While video conferencing has long ben heralded as a perfect substitution for actually being in the meting, a recent study suggestions that it might not be as effective as actually being there. Video conferencing allows a presenter to present to multiple locations at a time, allowing reduced travel for the presenter and the participants, while saving time and money.

The study suggests that while video conferencing can be an effective communication tool, it distorts the interaction in small but important ways. The study found that while participants in a regular conference were likely to base their judgment of the presentation on the arguments and the materials, participants of the video conferences were more likely to judge the presentation on the charisma of the presenter.

The research was conducted by Carlos Ferran at Pennsylvania State University and Stephanie Watts at Boston University where they quizzed 44 medical professionals who took part in early morning medical seminars via business-quality video conferencing, and 99 peers who were in the room with the physical presenters. The subjects were asked about how likely they would be to refer a patient to the speaker at the seminar, and how likable they felt he or she was, among other things. The videoconference participants were more likely to report that it was hard to follow what the speaker was saying, and reported higher levels of stress during the seminars.

In their study published in the September issue of the journal Management Science, the researchers hypothesize that a videoconference is mentally more challenging than a face-to-face meeting. That leaves less brainpower left over to process the content of the presentation. Cues we use in conversation, such as looking at people’s gazes to figure out to whom they are talking, are harder to follow in a videoconference.

IBM’s new web conferencing product, called OpusUna was discussed at the AJAXWorld RIA Conference and Expo in San Jose, California last week. The collaboration product allows all participants the ability to collaborate using the same Web pages and features audio and video.IBM Emerging Internet Technology CTO, David Boloker:

Really, what we’re looking at is how I extend the whole concept of AJAX to allow multiple-user interactions. It’s all about a next-generation collaboration capability where you’re really looking at how people interact with one another in a very different way.

OpusUna allows online meeting participants to work and communicate from within the same browser space, combining widgets, audio, and video cameras to display themselves on the screen. The difference between OpusUna and other collaboration platforms is with OpusUna, all participants can contribute content as opposed to having one person serving as a sole presenter. This enables true collaboration, and not just the typical presentation format where all other participants direct their input to the presenter.

IBM hopes to show OpusUna to customers in early 2009 before deciding on how to proceed with the technology. OpusUna is a Latin expression for “work as one.”

While Cisco’s telepresence solution has been very popular and praised by those who use it, the technology is still much too expensive for most small and even medium/large sized businesses. Starting at $35,000 and going all the way up to $350,000 per installation, the capital cost is too great for most companies to try the technology.

In an effort to promote their technology and the green concept of teleworking, Cisco has announced that they will set up public telepresence systems so even companies that can’t afford the full installation can try, use and experience this high-end video conferencing.

So far, Cisco has opened these public telePresence suites in London, Santa Clara, Boston, Gurgaon, Chennai, Bangalore, and Mumbai. These public telepresence suites are available to rent on an hourly basis. The London suite is located at the Taj Hotel on Buckingham Gate in central London and prices range from $300 for one or two participants, $500 for up to six participants and $900 for up to 18 participants in the telepresence meeting. These prices are expected to come down as the installations begin to pay for themselves.

Cisco plans to roll out a total of 100 public telepresence rooms in the near future, located in hotels and business centers throughout the world. Cisco has started to become more competitive in the telepresence arena after new competitors such as HP and now Lifesize have started offering similar products at much more competitive prices.

Following in the footsteps of Cisco and HP, Tandberg has released a full telepresence package called Telepresence T-3. The setup is as impressive as any other telepresence system, with three 64-inch, high-definition monitors, high-definition speakers and microphones all connected in a free-standing unit that includes three tables for participants to sit at.

The tables each have a 22-inch touch screen for controlling the system and for sharing documents during conferences. The package is installed in a dedicated room, and comes with lighting and blue, back-lit wall panels that are part of the package to enhance the images shot in the room. Tandberg is also announcing a set of services to evaluate customer sites, install the gear, and manage and maintain it after it is installed.

Telepresence systems allow disparate meeting participants to feel as if they were all in the same room. Directional microphones and multiple cameras and monitors allow participants to look and speak directly to an individual, unlike standard video conferenecing solutions where everyone is looking directly into their own camera and they need to state who it is they are talking to.

Prices are comparable to other telepresence solutions. All of the AV gear will run you about $300,000, and that’s not including the wall finishings and backdrops which will tack on about $40,000 more. The Tandberg system is compatible with other vendors’ gear that builds its products to the Session Initiation Protocol, H.323 and, via a gateway, H.320.