* Will provide open videoconferencing service regardless of the network
In our newsletter last week, we noted that AT&T was working with Marriott while Tata was working with Starwood on global telepresence conference facilities. Today, we’ll continue our discussion with news from Orange Business Services on enhancements it has made to Open Videopresence, its telepresence offering now available in 104 countries. With 123 million customers, Orange is the key brand of France Telecom and offers Internet, television and mobile services.
Earlier this month, Orange Business Services introduced two changes to its offering by providing an open videoconferencing service regardless of the network (IP VPN, Internet, ISDN), the type of vendor or equipment. Orange uses Cisco’s TelePresence solution for its hosted solution, but it plans to offer interoperability with other vendors’ equipment. Orange offers the user an option to either use existing equipment and videoconference rooms, or companies can purchase or rent terminals, thereby limiting equipment investment. Orange has also opened up its service to include intercompany connectivity so users can organize videoconference meetings between their internal offices and with external sites.
To simplify meeting scheduling, the company offers an online reservation system to set up meetings via a Web portal or Outlook either in advance or at the last minute. Using the setup process, the videoconferencing terminals of all guests then start automatically when the conference begins. Orange also offers a 24/7 multilingual support center and an optional single point-of-contact concierge who can be in charge technical setup, meeting management and scheduling. Approved company administrators monitor videoconferences usage over the Web.
The company’s service prices range from €259 (US $361) for moderate usage to €489 (US $681) for high usage per month and per equipment, depending on various custom-configurations.
