By ZAM KARIM
bytz@thestar.com.my
VIDEO CHAT ANYWHERE: Cisco Malaysia managing director Yuri Wahab showing off the Cius tablet which is supported by the company's telepresence service.
KUALA LUMPUR: Telepresence solutions are not just for the big, enterprise organisations. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) can also use this technology to improve their operational efficiency, said Yuri Wahab, managing director of Cisco Malaysia.
Spurred on by consistent broadband Internet growth, telepresence is fast transforming how companies communicate and do business today. "It has evolved and become more than just a way to save travel costs and optimise employee time," Yuri said.
Some of the transformational impacts include, faster decision making, stronger working relationships, better cost control and improved productivity.
Despite those benefits, many local SMBs have yet to adopt such a system in their business, citing high cost and lack of expertise to manage such videoconferencing systems, as their reasons.
To address these issues and make telepresence more feasible for the SMBs, Cisco is collaborating with VADS Bhd to offer managed telepresence services to both the private and public sectors.
The resulting VADS Managed TelePresence Service rides on telco giant Telekom Malaysia's high-speed network and customer base, while deploying Cisco TelePresence technology.
It is a bundled package that includes a set bandwidth; managed end-to-end high-quality service with simplified provisioning; scheduling; 24/7 helpdesk; other technical support; and various types of endpoints.
The supported Cisco multipurpose and personal endpoint models include Movi webcam, IP Video Phone E2, personal telepresence unit EX20 and EX90, as well as the Cius - a 7in tablet powered by an Android operating system.
"By paying a service subscription fee, SMBs can hold video meetings with dispersed personnel via telepresence technology as easily as making a phone call," Yuri said.
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