December 2012 Volume 33
Dear Subscribers,
Merry Christmas! I am going to keep it short today so everyone can finish up their to-dos and their shopping before all economic activity ceases next week. Our main story today is about helping others. My favorite part of being a publisher is getting to promote our favorite charities around the holidays, a tradition now in its 4th year! This year’s list includes crowd-sourcing, micro-finance lender: Kiva, where we have established a lending team for telepresence and visual collaboration professionals. I am personally supporting the Fluoride Action Network whose work educating public officials on the toxicology of Fluoride has led hundreds of communities to abandon the practice in the past decade. Their work was helped significantly this year when the Harvard School of Public Health released the world’s 35th peer reviewed study showing a link between Fluoride and lower IQ. Their work is supported by 4100+ health, chemistry, and environmental professionals including multiple Nobel prize laureates in the fields of medicine and chemistry, multiple Goldman prize winners, winners of the National Science Prize, and many of the EPA’s own scientists and toxicologists that have also testified before Congress on Fluoride’s detrimental health effects. Please consider helping these charities or the charity of your choice this holiday season.
Reminder: We are gearing up to continue our coverage in the next issue of Telepresence Options Magazine which will be printed in late February and put into the mail on March 1st for delivery to 100+ countries this year. You can subscribe for free at www.TelepresenceOptions.com/magazine. If you are interested in advertising in the issue, we just kicked off our 2013 advertising program.
Thanks for reading,
Howard S. Lichtman Publisher - Telepresence Options
Telepresence Options Charities 2012 - Helping Others
December 21, 2012 | Howard Lichtman My favorite part of being a publisher is getting to promote well deserving charities each year around the holidays. In the spirit of the season I wanted to take a moment to recognize and promote some charities that were founded by members of the telepresence industry and a couple that are near and dear to some of us at the Human Productivity Lab and Telepresence Options. The list includes: Kiva, where our Linked In group: Telepresence Industry Professionals has a lending team, Bicycles for Humanity co-founded by Pat Montani, CEO & Co-founder of IP-V Gateways, Vacations for Veterans founded by Chris Carr, Director of Video Markets at MASERGY, The Fluoride Action Network which I am supporting, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, . If anyone knows of any other worthy efforts supported by members of the industry then please pass them along and we will add them to the list. Continue reading...
ZTE Launches a Videoconferencing Endpoint with a Firewall December 20, 2012 | Howard Lichtman
Multi-billion dollar Chinese multinational ZTE is better known for mobile handsets and wireless telecom equipment than videoconferencing, but the $13.7 Billion USD company makes a short line of solid standards-based, videoconferencing appliances and video network infrastruture. This week they were celebrating the launch of their newest videoconferencing endpoint with a built-in hardware-based firewall, their partnership with Baltimore-based cyber-security firm CyberPoint, and the fascinating and timely way they got American "Pro-Modified" Chinese videoconferencing gear on the US government's GSA schedule. Continue reading... The Future of Telepresence: UNC's Augmented Reality Research
December 18, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq. It may not be ready for prime time, but UNC's latest augmented reality telepresence research definitely has the right idea. In fact, we may be looking at a preview of the future of Telepresence. The term "Telepresence" has been under the gun lately, as the market for 3 screen solutions has reported disappointing numbers. However, Telepresence is not a product, it is a philosophy, and the team at UNC are pushing this philosophy to the next logical step. Continue reading...
WISE TIVI Vision Turns Your TV Into an Android Powered Videoconferencing Solution
December 16, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq.
As exciting as the recent rumors of Apple's renewed interest in TV design may be, some people are ready for smart(er) TV's today. In a continuation of our Living Room Video Coverage, we take a look at the WISE TIVI Vision which brings the Android OS to your TV. It is a relatively simple matter to get your TV to mirror your iOS or Android device, but it is a temporary solution. A real smart(er) TV should have permanent computing capabilities.
Android lovers are in luck, as the WISE TIVI Vision does just that, adding full Android 4.2 OS capabilities, and a set top camera to your TV for $90 (significantly cheaper than similar living room VC solutions). Your TV probably isn't touch sensitive, so you may be wondering how this works. WISE conveniently sells an integrated wireless keyboard, "airmouse" and a gamepad, which we expect brings its pricing back up into competitive range. For videoconferencing, interoperability isn't a concern as there is no proprietary video protocols in use. You don't make a WISE video call, you use whatever ANDROID VC app you prefer, be it Skype, Google Hangouts, or even a paid client. Continue reading... Samsung TVs Can Be Hacked to Spy on Viewers
Security firm exposes dangers of so-called "smart" products Paul Joseph Watson Infowars.com December 14, 2012 A security firm has discovered a vulnerability in Samsung's 'Smart' TVs that allows the devices to be hacked which, if left unpatched, would permit the system's microphone and camera to used to spy on the viewer.
Similar to an XBox Kinect, the Samsung 'Smart Hub' line of televisions allows users to control the television via physical gestures and voice control. A high definition camera is also used by the device to allow Skype calls. The device also includes facial recognition technology. However, these features can also be hijacked to turn the television into a modern day equivalent of George Orwell's telescreen. Continue reading...
