The meeting begins. The CEO, USA asked the company Board of Directors (BOD) ‘Do you mind passing me a copy?’ The COO, Brussels branch
replied, I suggest we split the product into two and focus on two independent markets.’ And with a flourish of the hands, ‘ that would give us two markets. Product A would be oriented towards the corporate houses and product B strictly towards end users. Here is a printout’ He then sat down and pressed the print button. Immediately the CEO went over to pick the prints and then responded….
A hijacking is in progress. Unfortunately, there are no security staff to protect the passengers. But all movements of the hijackers are being transmitted via satellite to earth from the seats!
In the above cases, the managers and meeting invitees are sitting at physically distant locations. . The second is an effective means of combating terrorist or hijacking attempts. They are in a Telepresence meeting (area) meaning their 3D images are thrown up in the meeting. All this sounds like an episode of Star Trek, but it has been in use already and only recently made its way into India. Ask any employee of Cisco and they will positively rave that it’s the greatest product in conferencing solutions. It offers no chance for any nuance or sign to be misunderstood. Another advantage - if you do not trust voice (tapping) or emails (spam) then simple sign language would do the trick. Meaning it retains body language as
the business language without any leaks. Of course unless it is being recorded too!
The recent launching of Telepresence in India has seen it make front page news exactly for the above reasons. Ofcourse there are other products from Cisco like the famed routers or the IPV6 slated to release soon, but this is their biggest innovation so far. (It is an application of another of their inventions VOIP over IPV6)
What it is – ‘
TelePresence is a new technology that combines rich audio, high-definition video, and interactive elements to deliver a unique in-person experience—over the network’
Telepresence takes you into virtual 3 dimension, meaning another degree. When you watch a movie, they are basically 3D images compressed to display on a 2D screen. Your photographs too are 2D images. If you have seen holographic images, then you are probably referring to 3D images imprinted on a 2D surface. Ofcourse, there is a vast difference between what is portrayed and reality. If you have seen the Cisco demo, you would understand why they opted for dark rooms instead of highlighting the mindless possibilities. They wanted it to be as realistic as possible.
When you watch 3D movies you watch it with disbelief and hence feel safe when the hero throws bricks at you. (I did watch the Jackie Shroff movie) But with telepresence, even knowing the fact that you are in a conference room with a virtual image can boggle your mind
till you feel the resolution or the bandwidth lag… (When the images get hazy or stuck) That is where more development and bandwidth are required.
How does it work? – To understand how it works, you need to understand its requirements. It uses two high definition cameras (with 720p and 1080p resolution and coding/encoding) through session initiation protocol. These systems use the standard IP technology deployed and run on an integrated voice, video, data network. It requires broadband connections, particularly the high definition video which requires 1Mbps to 5 Mbps dependent on the resolution… The software it users is IP telephony (similar to calling as in netmeeting), Groupware (Outlook and Lotus Notes) helps in scheduling the meetings and assorted services.
The systems are integrated into specially built furniture, which incorporate all requirements (cameras, displays, lighting, speakers, microphones) specially designed for larger rooms mostly. One of the Indian companies has already identified telepresence for a vague first purpose, but terrific for Indian needs. This business house is setting up a matrimonial service where the guy/girl meet without a physical meeting or seeing 2D photos. That’s a terrific thing to do especially as people dread meeting others for this purpose. It also offers a great interactive experience. You might even end up blowing a kiss! There are other vague purposes, which seem too difficult to believe if I stated it now. The marriage portal remains the one confirmed application of Telepresence so far.
A future with telepresence – Along with internet cafes, you might also have telepresence cafes… where operations would be performed from distant locations, you are in a virtual world exploring your options in a multiplayer game or are hunting for a bride or groom.
(Information including title obtained from the CISCO site)
(For complete requirements, take a peek at the below cisco site http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns669/networking_solutions_products_generic_co
ntent0900aecd80554cb2.html )
(Live demo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rcfNC_x0VvE
How telepresence works
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/11/12/stories/2007111250150401.htm)