Now Your Business Can Take Advantage Of Video Conferencing

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What’s the difference between Video Conferencing and Telepresence?

Telepresence picks up where video conferencing left off. Telepresence IS real time, full-high-definition, immersible sound and vision. Telepresence IS most importantly: the feeling of being “there” when you’re “here”. Telepresence is lifelike, video conferencing is not. Telepresence is that hi-line Mercedes AMG, video conferencing is a Ford Escort - Period.

Why Telepresence now?

Video conferencing has been around a while now but has always lacked the feeling we spoke about above. Jumpy computer screens, broken audio and poor lighting add to the impersonal touches of video conferencing (ie slow motion camcorder on top of your computer monitor). Finally, technology, bandwidth, vision and sound have all converged on video conferencing to create the telepresence experience. It’s about time! Crystal clear surround sound and real-time full-high-definition visual effects enhance the feeling of being there – thus telepresence. That nervous twitch, roll of the eyes, sniffle, tap of the foot – things you see when you’re present and sitting across a conference room table – things you don’t see or feel from video conferencing, but do with telepresence.

Today, what “real” uses are there for Telepresence?

There is no short answer even possible here. We’ll name a few, more like we’ll put your imagination to work. Imagine a single specialist doctor in Canada treating patients in Haiti via telepresence. Robots in space doing the actual work while the telepresence operator dons his telepresence helmet and gloves at his workstation in Texas. Meeting your Russian company vice president while you’re in the executive telepresence room at the office in Denver. Just a few…

What are “real” savings of Telepresence?

Your imagination still working on the last answer? Don’t let up yet! What carbon footprint? Don’t need that airplane ticket to go check on your staff in Russia now do you? What lost life in the Iraqi war? Unmanned drones and soldiers via telepresence. Military and combat cost savings? Immeasurable. Less travel costs, airline frustration, fuel, lost time, carbon emissions, etc. Those are tangible, real savings to name just a very limited few.

You starting to see what telepresence can do that video conferencing can’t? We hope you see what we’re seeing! Telepresence – its time has arrived!

Check out the video thread in Section 8 of the Telepresence Forum where you can watch some Telepresence YouTube videos! If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth a million!

Ride on the "Next Plane of Existence" TM

Does your business have job sites scattered all across the country or the globe? Do your employees have to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to make important meetings, while their expense accounts add up? With advances in technology and reductions in costs, now your business can take advantage of video conferencing, too.

As employees travel great distances away from their normal job sites to attend important meetings, hours of employee productivity are lost. And after you reimburse all of these employees for their travel time, air fare, car rental, hotel, and food, the cost can become astronomical. When you invest in video conferencing capabilities, the equipment can potentially pay for itself in one meeting, depending on your own unique business needs.

How many times have you gathered your employees together, taking them away from their usual job sites, only to realize too late that they have forgotten some important piece of data, or a resource crucial to the success of the meeting? Video conferencing eliminates the worry and hassle associated with traditional travel and meeting options.

And, imagine how relieved the employees of your business will be, to know they no longer have to spend days or even weeks away from home, far from their families. When you invest in video conferencing equipment, you can have important meetings with all the advantages of face to face, instantaneous communication, without any of the disadvantages or hassles.

Video conferencing also allows you to call important meetings without having to spend weeks or even months coordinating, scheduling, and planning. With just a few phone calls, meetings can be set up and conducted, almost at the drop of a hat. This means no more missed opportunities or time wasted waiting for employees to travel.

The equipment needed for your business to take advantage of video conferencing costs much less now than it did only a decade ago. Many businesses are not taking advantage of this technology because they believe it is still too expensive for them.

Ten years ago, video conferencing packages could easily cost as much as $50,000 per site. But now packages are available for less than half of that. Some businesses find the equipment pays for itself after only a few meetings. And some video conferencing providers allow businesses to rent or lease the equipment for monthly payments less than $100.

Because video conferencing integrates video and audio signals, employees are able to see and talk to each other the same as if they were still meeting face to face in the same room. But, they can remain on their regular job sites, with their data, their resources, and ? even more importantly ? their families close at hand.

Video conferencing eliminates costs, headaches, and hassles associated with gathering employees together for important meetings. Big decisions can be reached more quickly, no more hours get lost to travel time, no more money is wasted on traveling expenses, and employees are happier and more productive. Video conferencing benefits everyone involved, but it benefits your bottom line the most of all.

Robert Michael is a writer for A Conferencing which is an excellent place to find conferencing links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.aconferencing.com