24 Cisco resellers around the globe will initially be selling the solutions which cost up to $300k each. In the UK 2e2 and Dimension Data have been selected.
The move comes slightly ahead of schedule with some observers saying Cisco’s hand was forced by last Saturday’s announcement from Microsoft in which they launched their RoundTable conferencing solution for $3000. Cisco responded by putting their release out on Sunday.
Anyway… here’s the marketing speak on the Cisco product.
‘The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution combines the reach, intelligence and reliability of the network with the simplicity of a telephone interface to deliver an entirely new way for people to meet and collaborate. Cisco TelePresence Meeting is the first application of Cisco TelePresence technology. It was developed by Cisco from the ground up – with 25 patents pending -- to revolutionize the way organizations communicate internally and externally with employees, customers and partners.’
“Based on the tests we have conducted with the new solution, we are excited about the potential that this new collaboration tool has in helping Yahoo! communicate and collaborate more frequently and effectively with our key stakeholders,” said Mercedes De Luca, vice president of Global Information Technology Infrastructure at Yahoo!.
The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution—available in two versions for large and small meetings—combines the industry’s first ultra-high definition 1080p video and high-quality, wideband spatial audio, imperceptible low latency, with comprehensive environmental design. Meeting participants feel as if they are in the same room together, even though they may be located across the globe. With the ability to see and hear others in ultra-high definition video and wideband spatial audio, users experience subtleties and nuance of conversations.
“The solution for effective face-to-face remote meetings has proven to be an elusive dream for businesses in the past,” said Marthin De Beer, vice president of Cisco’s Emerging Markets Technology Group. “Customers have been asking for a technology solution to improve critical business relationships and “in-person” collaboration over long distances. Until now, there was no effective way to increase the number of high-quality interactions and drive greater productivity without more travel. Cisco has met this demand by creating a new way to meet. The Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution takes advantage of the power and intelligence of an IP network and Unified Communications to facilitate real-time, face-to-face conversations between people around the world to simply and easily increase productivity and speed decision making.”
Channels:
The Cisco TelePresence Advanced Technology Provider (ATP) Program currently includes 24 partners from around the globe. The program is focused on helping partners provide the expertise, intellectual property and lifecycle services capabilities necessary to deliver the Cisco TelePresence experience.
Cisco say TelePresence Meeting solution is best delivered over a Cisco-certified TelePresence network connection. Cisco is developing a program through which service providers may attain TelePresence network certification. Cisco TelePresence certified service providers work to ensure that businesses get the life-like communications experience they demand.
List Pricing and Availability
The Cisco TelePresence 1000, $79,000 USD list; and the Cisco TelePresence 3000, $299,000 USD list, are expected to be available in December 2006.