PARIS, France, January 25, 2007 - Cisco today announced that it will present two Cisco TelePresence systems each to the governments of five nations in the Emerging Markets as a means to improve communications and collaboration within and among those countries by harnessing the ultra-high quality, two-way video and audio capabilities of the TelePresence solution. The participating countries are Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
"In an increasingly global and connected world, communications and collaboration become ever more important - not only for people and companies, but for countries as well," said John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco. "Cisco TelePresence has introduced an entirely new way to communicate and collaborate, and the adoption of this technology by the countries announced today illustrates the role ICT can play for countries in the Emerging Markets to leapfrog existing infrastructures. We believe that the implementation of leading-edge technologies, such as TelePresence, in each of these countries will help foster greater interaction within both the countries and the region, presenting new ways to enhance the lives and opportunities for their citizens."
Today's announcement was made at Paris III, an international donor conference in the French capital aimed at identifying ways to build a more promising future for the people of Lebanon.
"Cisco believes that ICT has the ability to deliver value, collaboration and ultimately productivity to communities and countries. These benefits have a proven impact on both the social and economic growth of a region such as the Emerging Markets," Chambers concluded.
Cisco expects to have the TelePresence systems in all five countries within six months. By the end of the year, John Chambers plans to host a multi-point conference via TelePresence with the regional leaders focusing on issues of global importance including education and healthcare.
Cisco estimates that its total contribution will be approximately $6 million. This will include the TelePresence systems, their planning, design and installation and a year's worth of support services costs.
Cisco launched its Cisco TelePresence offering last October. Through Cisco innovations in video, audio and remote communication technologies over the Internet Protocol (IP) network, Cisco TelePresence makes people in remote locations communicating via the network appear to be in the same room. Use of the terminals is as easy as placing a regular phone call.
Cisco will be offering its highest-end version of the systems, the Cisco TelePresence 3000. Each system includes three 65 inch plasma screens complete with a specially designed table that seats six participants on one side or a "virtual table" for 12. It supports life-size images, ultra high-definition video as well as spatial audio capabilities.
For more details on Cisco TelePresence, including videos and photos, please see http://newsroom.cisco.com/ciscotelepresence
