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Telepresence @ InfoComm 2009 - A Review
July 31, 2009 | Howard Lichtman
I finally finished up my review of InfoComm 2009 after being on
the road for over four weeks in June and July proving my running joke
that for a telepresence guru I spend an inordinate amount of time on
planes, trains, and automobiles. Check out my review of all the new
telepresence announcements from the show with pictures and video of the
latest and greatest in telepresence and visual collaboration
technologies from Orlando with updates on: AV Concepts, Business Octane, Cisco,
Digital Illusions, Digital Video Enterprises, illusio technologies,
IMCCA, Iformata, IVCi, Glowpoint, HaiVision, LifeSize Communications, Magor
Communications, MASERGY, Musion, Polycom, TANDBERG, Telepresence Tech,
Teliris, and Vidyo
The biggest telepresence news out of InfoComm was the launch of Teliris' 6th Generation technology platform which included the release of their own codec and multipoint video network infrastructure platforms based on Vidyo's implementation of H.264/SVC, a complete redesign of their Teliris Express modular telepresence offerings, updates to their multi-touch table computing platform and interactive easel, a new desktop video appliance, and to top it all off the company announced that they had orders for 133 new system. You can read my complete review of the new Teliris 6th Generation platform Here and their official press release Here.
Teliris CEO Marc Trachtenberg gives an overview of 6th Gen in this video
MASERGY, HaiVision, Musion, Christie Digital, AV Concepts, and illusio technologies
If I gave out awards at InfoComm (which I don't ;-) I would probably give MUSION, HaiVision, MASERGY, AV Concepts, Christie Digital, and illusio technologies the "Best in Show" award for bringing an on-stage trans-Atlantic telepresence experience to the show floor and then giving attendees the ability to go behind the scenes to understand the staging and technology. The demonstration which was reported to have cost the companies over $250,000 to put together featured a transatlantic duet between a beautiful young singer in the UK and MUSION's CEO Ian O'Connell was made possible using HaiVision's MAKO-HD low latency codec transmitting high definition images over MASERGY's true QoS MPLS network optimized for video and projecting the images on MUSION's eye-liner foil using projection technology from Christie Digital with staging and content provided by AV Concepts and illusio technologies.
A MASERGY B-Roll shows the transatlantic duet and a number of shots "behind the scenes" showing everything involved in transporting a realistic looking life-size human being to Orlando from the UK.
Iformata Communications
If I was giving out 'Best of Show' awards (which I'm not :-) then Iformata Communications would be the leading candidate in the video network infrastructure category for their new VNOC Symphony platform which automates, simplifies, and improves scheduling, framing, monitoring, trouble ticketing, ad hoc calling, and a host of other issues around managing video network infrastructure and enabling enterprise video. The system allows easy scheduling of conferencing resources from Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, a web interface, an animated Microsoft Silverlight interface, Microsoft OCS, Blackberry, and even the Apple iPhone among others. Most importantly the system intuitively "frames" meetings between different telepresence platforms which means that it understand the geometry of camera capture, number of screens, number of sites, etc. and implements the appropriate screen layout to ensure good human factors in each meeting. Layouts can be changed during a conference by participants using an intuitive graphical user interface.
The software package which is designed to sit on top of existing MCUs/video network infrastructure is so capable and easy-to-use that it could open up the market for providing managed services to a new tier of video service providers and enterprise customers. Anyone managing video network infrastructure should definitely check out VNOC Symphony.
IVCi integrated Cisco TelePresence in GE's Jack Welch Corporate Training Facility
I had the opportunity to speak with Phil Marechal of Cisco who was showing off some of the results of the company's partnership with IVCi to customize Cisco TelePresence systems for installations that require unique solutions. The picture above shows an installation for General Electric's corporate training facility features three 103" Panasonic display, a SMART Technologies Sympodium Interactive pen display, and additional 65" and 50" displays for viewing data. A tip o' the hat to IVCI's Brooks Bailey for passing along this article in Systems Contractor News with all the details:http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/scn_200907/index.php?startpage=50#/50
Digital Illusions
InfoComm visitors were greeted walking into the main hall by a telepresence display from Digital Illusions, the North American license holder for MUSION. Digital Illusions, led by Ann DeVilbiss, specialize in creating content and staging productions for corporate clients and theatrical productions looking to wow audiences with life-size remote presenters and engaging content. The company recently won "Best of Show" at Audiology in Dallas for their client Opticon with a presention that blew up the earth.