Swivl Joins The Pan/Tilt Tablet Videoconferencing Arena
December 12, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq.
Last week we covered the Kubi solution, a tablet/phone stand which can controlled by a remote participant. This allows a videocaller to "look around" when calling that tablet/phone. Today we are taking a quick look at the Swivl, a slightly different take on the same basic concept. This is actually the second generation of the Swivl, boasting new support for tablets, DSLR cameras, and android devices (the first generation appears to mainly support iPhones).
The first version was so popular, and the demand to support tablets was so strong, that this next version was a no-brainer for the Swivl team. After one day on Kickstarter they have already reached 1/3rd of their pledge goal. Let's take a quick look at the extra bells and whistles that make the Swivl so interesting. Continue reading...
Telepresence Options Launches Robotic Telepresence Feed
December 10, 2012 | Howard Lichtman Telepresence Options, the leading publishing firm covering videoconferencing, telepresence, and visual collaboration is adding an additional RSS feed covering robotic telepresence. Robotic telepresence is an emerging visual collaboration technology that allows participants to remotely control robotic platforms equipped with videoconferencing capabilities. Robotic telepresence users are able to manuever around remote locations and interact with colleagues, friends, and family.
The new RSS feed allows Telepresence Options readers to follow the publication's comprehensive coverage that includes both original reporting on the field and on-going syndication of the best stories from the rest of the internet using popular RSS readers including: My Yahoo, Google RSS, My AOL, and Newsgator. Readers can also Subscribe to Telepresence Options - Robotic Telepresence by Email Continue reading...
The New Kubi Offers Greater Presence For Tablet Videoconferencing
December 6, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq.
Telepresence robots are an extremely exciting, and extremely troublesome, segment of the visual communication technology world. First of all, Telepresence purists take umbrage at the application of the T word to a technology that doesn't provide the illusion of an in-person meeting. More importantly, robotics companies have struggled with confusion and misplaced expectations from the marketplace, as well as serious technology hurdles (like remotely controlling a robot on an elevator via Wi-Fi).
Various companies are making great progress in addressing these issues, but Revolve Robotics is attempting to avoid them altogether with their new Kubi product (see it in action here). Continue reading... Teledining: Then and Now
December 5, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq. There is nothing like the business lunch. We feel an undeniable increased connection with someone after sharing a good meal with them. This can often serve to smooth the wheels of business. A good meal is like a good videoconferencing meeting; it is all about the experience. While we all fun this year at Thanksgiving, passing around iPhones with Facetime sessions to remote family, we can't really call that teledining. Proper teledining should (as much as possible) attempt to simulate a normal, across the table, business lunch; just as a proper telepresence solution should simulate a normal, across the table business meeting. BCC recently covered a Beijing teledining room in the video.
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ISPR PRESENCE 2012 Conference: From Academics and Research to Application
By Hannah C. Pedersen and Angela M. Cirucci, We recently attended the 2012 International Society for Presence Research (ISPR) conference held in Philadelphia, PA in October. The presentations explored new ways to study presence and introduced innovative new ideas for practical applications. ISPR is a non-profit membership organization that was founded in 2002 to support academic research that is related to the concept of (tele)presence. Telepresence is referred to as the idea or feeling of "being there" in a virtual environment and more generally the illusion of nonmediation where users of any technology overlook the role that technology plays in their experiences. This was the 14th international workshop on presence, with previous conferences held throughout the world including the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Scotland, England and other U.S. locations. Continue reading...
Vidtel's WebRTC Support Eliminates Key Barriers To VC Adoption
November 30, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq. Vidtel, known for its cutting edge, any-to-any cloud videoconferencing services, has just announced that they are rolling out WebRTC support for their platform. WebRTC is a technology which enables inherent videoconferencing within internet browsers. Many common VC solutions require users to install and run a client on their computer (think of how Skype works on your home PC). With WebRTC, no separate app is required, the videoconferencing session just appears within a browser window, just like any other basic website element.
Vidtel is notable for its leadership position in providing B2C videoconferencing interoperability, as well as its full line of cloud-based video support services. For example, their MeetMe service allows multiple participants to connect to a cloud based meeting room, via a choice of professional and consumer options, including H.323, SIP, Skype, Google Talk, Jabber, and others. This latest development expands upon their existing capability by allowing connections from any standard browser. Click through to learn more about Vidtel and their new WebRTC implementation Continue reading...
Telepresence is Dead! Long Live Telepresence!
November 27, 2012 | Howard Lichtman Telepresence is Dead! Long Live Telepresence! An Expansion of my Remarks at the Visual Communications Industry Group Conference. By Howard S. Lichtman, Publisher - Telepresence Options
Telepresence is Dead! That's the meme that's been going around the Internet lately to explain why the industry has seen a slowdown in multi-screen, multi-camera telepresence group systems. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Continue reading... ProtoSphere Virtual Environments for Lync Users
November 26, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq.
