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.

iLinc, a provider of web conferencing, video conferencing, and online collaboration services announced today a partnership with a leading U.S. defense contractor. iLinc was selected among its competitors to power the company’s virtual classroom training program, video conferencing, online meetings and online collaboration software.

While the defense contractor has decided to remain anonymous, iLinc has reported that the company is one of the country’s top 10 defense contractors, and is listed as a fortune 500 company. The defense contractor required a solution flexible enough to accommodate both a wide variety of virtual classroom training as well as better enable less formal collaboration and online meetings across locations worldwide. Important to the organization was the ability to leverage high-quality multi-point video conferencing, web conferencing, an easy-to-use interface, and the ability to implement the security policies required for a government defense contractor.

iLinc was chosen over WebEx and Adobe Connect, ultimately selected for its ability to meet the full online collaboration needs of the top-ranked defense contractor to enable participants to collaborate remotely and engage in a truly interactive learning experience. iLinc is one of the top independent providers of web conferencing software and online collaboration solutions, helping organizations collaborate more effectively and easily online.

The new WorkSpace3D video conferencing / web conferencing solution by Tixeo, allows users a utilize a “Virtual tour” option, to load panoramic images (360° images) or directly from a Quicktime VR file (QTVR) as an online meeting space. Effective for real estate agencies, property developers or architects, this feature now allows them to guide even their most geographic disparate customers inside real estate properties.

The Gartner group recently published a study stating that “by the end of 2011, 80 percent of active Internet users (and Fortune 500 enterprises) will have a ’second life,’ but not necessarily in Second Life,” Tixeo has now been awarded for its innovation in the field of web conferencing three times at Intraverse this year in France.

Tixeo’s multiple awards have been won in partnership with the CIT BNP Paribas and BNP Paribas immobilier. The BNP Paribas immobilier currently deploys to its users Tixeo’s technology, to enhance their web conferencing services and online collaboration and have their customer’s benefit of virtual tours of real estate goods.

As businesses of all sizes continue to expand globally, instant electronic communication has become increasingly critical to daily operations. Most companies now have “virtual teams” which comprise of employees of one or multiple companies, often in different locations around the globe, and frequently whom never meet face-to-face. Instead, these virtual teams only communicate by phone, email, video conference and other forms of electronic communication.

The alternative to working in virtual teams, requires constant travel expenses and loss of time and productivity. Virtual teams allow talents in different geographic locations to work together, while still having time to work on other local teams and tasks. However, one of the biggest drawbacks to working virtually is the lack of human interaction.

Michael Beyerlein, a professor and head of the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision characterizes the problem:

Nonverbal signals, such as eye contact, are huge. Researchers have estimated that about 90 percent of our communication is nonverbal, so obviously working electronically can create obstacles within a team. However, many of the basic meeting management guidelines can help workers get the most out of their virtual team experience.

• If possible, conduct the first team meeting in person and then the rest as virtual meetings. This gives the group a chance to get to know who they will be working with and establish goals and norms for the project.
• Use meeting facilitators. Have a leader who makes sure everyone on the team has a chance to be heard, this helps the group stay on topic and makes sure any technical problems are solved immediately.
• Celebrate the successes virtually. In-person teams celebrate the completion of a project, so should virtual teams. Send congratulatory e-mails, glue pictures of your team to your computer, or if you can, get together and go out to a restaurant. If you’re working with people from Thailand, for instance, choose a Thai restaurant to recognize and celebrate part of your team’s culture. These are little things, but they can go a long way.