Cisco Connects Businesses to Consumers via Video

By Ryan Ayers
Updated: April 20, 2011

Cisco Systems has announced an expansion of its consumer telepresence portfolio that includes the addition of connectivity with its business telepresence solutions. Enabling consumers and businesses to connect using their telepresence solutions, Cisco is aiming to open new doors in the way we conduct business, learning, and personal matters.

A senior vice president for Cisco, Marthin DeBeer said that “Cisco is continuing to deliver innovative, market-leading video and telepresence solutions that enable consumers to connect and transact with businesses from the comfort of their home." This seamless connectivity between consumer telepresence and business solutions will allow for radically different approaches in areas such as medical treatment/assessment and education, with potential uses far beyond those areas.

Included in the announcement was an unveiling of new features and pricing for Cisco’s ūmi product line, which will enable home users to better interact in the telepresence sphere. These features will include free HD desktop video calling and high quality immersive telepresence options for HDTV units. This system will require drastically lower broadband requirements and will enable group-to-group video calling from the comfort of a living room or office.

Equipped with a camera, console, and remote, the HDTV ūmi units will start at $399.00 with a $99.00/yr service fee. These units are specifically designed for home use and adjust to unique lighting and background noise conditions to deliver the most lifelike and immersive telepresence experience to users.