Cisco Launches TelePresence Marketing Blitz

Cisco Systems is finding creative ways to get TelePresence–its next-generation video conferencing technology–in front of reporters and customers. The end result: Positive buzz is growing across the tech industry, and Cisco insiders say TelePresence is on track to be among the company’s fastest-growing businesses this year.

The quiet but effective marketing blitz includes CNN International using TelePresence to complement an upcoming seminar series. Also, a Barron’s reporter recently praised his test of TelePresence. And InformationWeek is reporting that Wachovia, the financial services company, has completed its first TelePresence deployments — and looks forward to more rollouts.

Heck, none of this is news to The VAR Guy. He was quite impressed by a TelePresence demo in October 2006.

The bottom line: Cisco is creating the perfect storm for solutions providers that specialize in video conferencing and unified communications. At up to $300,000 per conference center, TelePresence isn’t cheap. But each time the networking giant demos TelePresence–especially at Cisco’s own conferences–more customers line up to learn how the system can serve vertical markets.

Cisco expects TelePresence to reduce its annual travel expenses by 20 percent. Even CEO John Chambers could wind up on fewer flights. Watch for Chambers and other company executives to “appear” at future conferences using TelePresence.