ProtoSphere (from ProtonMedia) is a virtual, avatar driven, social enterprise environment. Please review our previous coverage of Avaya's AvayaLive Engage for a basic description of the avatar / virtual environment concept and its potential use cases. ProtoSphere is notable for its deep integration with Microsoft Lync, its developing integration with Polycom's RealPresence platform, its creative custom rooms, and its advanced collaborative tools. Ron Burns, (ProtoSphere CEO) took me on a tour of his virtual environments and answered my questions about how it all works. Continue reading...
Will the Perfect Storm Sink Cisco's Collaboration Boat?
By Andrew W. Davis / No Jitter
Three trends--including the possibility that high-end telepresence has peaked--are threatening to swamp Cisco's efforts in video.
Much of the news coming out of Cisco recently has described the company's collaboration business as "struggling" or disappointing, with indeed much of the blame being attributed to the company's telepresence product line and business unit. From my perspective, it seems that Cisco is being hammered by three separate weather patterns that have come together to shake the boat to its collaboration foundations. Continue reading...
Subscribe for free at: http://www.TelepresenceOptions.com/magazine The New "Nintendo Wii U" Supports VidyoConferencing
November 19, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq.
Yesterday Nintendo finally dropped the successor to the historic Wii videogame console.If you were smart enough to pre-order, or lucky enough to get one by waiting on line, you are probably too busy playing to read this. Ok fine, go play, but when you are ready to take a break, come back and find out what I learned from Vidyo CEO and co-founderOfer Shapiro about this new partnership, about how your new gaming device also happens to include a business class videoconferencing codec.
Continue reading...
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Telepresence Options: New Articles and Stories
From our on-going review of the most important stories on telepresence technologies and reporting on the telepresence industry.
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A Display That Makes Interactive 3-D Seem Mind- Bogglingly Real
Will Knight, Technology Review, The Z Space display could be revolutionary for designers and animators, but might also inspire innovation in computer gaming and augmented reality. Imagine being able to reach out and grab some of the 3-D objects you saw in the movieAvatar with your own hands. I recently tried a computer display that offers this sort of interactive experience--albeit on a smaller scale--and I think the technique could have many possible uses. Continue reading...
Virtual Body Technology Uses 5 Senses
Posted By Aki Tsukioka and Takuya Nakajima, ISPR The Ikei Laboratory of Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School of System Design is developing virtual body technology that utilizes the five senses. In addition to using conventional audio and video footage, this technology can recreate smells as well as the feel of the wind and of stepping on the ground. Continue reading...
Cisco Seeks Buyer For Linksys Unit
By UCStrategies Staff, Cisco has stated this week that it will no longer service its previously discontinued video conferencing UMI Telepresence gear. UMI customers received a message that Cisco will permanently end UMI service on Jan 31, 2013. Cisco's UMI Telepresence solution enabled video conferencing in high definition from plasma TVs in a home office, and was introduced a few years ago. However, within six months of the product being introduced, Cisco stated that it would withdraw the UMI and the flip camera it came with. Continue reading...
How Educators Are Using Video Conferencing Technology
By Starre Vartan Mnn, Thu, Dec 20 2012 at 3:15 PM If you've looked up an arcane fact via Google on your smartphone over a dinner discussion, you've taken part in what used to be science-fiction -- access to almost limitless information via the Web, pretty much on demand. But information without context, history and explanation (basically what a good teacher provides) is just that; a trick, a bit of stuff. That's why the newest promise of the Internet regardess of the learner's locale -- for not just information, but communication overall -- may be just as worldchanging as its precedent. Videoconferencing in the classroom just got a whole lot more interesting. Continue reading...
Polycom CEO: Eight Out Of 10 Times, We Can Win Against Cisco Chad Berndtson, CRN, December 20, 2012 - Andy Miller joined Polycom in 2009, several months before Cisco acquired Tandberg, Logitech acquired LifeSize, and an ongoing consolidation among videoconferencing players seemed imminent. He became CEO less than a year later and began the strenuous process of not only growing Polycom but also shifting its purview -- something that hadn't changed much in the decade since Polycom bought its way into video dominance with PictureTel. Continue reading... 9 Year Old Boy Builds Robot To Stay Connected With Family
Boy builds robot to stay connected with family December 18, 2012 Reported by: Brandon Gunnoe LEXINGTON, Mass. (WHDH) -- A young boy in Lexington built a relationship with his grandparents using LEGO pieces and a little technology. Nine-year-old Ricky Kundu's grandparents live in India and can't visit very often, so block by block he put together a way for them to stay connected. Ricky named the robot Betabot -- beta means "child" in Hindi, and "early prototype" in English. Continue reading...
Nycomm acquires audio-visual specialist Videonations
Julian Niman MenMedia, The Nycomm Group, the Salford-based distributor of telecoms and video-conferencing equipment, has dialled up a multi- million pound turnover boost with a key acquisition. Nycomm has bought Videonations, a video-conferencing and audio-visual specialist based in Altrincham. Continue reading...
Indian Telco BSNL To Set Up 200 Videoconferencing Centers In 2013
By Ryan Huang ZDnet Indian telco BSNL will set up public videoconferencing centers at 200 locations in 2013, as part of new projects to add new revenues streams. The facilities will be open to everybody for activities such as meetings, training sessions and etc, said RK Upadhyay, chairman and and managing director of BSNL, in a Times of India report Monday. Continue reading... The world's first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts
ISPR, [From Chalmers University, where the press release includes an additional image] Every year, thousands of people across the world lose an arm or a leg. "Our technology helps amputees to control an artificial limb, in much the same way as their own biological hand or arm, via the person's own nerves and remaining muscles. This is a huge benefit for both the individual and to society", says Max Ortiz Catalan, industrial doctoral student at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Continue reading...
A 360-degree view of the world
Kurzweil, Paranoids alert Have you ever dreamed of having eyes in the back of your head? Yeah, we haven't either, but FlyVIZ, designed by French engineers, lets you experience a real-time 360 vision of your surroundings. It combines a panoramic image acquisition system (positioned on top of the your head) with a head-mounted display (HMD) and a laptop for transforming the fly-eye images in real time into something humans can see. Continue reading...
Subscribe for free at: http://www.TelepresenceOptions.com/magazine The Doctor Is Always In at York's Rapid Remedy
Keystoneedge, For everyone who has ever had to take off a whole morning to see the doctor for a few minutes on a routine matter - and their bosses - York's Rapid Remedy has a better idea. Rapid Remedy provides its subscribers with immediate and unlimited access to practicing, board-certified family physicians via real-time video conferencing. The doctor can evaluate, recommend treatment and prescribe medication for a host of minor complaints, including viral illnesses, muscle and joint disorders, skin disorders, external eye problems, allergies and headaches. Continue reading...
Avaya Looks To Next Generation Video Conferencing
Avaya has incorporated video networking technology it purchased from Radvision into its UC platform By Brandon Butler, Network World Network World - Following up on its purchase earlier this year of video optimization company Radvision, Avaya Wednesday announced enhancements to its Aura and Flare unified communications (UC) platforms that could signal the company's move into next generation videoconferencing for the enterprise. Continue reading...
Text Messages Direct To Your Contact Lens
New technology that will allow information, such as text messages from a mobile phone, to be projected onto a contact lens worn in the human eye has been developed by Belgian researchers. By Bruno Waterfield, Telegraph, Ghent University's centre of microsystems technology has developed a spherical curved LCD display which can be embedded in contact lenses and handle projected images using wireless technology. "Now that we have established the basic technology, we can start working towards real applications, possibly available in only a few years," said Professor Herbert De Smet.Continue reading... 10 Medical Robots That Could Change Healthcare
By Michelle McNickleInformationWeek From microbots that scrape plaque from arteries to personal assistant robots that help care for patients, medical robots are transforming the face of healthcare. Robots Juggle Simple Tasks And Complex Surgery Robots aren't new to healthcare. Remember the da Vinci Surgical System, the surgical assistant the FDA approved back in 2000? Since then, the system has conducted more than 20,000 surgeries and has paved the way for robotic advancements in healthcare. In fact, vendors have introduced a number of new robots to better provide care to remote patients, help with various physical therapies and -- similar to the da Vinci system -- help perform surgery. Continue reading...
See and feel Virtual Water With This Immersive Crossmodal Perception System from Solidray
By Don Kennedy and Ryo Osuga Solidray, which is involved in virtual reality production, has released an immersive crossmodal system incorporating visual and tactile feedback, enabling the user to see and feel flowing water in a virtual space. Continue reading...
Apollo Telemedicine Service Launched in Yangon
By IBTimes Staff Reporter The Apollo Group of Hospitals, one of Asia's largest healthcare providers, formally announced the launch of its telemedicine service in Yangon, Myanmar's former capital, on Dec 4. Sailesh Thangal, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Yangon, inaugurated the telemedicine facility services at the Keen Cie Co. Ltd. along with Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman Apollo Hospitals Group who was joined by tele-link.
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Videoconferencing is Transforming Information Workers into Remote Workers
By: Kerry Butters, OneStopClick Despite the growing popularity of flexible working, only 60% of UK businesses offer flexible working arrangements to their staff, despite one in four office workers wanting the chance to work around family commitments and from home.
However, according to an independent study commissioned recently by Polycom, Inc., remote working is something that could "become the norm" by 2022. The research found that amongst the 1000 UK professionals asked, the increase in new technologies adopted by employers has "heightened UK office workers' expectations of how work should fit into their lifestyles". Continue reading...
AT&T Unveils Cloud Video Patient-Monitoring Service
By Brian T. Horowitz , eweek, AT&T has announced a cloud remote-monitoring service that incorporates video and helps doctors and patients manage chronic conditions.
AT&T has launched a cloud patient-monitoring service that will help doctors manage patients' chronic diseases through live video chat. Continue reading...
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Feeling remote? Try a $2,000 telepresence robot
by Stephen Shankland, CNET PARIS -- For telecommuters who just aren't happy with Skype videoconferences or Google+ hangouts, why not try a telepresence robot? David Cann, co-founder and chief executive of Double Robotics, showed off such a beast today here at the LeWeb show. The $2,000 design looks, in Cann's words, like an iPadon a Segway. The robot, called Double, is basically a mobile videoconferencing device. On the bottom is a pair of wheels and a motor; in the middle a thin stalk; and on the top a bracket with an iPad. The operator can control the robot remotely, steering it around with a smartphone. Continue reading...
Ekiga 4.0 Offers A Fresh, Open Source Skype Alternative
PCWorld Katherine Noyes @noyesk Longtime users of Ubuntu Linux may already be familiar with open source Ekiga, which used to be the default Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) client in that popular Linux distribution, but late last month the telephony software got a major update.
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Subscribe for free at: http://www.TelepresenceOptions.com/magazine VGo Prevails in Robotic Telepresence Patent Lawsuit Brought by InTouch Health
Yahoo buys web video startup OnTheAir
'Everyone in US under virtual surveillance' - NSA whistleblower
Telepresence Robots Invade Hospitals - "Doctors Can Be Anywhere, Anytime"
5 Reasons to Be Terrified That Computers Can Now Read Faces
OVCC launches first interoperable videoconferencing services
On The Fourth Day Of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me... An iFusion iPhone Dock
Back to the Future: Huawei TE30
Samsung Plans Flexible, Unbreakable, Lighter Phones
The World Has Spoken: Telepresence is Still Dead
Flexible Working Expectations Rising, Shows Polycom Survey
NORCO Partners with Intel to Offer Videoconferencing Solution
Virtual Airline Take Off With VC
Arkadin Acquires Novasight Backed by AXA Private Equity ehealth Access Launches the Virtual Medical Kiosk
Government Videoconferencing: From Novelty to Necessity
End Of The Doctor's Surgery
Change the Size Of Food and Your Appetite With AR System From Tokyo U.
RGB Adds Meeting Room Displays
Revolutionary Eavesdropping Technology Patent To Help Governments Monitor Internet Chats Microsoft Kinect Ads Can Watch You While You Watch Them
Senate Bill Rewrite Lets Feds Read Your E-mail Without Warrants
Japan Display Shows Off 'Innovation Vehicles:' Incredibly Thin Smartphones, Tablets And More
Skype Takes Heat for Security - Both Too Little and Too Much
AT&T Launches Microsoft Office 365 for Midsize Businesses iRobot's RP-VITA Mobile telepresence Robot iPad App Eyes-On
Senate Narrowly Votes Down Cybersecurity Act Again, Obama Signs Secret Directive
Internet Activists On Red Alert Ahead of United Nations Conference
Telepresence Industry Press Releases
Check out the latest news from the companies on the forefront of telepresence technologies, telepresence managed services, and inter- networking telepresence.
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CoroWare Announces Billing Integration Framework for Accumulus and Vidyo CoroWare Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of CoroWare, Inc. (COWI.OB), today announced availability of CoroWare Billing Integration Framework for Accumulus and Vidyo which offers conference service providers a highly scalable and affordable cloud-based billing solution that integrates dynamic usage- and subscription-based billing from Accumulus Corporation and high definition videoconferencing systems from Vidyo. Continue reading...
The Next Revolution in Mobiles: YapApp
With the launch of YapApp, for the first time people will be able to make video conferencing calls from their iPhone or iPad to multiple contacts, by using a virtual room with up to seven participants. All you need to do is download YapApp to your iPhone or iPad. Continue reading...
Catalyst Telecom Expands Avaya Relationship With Addition Of Radvision Scopia, Enhances Video Offering Catalyst Telecom, a sales unit of ScanSource, Inc. , and value-added distributor of voice, video and data convergence solutions, has announced the expansion of its relationship with Avaya by incorporating Radvision's Scopia video solutions into its product offering, as well as creating new services for its customers in support of these solutions. Continue reading...
Connect Powered By SeeVogh a By The Slice Multi-Point, Hybrid-Cloud, Video Collaboration Solution MIVNET, LLC. Announced today they have officially started their internal beta of MIVNET Connect powered by SeeVogh, a cloud- based, HD, and multi-point videoconferencing and collaboration solution. MIVNET Connect runs on PCs (Windows, Mac & Linux) and will connect to legacy Telepresence equipment. Continue reading...
Free Video Conferencing Services for U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard Personnel While thousands of miles may keep them apart, military personnel and their families don't have to be alone this holiday season. Blue Jeans Network, Military Association Benefits Group,Military Comm Networks and its affiliated Joint Force Group companies, have partnered to create Home for the Holidays. Home for the Holidays is a program that provides free video conferencing services to U.S. soldiers and their families. Continue reading...
Renovo Video Conference Scheduling Solution Now Available for Vidyo Product Suite Video Scheduler, an advanced video conference management platform developed by Renovo Software, can now be used to schedule, manage, and automate Vidyo-branded video conferencing systems. The development was driven by Renovo customers deploying Vidyo solutions as well as Vidyo customers seeking a solution for scheduling, automation, and management of their Vidyo infrastructure. "Video Scheduler works with an array of video conferencing hardware, and we are very proud to announce the addition of a major player like Vidyo to that list," stated Ted Nafzger, Video Scheduler Sales Manager at Renovo Software. Continue reading...