Digital Video Enterprises
Teliris
Hana Jeddy and SVP of Global Sales Jim Kaufold from Teliris demonstrate the revamped Teliris Express3 from afar with an InterACT Easel visible on the right.
The biggest telepresence news out of InfoComm was the launch of Teliris' 6th Generation technology platform which included the release of their own codec and multipoint video network infrastructure platforms based on Vidyo's implementation of H.264/SVC, a complete redesign of their Teliris Express modular telepresence offerings, updates to their multi-touch table computing platform and interactive easel, a new desktop video appliance, and to top it all off the company announced that they had orders for 133 new system. You can read my complete review of the new Teliris 6th Generation platform Here and their official press release Here.
Teliris CEO Marc Trachtenberg gives an overview of 6th Gen in this video
MASERGY, HaiVision, Musion, Christie Digital, AV Concepts, and illusio technologies
A transatlantic duet between a beautiful young singer in the United Kingdom and MUSION's CEO Ian O'Connell in Orlando
If I gave out awards at InfoComm (which I don't ;-) I would probably give MUSION, HaiVision, MASERGY, AV Concepts, Christie Digital, and illusio technologies the "Best in Show" award for bringing an on-stage trans-Atlantic telepresence experience to the show floor and then giving attendees the ability to go behind the scenes to understand the staging and technology. The demonstration which was reported to have cost the companies over $250,000 to put together featured a transatlantic duet between a beautiful young singer in the UK and MUSION's CEO Ian O'Connell was made possible using HaiVision's MAKO-HD low latency codec transmitting high definition images over MASERGY's true QoS MPLS network optimized for video and projecting the images on MUSION's eye-liner foil using projection technology from Christie Digital with staging and content provided by AV Concepts and illusio technologies.
A view from behind the MUSION eye-liner looking into the audience
A MASERGY B-Roll shows the transatlantic duet and a number of shots "behind the scenes" showing everything involved in transporting a realistic looking life-size human being to Orlando from the UK.
Iformata Communications
If I was giving out 'Best of Show' awards (which I'm not :-) then Iformata Communications would be the leading candidate in the video network infrastructure category for their new VNOC Symphony platform which automates, simplifies, and improves scheduling, framing, monitoring, trouble ticketing, ad hoc calling, and a host of other issues around managing video network infrastructure and enabling enterprise video. The system allows easy scheduling of conferencing resources from Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, a web interface, an animated Microsoft Silverlight interface, Microsoft OCS, Blackberry, and even the Apple iPhone among others. Most importantly the system intuitively "frames" meetings between different telepresence platforms which means that it understand the geometry of camera capture, number of screens, number of sites, etc. and implements the appropriate screen layout to ensure good human factors in each meeting. Layouts can be changed during a conference by participants using an intuitive graphical user interface.
The software package which is designed to sit on top of existing MCUs/video network infrastructure is so capable and easy-to-use that it could open up the market for providing managed services to a new tier of video service providers and enterprise customers. Anyone managing video network infrastructure should definitely check out VNOC Symphony. Cisco and IVCi
IVCi integrated Cisco TelePresence in GE's Jack Welch Corporate Training FacilityI had the opportunity to speak with Phil Marechal of Cisco who was showing off some of the results of the company's partnership with IVCi to customize Cisco TelePresence systems for installations that require unique solutions. The picture above shows an installation for General Electric's corporate training facility features three 103" Panasonic display, a SMART Technologies Sympodium Interactive pen display, and additional 65" and 50" displays for viewing data. A tip o' the hat to IVCI's Brooks Bailey for passing along this article in Systems Contractor News with all the details:http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/scn_200907/index.php?startpage=50#/50
Digital Illusions
InfoComm visitors were greeted walking into the main hall by a telepresence display from Digital Illusions, the North American license holder for MUSION. Digital Illusions, led by Ann DeVilbiss, specialize in creating content and staging productions for corporate clients and theatrical productions looking to wow audiences with life-size remote presenters and engaging content. The company recently won "Best of Show" at Audiology in Dallas for their client Opticon with a presention that blew up the earth. Digital Video Enterprises
Digital Video Enterprises had George W. Bush entertaining the crowd via their Telepresence Podium which displays life-size attendees. The company also announced a new REALroom3D option for the bezel-less DVE Huddle Room which transforms the Huddle Room into an "augmented reality" experience where remote participants appear superimposed within the room environment.
