Bob McCandless, CEO of BrightCom, Presents the Future of Telepresence Technology at Enterprise 2.0 June 20th in Boston, Massachusetts

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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

Orange County (PRWEB) June 15, 2007 -- Bob McCandless, CEO and Chief Technology Visionary of BrightCom, adds to the line up of panelists and sessions at this year's Enterprise 2.0, The Collaboration Technology Conference, June 17th through the 21st at the Westin Boston Waterfront in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. McCandless will be discussing the latest research and technology from BrightCom in the "From the Labs" session on June 20th. His presentation will include his vision of the future for immersive virtual telepresence and how BrightCom's technology is paving the way for enterprise businesses to achieve this state of collaboration in the next five to 10 years.

Along with other research organizations such as IBM Research and SAP Labs, BrightCom will be presenting research and technology on what Enterprise 2.0 is hoping to display as "the next big thing". Mr. McCandless sees online virtual immersive worlds such as Second Life, as the next step in telepresence collaboration. Features such as photo realistic emulations of people, gaze correction and a combination of on-line virtual presence with video and audio based media solutions will allow businesses to conduct meetings with associates in Japan, customers in Sweden and partners in Canada as if they were in the same virtual room.

Currently telepresence suites solutions are providing this same feeling, however through a virtual world, and with photo realistic representations of people from across the globe, participants can interact with one another beyond the limitations of a room, a screen and a nicely polished round conference table. Virtual worlds such as Second Life and the added telepresence technology that BrightCom is driving telepresence conferencing towards, will transform modern business offices and tools ultimately blurring the current walls of business communication.

The session will be moderated by David Coleman, Managing Director of Collaborative strategies and will also include in the insight of Denis Browne, Vice President of Emerging Solutions Imagineering at SAP Laboratories and Irene Greif, IBM Fellow and Director.

BrightCom will also be exhibiting its integrated video, audio and web conferencing solutions including the latest release of ClearView Session Manager 1.4.6 and Visual Collaboration System (VCS) in the demo pavilion on June 19th and June 20th at booth number 16. The Enterprise 2.0 Conference provides thought leadership and instruction for forward-thinking IT and business professionals on the new Web 2.0 tools for the enterprise, the infrastructure required to support them and the cultural changes that must accompany them.

About Bob McCandless
Mr. McCandless started his career shaping the vision of collaborative computing and technology assisted human interaction. In addition to his wide industry experience, Bob has founded several companies as CEO of the McCandless Group such as BrightCom, Alphalogix and McCandless Research Laboratories to further refine his concepts of the next generation of enterprise wide communication tools. Bob's vision of new ways to share information, ideas and data help drive him to create software technology that allows its enterprise customers to leverage the power of effective corporate communication and collaboration.

About BrightCom:
BrightCom specializes in creating advanced collaboration and communication products and solutions for business customers. Our products break down the walls of conference room technology connecting remote corporate users, suppliers, and customers together with easy to use, simple to deploy, cost effective solutions. We empower businesses to leverage the power of telepresence and collaboration across the enterprise.

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