We’ve had a chat the other day during lunch about the future of video conferencing (yes, we sometimes speak about work during lunchtime).
The issue that was raised is where, if at all, do we see telepresence in the future – what role will it play?
While I’d love to try and answer this question, want to set the ground first, as I don’t really think there’s a good definition our there for telepresence.
So here are a few definitions of my own:
- A video conferencing system that costs 5-10 times more than any other
- A video conferencing system that comes complete with a nice (and rather expensive) wooden table
- A conference room that can only be used for video conferencing and for no other type of meeting whatsoever
- The high end of the high end of video conferencing
- A video conferencing system that will not be sold in more than a few hundred of units a year
In a nutshell, I think telepresence is simply the high end of video conferencing. It’s where companies put their latest advancement in technology in order to get the best user experience possible. That basically solves what it is (and what it’s not).
But telepresence comes with a huge cost – the system itself is ridiculously expensive, it takes up a large conference room – rendering it useless for any other types of meetings, and there are maintenance costs that are quite heavy as well.
The good news are that most of these technologies that are introduced into the telepresence products will find their way to the enterprise video conferencing market within a year or two.
And where is Telepresence headed? Well, I can definitely see them make a o 3D Presence soon. And from there? Who knows…
Tags: 3D, advancement, definition, enterprise, maintenance, TelePresence, User Experience, video conferencing
Comments and trackbacks
1. Call Centers in the Philippines | February 4th, 2010 at 3:50 am
Nice info. This is a pertinent post. A very interesting and well written article! Being Globalization increases the need for communication among colleagues and partners. Business discussions encompass not only multiple people but also multiple locations. While today’s meeting and collaboration tools provide a significant productivity boost, they are not a substitute for in-person meetings. Videoconferences, in particular, are often difficult to set up, challenging to use, and do not adequately replicate the benefits of face-to-face interaction. – Jaime
2. BPO Manila | May 20th, 2010 at 2:28 am
Telepresence is indeed an innovative way to conduct business. While it does cost a lot to set up and maintain, I’d say that this is far outweighed by the benefit of keeping communication lines open among employees and businesses. So in a way, as the cliché goes, it’s an investment that pays for itself.
3. Tsahi Levent-Levi | May 20th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Telepresence will not keep communication lines open among employees, but rather among top management.
The ROI in “regular” video conferencing is much more effective than in telepresence with its myriad of problems.
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