New IDC MarketScape Provides a Vendor Assessment of the Worldwide Immersive Telepresence Equipment Market for 2012-2013 International Data Corporation (IDC) has published a new vendor and market analysis profiling the leading providers in the worldwide immersive telepresence equipment market. The report, IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Immersive Telepresence Equipment 2012-2013 Vendor Analysis (Doc #238292), utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology that produces a graphical assessment of each vendor's current market capabilities and strategies for competing in the future. IDC placed the two dominant immersive telepresence vendors - Cisco and Polycom - in the Leaders category for 2012-2013, with four others recognized as Major Players, including Huawei, Teliris, Radvision, and Vidyo. Continue reading...
G2J Partners with Masergy to Offer its Cloud Video Management Resellers a Global Network for Videoconferencing & Telepresence in North America & Europe G2J, a leading Wholesaler Cloud Videoconferencing & Telepresence Management Solutions, announced its partnership with Masergy, a global provider of managed, network and cloud communication services, to provide enterprise customers a global video network platform with QoS & unparalleled global connectivity. Continue reading...
TrueConf Supports Mac OS X Users The TrueConf video conferencing solution for OS X is designed for OS X 10.7 and its newer versions. It provides video conferencing calls for the corporate video network- based TrueConf Server, as well as the cloud video conferencing service TrueConf Online. Currently, TrueConf solutions for OS Х are available for download on the TrueConf website: http://trueconf.com/download/trueconf-client.dmg Continue reading...
CoroWare Announces Fourth Quarter 2012 Revenue Guidance CoroWare, Inc. today announced gross revenue guidance of over $375,000 for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2012 - an increase of over 60 percent compared with gross revenues of $224,136 in the third quarter of 2012. The forecasted growth in revenues is driven by increased sales of both HD video conferencing and mobile robotics products and consulting services. Continue reading...
Texas ESC13 to Deploy Renovo Video Conference Scheduling Solution for LifeSize Bridge
Video Scheduler, Renovo Software's video conference management platform, can now be used to schedule, manage, and automate LifeSize Bridge. Texas Education Service Center Region 13 (ESC13) will be the first to take advantage of this new development. The collaboration was driven by mutual customers utilizing both Video Scheduler and LifeSize Bridge to support their interactive video conferencing networks. Continue reading...
Avaya Drives the Industry's Most Comprehensive, Easy to Use Video Collaboration Solutions for the Mobile Enterprise Avaya today announced the next wave of innovation to its unified communications and collaboration portfolio with a family of people- centric video solutions for the mobile enterprise. Featuring new and expanded capabilities, Avaya's video collaboration solutions deliver easy access to a comprehensive set of video capabilities for face to face collaboration from the broadest range of mobile consumer devices, desktop and room-based systems. Continue reading...
LifeSize Strengthens Commitment to Unified Communications through Qualified Interoperability with Microsoft Lync 2010
LifeSize, a division of Logitech, today announced the expansion of its rich video collaboration offerings through qualified interoperability with Microsoft Lync. LifeSize Team 220 is one of the first H.264 room-based video endpoint qualified by Microsoft in the Lync Video Interoperability program. Continue reading...
VCI-Group Opens Up VCI-G Live Webinar Series to Non Members
As a part of the Circle of Leaders program designed to help fund and accelerate membership growth, the VCI-Group has begun opening up their VCI-Group Live Webinar series sessions to members and non-members alike. The first such VCI-G Live "open session" will take place on December 20, 2012. VCI-Group will host a VCI-Group webinar event entitled Connecting and Leveraging Teams around the World through Visual Communications. Joseph M. Pappalardo, Vice President, Network Services for Northern Trust and Zain Shammas Vice President, EMEA & NA Migration Program Director will discuss how their team delivers the network and infrastructure to support 110 offices served by 147 VC codecs and a Polycom VC infrastructure, and over 7,000 audio/web conferencing users. The session will be hosted by former radio talk show host, industry veteran, analyst and VCI-Group Advisory Chairman, J D Vaughn. Continue reading...
Polycom Announces General Availability of Polycom HDX Series 3.1, Delivering New Video Innovations for Greater Collaboration and Productivity Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards- based unified communications, today announced the worldwide availability of Polycom HDX Series 3.1, a software update for the Company's popular HDX video collaboration solution for executive desktops and rooms. Continue reading...
Avistar Earns Industry Honors with the Cloud Computing Excellence Award Avistar Communications (www.avistar.com), a leader in unified visual communications solutions, announced that it has been named a winner of the 2012 Cloud Computing Excellence Award, sponsored by TMC Cloud Computing Magazine. The award, which recognizes "companies that most effectively leveraged cloud computing in efforts to bring new, differentiated offerings to market," underscores Avistar's commitment to bring people together and make videoconferencing available to anyone, anywhere on any device. Continue reading...