Cisco, TANDBERG, and Polycom
Glowpoint
Glowpoint was demonstrating its Telepresence interExchange Network ('TEN') which connects telepresence and HD/SD videoconferencing calls on various network. Again, if I was giving out awards...which I'm not... this would have won "Best of Show" in the inter-connection department. The company announced that powerhouse international integrator AVI-SPL has joined the TEN network. The company also hosted a superb party on Thursday night .
LifeSize Communications
The DVE Huddle 70 in REALroom 3D with the remote participants background invisible so they appear superimposed in the local environment.
Magor Communications
Magor Communications, a Terry Matthews funded company out of Ottawa, brought their line of "TeleCollaboration" offerings to InfoComm. While I unfortunately missed the company at the show I was able to catch up with Magor CEO Mike Pascoe and VP of Marketing Simon Gwatkin earlier this week to get the scoop. The company has released two high definition telepresence solutions: The two-screen Magor HD Office and the three-screen HD Meeting Room. Both systems feature low-cost software-based codecs running on general purpose processors to provide 1080p HD video at 30fps at 2.5MBps.
The company has focused their innovation on an enhanced implementation of H.264 to reduce the burstiness of video traffic to get the bandwidth requirements down to 2.5MBps per endpoint and allow the system to run over best-effort networks without the need for QoS. The company has also focused on simplifying the data collaboration component to allow users to easily share data during a session and developed their own wide-band audio platform including a dedicated control phone with an integrated beam-forming microphone array.
The company has already signed a number of initial distributors including a deal with Mitel who is already white-labeling the systems and integrating them into their unified communications offerings. With both systems under $50K Magor seems off to a superb start.
Magor Communications
Magor Communications, a Terry Matthews funded company out of Ottawa, brought their line of "TeleCollaboration" offerings to InfoComm. While I unfortunately missed the company at the show I was able to catch up with Magor CEO Mike Pascoe and VP of Marketing Simon Gwatkin earlier this week to get the scoop. The company has released two high definition telepresence solutions: The two-screen Magor HD Office and the three-screen HD Meeting Room. Both systems feature low-cost software-based codecs running on general purpose processors to provide 1080p HD video at 30fps at 2.5MBps. The company has focused their innovation on an enhanced implementation of H.264 to reduce the burstiness of video traffic to get the bandwidth requirements down to 2.5MBps per endpoint and allow the system to run over best-effort networks without the need for QoS. The company has also focused on simplifying the data collaboration component to allow users to easily share data during a session and developed their own wide-band audio platform including a dedicated control phone with an integrated beam-forming microphone array.
The company has already signed a number of initial distributors including a deal with Mitel who is already white-labeling the systems and integrating them into their unified communications offerings. With both systems under $50K Magor seems off to a superb start.
Cisco, TANDBERG, and Polycom
"Why Can't We All Get Along? " The famous question of the great social critic and philosopher Rodney King is answered with a resounding We Can! as Kirk Topits from Cisco, Tolga Sakman and Pete Nutley from TANDBERG, Stefan Karapetkov from Polycom, and TANDBERG's Hellene Garcia discuss interoperability and glean competitive intelligence in the TANDBERG Booth.
Glowpoint
A four-way call connecting a Polycom HD RPX on MASERGY, a Polycom TPX on Glowpoint, an HD videoconferencing endpoint on Savvis. VP of Engineering Lou Chiorazzi, looking on, can just smell the success!
Glowpoint was demonstrating its Telepresence interExchange Network ('TEN') which connects telepresence and HD/SD videoconferencing calls on various network. Again, if I was giving out awards...which I'm not... this would have won "Best of Show" in the inter-connection department. The company announced that powerhouse international integrator AVI-SPL has joined the TEN network. The company also hosted a superb party on Thursday night .
