcomm has integrated Teliris meet, across the world if
a hat with colleagues in almost telepresence technology into its R&D necessary, within minutes –
any part of the world – with no detectable program to help drive employee delivering more timely and flexible
sound delay, high definition quality collaboration, productivity and efficiency. decision making
pictures, eye-to-eye contact with across the The trial program, which will utilise Teliris’s Saving time by senior executives
system and the ability to interrupt VirtuaLive™ Modular Systems, is designed not being tied up in airport
someone at will. It is hardly surprising to foster deeper integration and increased lounges
that telepresence has been called the communication between engineers at its There is, of course, a direct financial
‘Holy Grail’ of corporate communications headquarters and research facilities. saving too. If the meetings that have taken
– a reputation validated in spades by the place over the last 12 months using the
recent arrival in the telepresence market EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS Teliris VirtuaLive™ system had instead
by vendors as mighty as Cisco and What makes telepresence so effective been convened face to face, the cost to
Hewlett Packard. But it’s important to is the lifelike recreation of a real life Pearson would have been substantial in
remember that smaller companies had meeting experience. It is the lifelike nature air fares alone.
telepresence up and running long before of the experience that drives up usage of
these corporate giants decided it was even telepresence systems over traditional video PRODUCTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
worth researching. It is those early sales conferencing systems. Accurate eye line Being able to communicate effectively
that are now delivering detailed customer vectoring allows you to look directly at the and collaborate on a wide range of
case studies that underscore the scale and person you are addressing and the high projects means that staff have a greater
value of the telepresence advantage. definition, life size reproduction allows you range of options when it comes to
to see all the unspoken and essential collaboration and the time savings on
EARLY ADOPTERS PAVE THE WAY subtleties that allow for the natural flow of travel mean that staff also achieve a much
One major pharmaceutical conversation and collaboration. better work / life balance which inevitably
company has reduced its travel bill by The international media company, makes them more productive.
over $20 million a year (with additional Pearson, utilises Teliris VirtuaLive™ Telepresence technology is a reliable
savings every month). On top of that, technology between their London and means of maintaining constant contact
because its research scientists around the New York Headquarters. Pearson has between two or more vital facilities and
globe can meet at a moment’s notice, this recognised that effective leadership of a provides an additional tier of
company is taking drugs to market at least global business requires effective communications that can be maintained
six months faster than before and reaping communication between the company’s even in difficult circumstances such as
all the financial benefits that brings. executive teams. It is a business reality that flights being cancelled to terrorism or
An educational publisher praises its demands on executive time are growing, extreme weather. As an emerging
telepresence system for bringing together as are the pressures for ever more rapid technology telepresence still has some
for the first time a group of people decision making. Business travel and face ground to cover before it can be more
previously unable to meet for lengthy to face meetings can only ever be a part widely implemented but there can be no
serious discussion because of busy of effective decision making. doubt that the time is ripe for such a
schedules and distance constraints. The Pearson found that operational medium.
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SUSTAINABLE FM | APRIL 2008
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