Vidtel's Affordable, High-Quality Cloud Video Conferencing Available to VTEL Customers in Business and Education Markets
Vidtel's cloud service enables cost-effective, enterprise-grade video conferencing between room-based systems, executive desktop products, tablets, PCs, Skype, Google, WebRTC SUNNYVALE, Calif. and AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- When fulfilling video conferencing needs, enterprises of all forms share a common goal: affordable, easy to use, high-quality video conferencing. To meet that need, Vidtel'scloud-based MeetMe service enables video conferencing between room-based systems, executive desktop video systems, PCs/Macs, and mobiles using any combination of SIP, H.323, Skype, GoogleTalk and soon WebRTC technologies. Today, Vidtel announced another video conferencing manufacturer that interoperates with its service - VTEL. Continue reading...
Telekom Malaysia Berhad : VADS Extends Its Telepresence Reach Worldwide With AT&T VADS Berhad (VADS), the Information Communication Technology (ICT)/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), today signed an agreement with AT&T*, enabling VADS Managed TelePresence customers to connect to 80 countries worldwide. Telepresence is the next generation video conferencing technology that allows virtual meetings to be conducted using high-definition video and audio. The agreement was signed by En Ahmad Azhar Yahya, Chief Executive Officer of VADS and Mr. John Slamecka, Vice President of Global Wholesale and Access Management of AT&T via a telepresence session. Also present to witness the signing was Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek, Director, NKRA (RBI) & NKEA (CCI, Agriculture) from Pemandu. Continue reading...
AVI-SPL Expands Sales Leadership Team TAMPA, Fla.- December 7, 2012 - AVI-SPL, the world's leading video communications partner, today announced the expansion of its sales leadership team designed to significantly grow top-line revenue in 2013 and support its dramatic sales growth. The result of a detailed video communications market study, the AVI-SPL plan addresses key customer needs such as video collaboration solutions and robust managed services support by aligning sales development practices and sales support resources. Across the board, the expanded sales leadership plan broadens the company's sales talent, training, development, sales enablement, and pre-sales support engineering process. "This expanded sales leadership model brings an increased focus to front line sales management and coaching, which is key to AVI-SPL's continued growth that has empowered us to lead in our industry." said Don Mastro, executive vice president of sales. Continue reading...
BCS Global Opens Door to New Era of Dramatically Enhanced Video Collaboration Across Enterprises
London, December 10, 2012 /India PRwire/ -- BCS Global Networks Ltd continues to lead the way in visual collaboration by launching innovative new video communication service Virtual Presence B2B, one of the first Open Visual Communications Consortium (OVCC) compliant multi-network managed video services. Continue reading...
Video Conferencing Services Provider easymeeting.net Announces Support for Microsoft Lync in its Cloud.
With its launch of Lync support easymeeting.net endeavors to add real interoperability between different conferencing solutions from traditional video conferencing systems called end points to smart phones, tablets, pcs and macs as well as unified communications services like those from Microsoft. Continue reading...
GridVid.me Launches Cloud Video Transcoding Service
Revolve Robotics Introduces Kubi - The First Practical Robotic Platform For Tablet Telepresence
CoroWare Announces CoroCall Recording and Webcasting
SPIRIT DSP Receives Patent for its HD Voice Codec IP-MR for IP-networks
Vidtel Wins Best Conferencing Award for WebRTC Gateway to Enterprise Video Conferencing Infrastructure
Video Guidance and SinglePath Form Strategic Partnership
Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Cisco's Dominance in the Global Videoconferencing Infrastructure Market
FuzeBox Brings The Sexy Back to Online Meetings With The Launch of its Sleek And Native Mac OS X App
Vidyo Licenses H.264 Annex G (SVC) Essential Patent to MPEG-LA Patent Pool
Enterprise Videoconferencing And Telepresence Market Declines In Third Quarter
Masergy Adds Telarus to its Global Partner Program
Polycom RealPresence Video Solutions Helps University of Texas Medical Branch Bring Advanced Medical Care to South Pole Researchers Vidtel Launches First Native WebRTC Gateway to Enterprise Video Conferencing Infrastructure (H.264)
AVer and Blue Jeans Network Partner to Deliver Complete Video Conferencing Solutions For SMB Customers
G2J, Global Wholesaler of Cloud Videoconferencing Management Solutions, and Taobao, Leading Online Shopping Website, Announced Today a Strategic Partnership in China.
New Matrox MuraControl for Windows Software Simplifies Management of Mura MPX-Powered Video Walls
Yorktel to Showcase Media Solutions Portfolio at GovComm12 Expo - CTO to Present, "Build Infrastructure to Support Collaboration Participation"
Stony Brook University Opens Largest Resolution Immersive Visualization Facility Ever Built
BT Unveils World's Fastest Working High-Speed Broadband Service
ClearOne Reports 2012 Third Quarter Financial Results
Vidyo Powers Video Chat Service in Nintendo's Wii U Console
Virtual Teleportation for the most positive customer experience.
