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Chapter 7 Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology

Case 1: Telepresence: Meeting Without Traveling" 

This video case requires students to view three videos:

(a) Cisco Telepresence Magic 

Tags: telepresence; Cisco; customer intimacy; high speed telecommunications.

(b) The Next Step in Global Meetings 

Tags: telepresence; collaboration; Cisco.

(c) Cisco Virtual Company Meeting

Tags: telepresence; virtual meeting.

Summary 

Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present at a locationremote from their own physical location; or, a set of technologies that enables realistic group meetingsamong geographically remote sites. Someone experiencing telepresence would therefore be able to behave,and receive stimuli, as though they were at the remote site. Telepresence seeks to overcome the geographicallimitations of face-to-face meetings, and the high costs of transporting people in a global economy.

In the first video, Cisco CEO John Chambers demonstrates the use of holograms over the Internet to createtelepresence. In the second, Cisco employees demonstrate the use of telepresence rooms to collaboratesimultaneously in a rich media environment with colleagues in London, Japan, India, and California. In thethird, Cisco uses its telepresence technology to have the first global, life-size, high-definition virtualcompany meeting. Locations were San Jose, CA; Irvine, CA; Atlanta, GA; Raleigh, NC; Boxborough, MA;Amsterdam, NL; Bedfont Lakes, UK; and Bangalore, India.

Cisco Telepresence Magic URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcfNC_x0VvE 

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The Next Step in Global Meetings 

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akzNWS5dygQ 

Cisco Virtual Company Meeting

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhgBHUfsAlk  

Case 

Telepresence technologies are not new, or in the future, but are here today: broadband Internet service thathas continental and global reach; field of view cameras that can capture a 360 degree visual experience;multiple large monitors to display the experience; realistic wrap-around sound systems; adequate computing power in the form of servers and client PCs. That said, for "high end" telepresence, firms must make largeinvestments in special meeting rooms, monitors, servers, and software, to develop telepresence applications.This generally means that only Fortune 1000 companies can afford the high-end tools of Cisco'stelepresence suite. But even small firms can use Skype teleconferencing tools on their desktop PCs andconnect Bangalore with New York for a meeting.

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Telepresence is not the same as virtual reality because the actors involved in telepresence are human beings,not avatars.

Telepresence has many current and potential business applications. Businesses increasingly are turning totelepresence as an alternative to traveling and meeting face-to-face; other applications include enhancingsocial networks; remote observation of dangerous environments like subsea cables and nuclear reactors, andremote surgery.

Telepresence systems aimed at corporate customers are sold by Digital Video Enterprises (DVE), Polycom,HP, Cisco, Telanetix, Tandberg, BrightCom, LifeSize, and Teliris. Prices range from tens to hundreds ofthousand dollars. These systems include multiple microphones, speakers, high-definition monitors, cameras,

and often dedicated networks and custom-made studios. They strive to be as transparent to users as possible by providing life-size videos, imperceptible transmission delays, and user-friendly interfaces.

Case Study Questions 

1. What kinds of limitations do you see for users of telepresence? Is it really a substitute for face-to-facemeetings? Make a list of features of face-to-face meetings. Then consider a range of business situations asan employee, from initial hire, to working with a team, to understanding what your boss wants, and even atermination meeting. How would telepresence work for you in these situations?

2. What are the business benefits of telepresence described in these videos? What is the benefit of ahologram?

3. In the past, work was organized into central buildings located in central locations (like cities) in order tofacilitate face-to-face interactions. What impacts might telepresence have on the organization of work? Howcould you use these tools to organize work on a global scale with actually building physical facilities inremote locations?

4. Why is it important that the remote locations using telepresence have the same lighting, seating, andstyle?

5. What applications of telepresence would be useful for marketing to customers?

Copyright © 2009 Kenneth Laudon. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education.