Recording raises issues for telepresence

Telepresence, the high-end form of videoconferencing now coming from several vendors, is the first technology that might let enterprises easily record high-quality versions of all their meetings, essentially with the press of a button.

Though recording and playback features for these systems are still emerging, some issues are already being raised, including storage capacity, liability and playback quality. Those problems may grow as more enterprises seek to cut back on travel and bring dispersed teams together through telepresence.

The technology is designed to make videoconferences more like in-person meetings, with high-definition streaming video, multiple screens and "spatial" audio systems that associate sounds with a speaker's location. Cisco Systems made a splash about two years ago with a product it calls TelePresence Meeting, which carried a price tag of US$598,000 for two six-person room setups with special lighting and furniture.

But numerous other vendors have been stepping up their games as well. Polycom, Hewlett-Packard, Tandberg and smaller players such as LifeSize Communications all have high-definition systems now, and Mitel announced one on Monday. The unified communications company's TeleCollaboration Solution is a large-screen meeting setup with 1080p displays and spatial audio, available with as many as three screens for six participants. Set to ship in January, it will also work with the company's existing desktop videoconferencing client, which is being upgraded and renamed. Pricing has not been set, but the TeleCollaboration Solution will be significantly less expensive than Cisco's TelePresence, said Asif Rehman, director of propositions marketing at Mitel.

Meetings that take place via IP (Internet Protocol) networks are just packets of data, so it seems natural they could be recorded and played back later. Yet, even Cisco doesn't have that capability: It's coming soon, according to Marthin De Beer, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco's Emerging Technologies Group.

Other vendors are farther along. As Mitel announced the TeleCollaboration Solution this week, it also unveiled recording capability for its desktop videoconferencing system as well as for the new product. LifeSize earlier this year offered an ad-hoc recording feature. Polycom, which has been selling video recording and streaming servers for about two years, already has a second generation of the boxes with greater capacity. Early next year, it plans a new release with the capability to link up to mass storage arrays for additional space, according to Joan Vandermate, vice president of marketing for video solutions.

But one vendor isn't even going near telepresence recording: HP's approach reveals one of the issues surrounding the ability to save any virtual meeting. The company doesn't just sell the Halo line of conferencing units but also is the sole provider of a network linking them together. It won't sell its customers any recording equipment.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.