AVI-SPL's Mike Brandofino Joins Open Visual Communications Consortium Board of Directors
Vaddio Expands Operations to New Facility
LifeSize Expands Unity Series with Two New All-In-One Video Conferencing Systems
Redefining the Communication Experience: Fraunhofer IIS Makes Full-HD Voice Available for VoIP Apps
Research and Markets: The Telepresence Market in US to Grow At CAGR Of 27.22 Percent over Period 2011-2015
New Partner Model Announced for the VideoCloud Video Communication Service Portfolio Telepresence People
Name Company New Title Tom Bigliani AVI-SPL SVP Sales, East Dale Bottcher AVI-SPL SVP Sales, West Rhonda Wingate AVI-SPL SVP Enterprise & Public Sector Accounts David Ellis AVI-SPL Sales Lead Los Angeles Region Kyle Morgan AVI-SPL Sales Manager, North Carolina Jeff Griffeth AVI-SPL Sales Manager, Houston Teresa Renaud AVI-SPL Sales Manager, Detroit Debra Blanco AVI-SPL Sales Manager, Ft. Lauderdale Dan Marchetto IOCOM VP Business Development Mark Hirshchhorn Teladoc Executive VP and CFO Hans Sanders VisionsConnnected CFO Derek Abrams Wainhouse Research Analyst
Telepresence Industry Professionals -Now Over 3,500+ Members!
Telepresence Industry Professionals (TIP) is our telepresence industry association on Linked In which is now over 3,500+ members! We like to call it "the telepresence industry's cool kids club" because so many of our favorite folks are on- board. The group is a superb venue for discussion, networking, and industry news and information. There is a Jobs board for organizations looking for talent and for folks that are in the market for their next gig.
TIP is now in Europe with XING!!
On The Bench A Breakdown of Industry Talent in the Market for their Next Opportunity
Interested in Appearing in “On the Bench”? Send 1 short paragraph overview, headshot, and LinkedIn URL to [email protected] with “On the Bench” in the subject line.
Telepresence Industry Jobs
New Jobs on the Telepresence Industry Professionals Job Board - Must be a Member of TIP to view
Telepresence Options Seeking Managing Editor & Writers
Over the past year we have focused on growing the publishing side of Telepresence Options into the largest identifiable audience in the world interested in telepresence and visual collaboration. We have more than doubled the website traffic from an average of 747 session per day in 2009 to 2014 2500 3000+sessions per day as of March 2012 and growing! The subscribers to our newsletter, the Telepresence Options Telegraph, have grown from 2861 to 4724 5500+. 6300+ We launched a new website the Telepresence and Videoconferencing Catalog which has become the Internet's most comprehensive and intelligently-organized overview of telepresence and visual collaboration solutions. Recently we have launched Telepresence Options Magazine and we are now looking for a talented editor and some writers to help us take both the website and magazine to the next level.
Please email [email protected] if interested.
Telepresence Options is now on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Xing, RSS, and YouTube
Telepresence Industry Calendar
About Telepresence Options Telepresence Options follows telepresence, videoconferencing, unified communications, and the companies that make up the visual collaboration industry. We profile new telepresence and visual collaboration systems, telepresence and video managed service providers, and telepresence inter- networking solutions. Telepresence Options content is available for free on the internet and The Telepresence Options 2013 Yearbook and Telepresence Options Magazine are available to subscribers. The Telepresence Options 2013 Yearbook is the third in the series of Telepresence Options surveys and is the most recent update to the Telepresence Options 2011 Yearbook and Telepresence, Effective Visual Collaboration, and the Future of Global Business at the Speed of Light the most widely read publications on telepresence ever.
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Telepresence Options traffic is from 190+ countries! Telepresence Options is the #1 Website on the Internet following telepresence, telepresence managed services, and inter-networking telepresence. The site attracts over between 25,000 – 30,000+ unique visitors per month and represents the largest identifiable audience in the world interested in telepresence, telepresence managed services, and internetworking telepresence. The Telepresence Options Telegraph is published monthly and has over 6,000+ subscribers. Please contact [email protected] for sponsorship info or http://www.telepresenceoptions.com/sponsorship/
Telepresence Options 2012 Program TPO Magazine May 1st 2012 The Telepresence and Videoconferencing Catalog
The Telepresence and Videoconferencing Catalog is our comprehensive and intelligently organized on- line catalog of the leading telepresence and videoconferencing systems, managed service providers, and inter-networking solutions available anywhere. You can start with our comprehensive overview of the various Telepresence Options and then drill down to evaluate telepresence solutions in various intelligently organized categories.
Telepresence Stage and Podium Systems Recording, Streaming, and Group Systems Archiving Large Group Systems, Video Network Management Small Group Systems Public Telepresence and VC Executive Systems Rooms Telemedicine & Healthcare TP Peripherals and Accessories Video Conference Systems Telepresence Robotics Video Network Infrastructure Virtual Reality CAVESs Cameras and Codecs Unified Communications Managed Services Provider Desktop Conferencing Inter-Networking Provider Webconferencing and Virtual TP and VC Exchange Services Collaboration Resellers and Integrators Display Technologies Conferences and Events Publications Consultants Audio Peripherals Mobile Video
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