LifeSize Communications
Ryan Bohn of LifeSize Communications as viewed from the InfoComm Floor on the left
and HSL as viewed from Austin, Texas on the right
LifeSize Communications announced a software based desktop videoconferencing solution called LifeSize Desktop. Unlike other software based solutions like TANDBERG Movi which require owning TANDBERG video network infrastructure products, the LifeSize Destop is a standalone software client which can be used to communicate with other traditional videoconferencing end points. The system is capable of 720p, 30fps at a 16:9 aspect ratio. and HSL as viewed from Austin, Texas on the right
Polycom
Demonstrating the power of telepresence Polycom and Glowpoint were using the Polycom HD TPX running at 720p 60fps to conduct real business from the show floor
Polycom's big announcement for InfoComm was the release of the Polycom HDX 6000, a traditional videoconferencing endpoint that drops the cost of their entry-level videoconferencing line below $6000.... By one dollar... :-) The new system is a full function HD endpoint that will deliver up to 720p, 30fps with 22khz wide band audio, and Polycom's superb People+Content plug & play data collaboration.
The company was also demonstrating a Polycom HD TPX running at 720p, 60fps which was my first time seeing any of the Polycom solutions running at 720p, 60fps since Polycom released their new HD platform capable of 720p, 60fps OR 1080p 30fps in April. I have been looking forward to seeing how 1080p and 720p looks across the 4ft by 16ft super panoramic screen of the Polycom RPX but got a taste at InfoComm on the TPX and it looked schweet. I say taste because I swung by the booth 3-4 times to get a demo but every time they were playing to a packed house or doing real meetings so all I could do was watch though the clear glass.
The company was also demonstrating a Polycom HD TPX running at 720p, 60fps which was my first time seeing any of the Polycom solutions running at 720p, 60fps since Polycom released their new HD platform capable of 720p, 60fps OR 1080p 30fps in April. I have been looking forward to seeing how 1080p and 720p looks across the 4ft by 16ft super panoramic screen of the Polycom RPX but got a taste at InfoComm on the TPX and it looked schweet. I say taste because I swung by the booth 3-4 times to get a demo but every time they were playing to a packed house or doing real meetings so all I could do was watch though the clear glass. Business Octane
I had the pleasure of sitting down at InfoComm with Sanjay Bansal, the Chairman and Managing Director of Business Octane, a new telepresence solution provider in India building solutions on the Polycom HDX platform. Sanjay took me through one of the most extensive set of options for telepresence group conferencing systems and distance learning applications that I have ever seen. I was most impressed with Sanjay because he, like myself, is a "white board bigot" and is one of the only folks I have met in the industry that truly understands the importance of being able to have what I call "The usual and customary tools in their usual and customary format" to effectively collaborate with the same capabilities that you would enjoy in a face-to-face meeting. Business Octane has a brand new website @ http://www.businessoctane.com
The IMCCA's Telepresence Day at InfoComm
The IMCCA's Chairman Emeritus Ann Earon moderates a panel with Teliris CEO Marc Trachtenberg, Bob Ramano from Radvision, Denise Pliskin from Speck Design, Kirk Topits from Cisco, Joe Laezza from Glowpoint, Duffie White from TelePresence Tech, and John Landau from Tata Communications
The IMCCA put together a superb program on telepresence with panels focused on end-users, vendor experts, and keynotes and demonstrations from Rick Snyder, President of the American for TANDBERG and Bob Hagerty, CEO and Chairman of Polycom. The disagreement over what the exact definition of telepresence is which characterized last years conference was muted and most of the discussion focused on how real companies were using telepresence to improve their businesses.
The IMCCA will be putting on the same program at the Integrated Systems Europe show in Amsterdam February 2-4 and at InfoComm 2010 in Las Vegas.
The IMCCA will be putting on the same program at the Integrated Systems Europe show in Amsterdam February 2-4 and at InfoComm 2010 in Las Vegas.
Its Ira Weinstein from Wainhouse Research on the Mic moderating a panel with Marc Trachtenberg from Teliris, Dr. Ann Earon from the IMCCA, Scott Wilcoxen from TANDBERG, Duffie White from TelePresence Tech, and Marcio Macedo from PolycomTelePresence Tech
Luc De Backer from Teleportel Europe demonstrates the TelePresence Tech TPT4000
TelePresence Tech was doing their customary job of causing pile ups on the show floor as attendees stop dead in their tracks to gaze at the floating augmented reality display of the TPT4000. This was my first time seeing the new TPT 4000 with its new 82" Samsung display. The extra screen real estate makes a big difference and dramatically expands the number of folks who can be displayed on the screen at the same time. Like other telepresence offerings from TelePresence Tech, the TPT 4000 hides the camera behind the display at eye-level which provides a superior experience to visible camera mounted above or below the screen.
