HP Halo Collaboration Systems announced the release of the HP Halo Meeting Room on Tuesday which provides a modular design and a $249,000 price point that is competitive with other modular telepresence group systems from Cisco, Telanetix, Teliris, and their partner Tandberg.

We will be launching a full analysis of the HP Halo Meeting Room vs.the other modular telepresence systems in the market and a comprehensive update on the State of the Telepresence industry next week when we launch our annual multi-media survey of telepresence and inter-networking telepresence: Telepresence Options 2008. Sign up for the Lab's newsletter The Art of Productivity on the left hand side of the screen to receive the analysis and our State of the Industry Survey next week and a free hard bound copy of Telepresence Options 2008 when it is released in January 2008.

The HP Halo Meeting Room

Here are the general details from the HP Halo News Release:

* HP Halo Collaboration Meeting Room: Offers a best-in-class telepresence experience that conforms to customers' space. This configuration is specifically designed for installation inside an existing conference room space. This offers more flexibility to customers with a lower price point that broadens access beyond the Fortune 1000.

* HP Halo Gateway(PDF): Developed with Tandberg, the Gateway integrates videoconferencing solutions within the HP Halo experience to give customers the ability to extend reach, leverage existing assets & optimize their business. For example, with a few simple mouse clicks, Halo participants can connect to a video conference meeting enabled by traditional video conferencing products that adhere to the ITU H.323, H.320 or SIP standards simply by providing the appropriate connection to the customer's network.

* Software enhancements that are included at no charge to customers as part of the HP Halo managed service:

o Encryption: HP Halo's new cryptosystem provides customers - as a standard, integrated offering - AES256 encryption, the highest level of security commercially available for video communication.

o Multimedia Sharing: With HP Halo's dedicated, high-definition collaboration channel, customers are able to share a variety of multimedia materials, including full-motion video with sound.

o GUI Localization: HP Halo's GUI allows participants to connect one studio location to another with just a few mouse clicks. The interface's native language capabilities increase ease-of-use by localizing languages to meet the specific needs of each user.

Bird's Eye View of the HP Halo Meeting Room

TANDBERG and HP Open Up World of Telepresence
Halo Gateway Links HP Telepresence Studios and Standards-based Videoconferencing Systems

NEW YORK AND OSLO, NORWAY, August 28, 2007 - TANDBERG and HP today unveiled a solution that links HP Halo Collaboration Studios, HP's telepresence system, and standards-based videoconferencing systems.

By seamlessly bridging videoconferencing solutions and HP Halo, the new HP Halo Gateway expands the world of telepresence - and the lifelike collaboration that can take place within it - to a much broader audience.

A Tandberg 6000 MXP Profile Videoconferencing System Connected in an HP Halo multipoint call using the HP Halo Gateway

As the interest in telepresence solutions has increased, so has the demand to extend its reach to better leverage existing videoconferencing assets and personnel in remote locations. By connecting Halo studios to standards-based videoconferencing systems located anywhere in the world, customers can instantly access their best talent and accelerate decision-making - driving better business results.

"For companies looking at telepresence, solutions that provide the greatest flexibility and level of performance across an organization offer the highest level of investment protection," said TANDBERG CEO Fredrik Halvorsen. "The HP Halo Gateway is the first of many efforts that will continue to extend the unequalled performance of HP and TANDBERG visual communication solutions."

"Telepresence is driving new levels of collaboration and real-time decision-making, which are key competitive advantages," said Ken Crangle, general manager, HP Halo Collaboration Studio Unit, HP. "Only HP and TANDBERG are making it possible for companies to bring that same level of collaboration to everyone in an organization."

The HP Halo Gateway solution consists of a TANDBERG 6000 MXP codec, a TANDBERG Video Switch, a Halo compositor, an HP ProLiant server and HP-designed software.

An HP Halo Collaboration Studio connected to other Halo Studios and a Tandberg 6000 MPX videoconferencing endpoint using the HP Halo Gateway

The solution stems from an alliance TANDBERG and HP announced in January to make their respective videoconferencing and telepresence portfolios interoperable. The alliance's goal is to allow customers to collaborate using everything from the immersive telepresence experience of HP Halo Collaboration Studios to TANDBERG's conference room and desktop-based systems, without requiring further investments in internal IT resources or upgrades to corporate networks.

HP Halo has seen consistent customer and network growth since launching in December 2005, with a customer base that includes such world-class companies as ABN AMRO, AIG Financial Products Corp., AMD, BHP Billiton, Canon, DreamWorks Animation, General Electric Commercial Finance, Novartis and PepsiCo.

There are 120 HP Halo studios in operation or being installed globally in 22 countries on five continents. These countries include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

About HP

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers - from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world's largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $100.5 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2007. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

About TANDBERG

TANDBERG is a leading global provider of video communication products and services. The company has dual headquarters in New York and Norway. TANDBERG designs, develops and markets systems and software for video, voice and data. The company provides sales, support and value-added services in more than 90 countries worldwide. TANDBERG trades publicly on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker TAA.OL. Please visit www.tandberg.com for more information.

IMPORTANT - IMPORTANT - IMPORTANT - IMPORTANT

Get our complete analysis of the HP Halo Meeting Room vs. other modular group telepresence systems and our State of the Telepresence Industry Survey next week when we launch our annual multimedia guide to telepresence and inter-networking telepresence: Telepresence Options 2008!

In our state of the industry survey we will be sharing some of the advice we have for the delegates to the European Financial Services Technology Summit in Lake Geneva, France in October.

Executive Summary: The dying US Dollar, the end of the Yen carry trade, and the imploding housing bubble mean rough waters ahead for global business. Our suggestion: Invest in productivity, telepresence, and effective visual collaboration to weather the storm. How the ability to effectively collaborate globally at the highest quality with the greatest potential number of customers, vendors, and joint venture partners will separate the winners and losers in the months and years ahead.

Sign up for the Lab's newsletter The Art of Productivity on the left hand side of your screen to receive our State of the Telepresence Industry update next week and a free hard copy of Telepresence Options 2008 when it is released!

Telepresence Options is the Lab's annual guide to telepresence systems, telepresence managed service providers, network providers, telepresence systems integrators/pro AV and telepresence sub-systems and peripherals.

Telepresence Options 2008 will be published in print and available in downloadable PDF in January 2008 and will take up where Telepresence, Effective Visual Collaboration, and the Future of Global Business at the Speed of Light (the most authoritative and widely read publication on the subject of telepresence ever) left off.