Teliris GlobalTable VirtuaLive 360 - Notice the lectern at the front right of the room with the monitor where a remote presenter would be visible and the large format touch sensitive SMARTBoard. Photo © Teliris 2006

Teliris has provided the Lab with the first publicly released photos and renderings of their soon to be announced GlobalTable VirtuaLive 360 telepresence environment. The GlobalTable VirtuaLive 360 is the first production telepresence environment to offer a stand up presentation option integrated with a traditional across-the-table group telepresence meeting environment. GlobalTable VirtuaLive and GlobalTable VirtuaLive 360 both new solutions are based on the 4th generation of the Teliris GlobalTable platform, deployed now at a client (to be announced within 3 weeks) that is deploying 7 suites and is available to new clients now. The key capabilities that VirtuaLive offers include: enhanced Vectoring, broadband audio, 2 axis element camera, 3 axis element camera, broader collaboration offerings (Life-size collaboration/storyboard/editing), lectern, expanded room capacity, up to an 8 screens (with 100% eye-to-eye Vectoring in tact), unified look and feel, compatibility with GlobalTable Access, GlobalTable Room, and both desktop and traditional videoconferencing.

Artist rendition of the soon to be released GlobalTable display technology that provides a more seamless and immersive experience than traditional flat-screen displays.
Rendering © Teliris 2006


Artist's rendition of the GlobalTable VirtuaLive 360's upcoming optional storyboarding and stand-up presentation capability.Rendering: © Teliris 2006

HSL's Analysis

The VirtuaLive 360 looks like a winner right out of the gate. While I haven't had the opportunity to get a full demonstration yet I spent over an hour on a webconference with Teliris CEO Marc Trachtenberg who gave me the inside skinny. The first VirtualLive 360 installation is in the process of being completed and the first customer is deploying an initial seven locations. I was most impressed with the VirtuaLive's optional stand up presentation capability and interactive SMARTBoard features both of which I have always believed were critical in effective visual collaboration environments.

Powwow Networks Telejustice Demonstration 2001 - Stand Up Presentation, Interactive Whiteboard, 30fps Video and True QoS Between Disparate IP Networks (Sprint & AT&T in this Particular Demonstration)

When we built our alpha visual collaboration environment at Powwow Networks in 2001 our goal was to provide the usual and customary tools in their usual and customary format. Coming from a background of building networks for the financial industry we believed that the ability to whiteboard seamlessly between locations was critical and integrated a rear projection SMARTBoard into our environment for that purpose. In networking (and other disciplines) there are certain concepts that are difficult to comprehend without a graphical representation and there is a certain segment of the population (Visual Learners) that learn and communicate best through visualization and graphical representation. While most webconferencing applications include a whiteboarding capability, the ability to achieve any degree of detail with a mouse is virtually impossible and unnatural so the SMARTBoard is key to giving particpants the ability to whiteboard naturally with a stylus.

With respect to the stand up presentation capability, there are just some folks who were born to speak and present standing up (including HSL). Anyone that has ever seen John Chambers give a keynote or Anthony Robbins in action will know exactly what I am talking about. So I have long viewed both of these capabilities as essential to truly effective visual collaboration environments that allow particpants the same dynamics in a virtual meeting as in a live meeting with all of the usual and customary tools in their usual and customary formats. Congrats to the Teliris team for what looks like a superb addition to the field!

BTW, here was one of my designs for integrating an optional stand-up presentation environment and interactive whiteboard capability into the TeleSuite environment. First proposed Dec. 2002 this design:June 22nd, 2004.