Vidyo
TelePresence Tech was doing their customary job of causing pile ups on the show floor as attendees stop dead in their tracks to gaze at the floating augmented reality display of the TPT4000. This was my first time seeing the new TPT 4000 with its new 82" Samsung display. The extra screen real estate makes a big difference and dramatically expands the number of folks who can be displayed on the screen at the same time. Like other telepresence offerings from TelePresence Tech, the TPT 4000 hides the camera behind the display at eye-level which provides a superior experience to visible camera mounted above or below the screen.
Here is a TelePresence Tech marketing photo to give you a feel for the increased capacity.
Vidyo
Shanley Gravel from Teliris, Marty Hollander from Vidyo, and Bob Johnson from Teliris at the Vidyo Booth
Vidyo announced a partnership with videoconferencing services company Connexus to create Connexus on Demand built using VidyoTechnology. In speaking with Marty Hollander, SVP of Marketing for Vidyo I discovered that Vidyo was getting embedded everywhere including into Google's Gmail VideoChat. Marty also demonstrated a subscription service for Vidyo with a data collaboration app that I can't wait to try out with clients. Finally, as mentioned above Teliris rolled out their 6th generation codec platform which implements Vidyo's version of H.264/SVC and the Teliris Multipoint Reflector which includes VidyoRouter technology. No wonder everyone is smiling.
Electrosonic
Electrosonic was in the house showing off the VN-Matrix and the new VN-Quantum connect which distribute high resolution images and video in real-time over IP networks. The new VN Quantum is a cost-effective multi-image display processor that can integrate and scale video and graphic images onto single or multiple displays. I was most impressed by the VISIONetwork switch which routes every flavor of HD video, images, and data around IP networks in real time with low cost encoders and decoders for capture and display.
Electrosonic co-founder Robert S. Simpson was presented with InfoComm's distinguished achievement award, the highest award the association bestows. Here is the press release on the award and some information on Robert Simpson's career and legacy.
TANDBERG
Electrosonic
Electrosonic was in the house showing off the VN-Matrix and the new VN-Quantum connect which distribute high resolution images and video in real-time over IP networks. The new VN Quantum is a cost-effective multi-image display processor that can integrate and scale video and graphic images onto single or multiple displays. I was most impressed by the VISIONetwork switch which routes every flavor of HD video, images, and data around IP networks in real time with low cost encoders and decoders for capture and display.
Electrosonic co-founder Robert S. Simpson was presented with InfoComm's distinguished achievement award, the highest award the association bestows. Here is the press release on the award and some information on Robert Simpson's career and legacy.
Electrosonic's Robert Simpson (left) was honored at InfoComm
TANDBERG
A Tandberg T1 displaying a TANDBERG T3 connected to a Polycom RPX with a multipoint layout generated by the TANDBERG Telepresence Server barely visible on the RPX screen on the far right.
TANDBERG brought a full size TANDBERG T3 to the show floor of InfoComm and there was a line out the door to get a demo. During Rick Snyder's keynote I was floored by a demonstration connecting the T3 to a Polycom RPX and popped out of my seat to snap the picture above. This was the first time I had seen interoperability between the TANDBERG T3 and the Polycom RPX demonstrated which was 1/2 the amazement... the other 1/2 was wondering how they had gotten a hold of a Polycom RPX... The amazement continued when I heard a rumor they swapped someone a Codian MCU for it. Too cool... Telepresence interoperability is one of the key components to making inter-company telepresence a reality and TANDBERG (and Glowpoint TEN on the network side) were demonstrating at InfoComm that it is fast becoming a reality.
The TANDBERG T3 connected to a Polycom RPX (The two screens on the right) from the T3 with TANDBERG's innovative touch screen GUI visible in the foreground and a TANDBERG T1 connected on the left and another three TANDBERG T-3s connected, visible but minimized on the screen
TANDBERG President of the Americas, Rick Snyder and Telepresence T3 Sales Manager Rob Beevers demonstrating the TANDBERG T3 telepresence system at InfoComm
