Telepresence is now affordable for many

High-quality videoconferencing has broadened its appeal, says Eric le Guiniec

Workers are increasingly mobile and global, using multiple devices in any location where an internet connection is available. But when it comes to videoconferencing and telepresence, the majority of solutions are limited by the existing infrastructure which cuts down opportunities for use.

The concept of telepresence is a huge leap forwards from traditional room systems in terms of quality and function, but it is expensive – particularly the infrastructure. It also has to be part of a hosted service, with the right people to bring it all together.

Even customers with budgets that will stretch to a full-size telepresence system are often put off by annoying, common problems, in my view.

In immersive multi-point, large group meetings, for example, people may be disconnected each time the number of remote cameras exceeds the number of screens. Or each time someone coughs, and you no longer appear as a participant on the screen. That's hardly an immersive experience.

Many resellers will have been put off getting certified in telepresence, particularly if partnering with a large, established vendor, because the cost of such certification may easily run into six figures.

But the cost of entry into this lucrative market is coming down. There are now cheaper, more flexible offerings that can be used as and when they are needed, and promise a good customer experience.

You can now have videoconferencing on any device, even a mobile device, at high resolution over an internet connection.

In my view, this means markets such as healthcare, education and manufacturing will consider telepresence. And such offerings can be used to deliver new revenue streams for the channel.

This opportunity is not restricted to experienced videoconferencing resellers. The technology is relatively straightforward, both in terms of marketing and selling to customers and of integration.

As we see demand grow from customers who want to benefit from the applications that telepresence affords, there will be a need for more resellers equipped to satisfy requirements, regardless of the host technology.

This is an opportunity the whole channel needs to consider.

Eric le Guiniec is vice president and general manager at Vidyo