This Telanetix video interview was shot at a conference last year and lost somewhere between Technology Evangelist's editing room floor and the HPL's publishing desk. Other important interviews on the industry will be forthcoming as part of the HPL's lost "San Diego Sessions". Here is the first installment of the interview series, Tom Szabo, CEO of Telanetix.



In the interview, Tom discusses how the company was founded by a group of engineers in 2000 with a specialty in IP communications. Their sub $100,000 Telanetix Digital Presence offering is somewhat unique in an industry segment where many solutions sell for sometimes $400,000+ per end-point.

Howard and Tom discuss how the Telanetix price point allows for broad adoption of telepresence into the enterprise, not just the senior executives. Tom believes that pushing telepresence into the core of the enterprise is the key to unlocking real ROI. Tangible benefits can be seen by companies who deploy sophisticated tools like telepresence that allow employees to incorporate effective visual collaboration into their daily workflow.



Tom gives some specific examples like a film production company who is using the system 8-10 hours a day in a collaborative triangle between their production location, video editing facility and their sales unit. Another application of the technology has physicians discussing their patients while sharing MRI and x-ray data. Tom also talks about the benefits employees see by getting additional work done with time that would have been otherwise spent on the road.

Lastly, Tom discusses the company's acquisition of the systems integration firm Audio Visual Systems (AVS) and the capability it gives the company in customizing the Digital Presence system for clients. Tom reflects on how the company is winning deals at the intersection of price/performance and selling systems to companies for the workers who are getting the actual work done.

Tom invites interested parties to check out the digital presence solution at demonstration facilities in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington DC, New York City, New Jersey, and Dallas or visit them online at telanetix.com

Telanetix Update

Since this interview was conducted, Telanetix has continued to make the news. In September 2007, the company acquired SMB/SME Voice over IP (VoIP) communications provider AccessLine Communications, improving the portfolio of IP communications services available to Telanetix customers AND acquiring 100,000 + AccessLine VoIP customers in the process.

The company has continued to win deals, and in November was named Frost & Sullivan's North American Telepresence Emerging Company of the Year. This month the company won a deal to provide telepresence solutions to four medical facilities associated with a major university that includes a data collaboration capability allowing the university to share MRI, Ultrasound, and radiology images at 1080P at 60 frames per second.

Telanetix has expanded their distribution to Europe, opening demonstration facilities in the UK, France and Benelux and next month will be going into Beta testing on the next generation of Digital Presence in High Definition. The company will also be presenting at the upcoming Roth Growth Stock Conference starting February 18th at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA.