Nortel: Telepresence Saves Money, Hassle and Time

Leaders from a Toronto-based telecom equipment maker say there are three major reasons why decisions about one particular technology – telepresence, which allows people to feel as though they’re at a particular location when they’re not – is finding its way into more and more board rooms.

 

First, Nortel (News - Alert) officials say, it saves money. It also does away with a lot of logistical hassle, and is seen as good for the environment, they say.

 

“Companies are thinking: How can I operate at a higher comp level by bringing down my costs?” Jerry Boezel, vice president of channel strategy and marketing for Nortel’s global services group, told TMCnet during an interview. “But it’s not just a matter of not needing to fly and drive people around. By taking a lot of legacy out of the process, you’re talking about improving communications.”

 

Relying on what Boezel calls Nortel’s differentiator – customer service – the company recently inked a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract to provide managed telepresence services for the major accounting and consulting firm Deloitte (News - Alert).

 

Nortel officials declined to release the contract’s details, saying the exact amount of money would depend on decisions made at Deloitte’s various field offices. Up to 130 locations in different countries could be involved, Nortel officials say.

 

By the company’s estimates, a business could save up to $7 million per year – consider skyrocketing gas prices – by using telepresence instead of traveling to meetings, and “reduce its carbon footprint by up to 4,200 tons.”

 

Telepresence (News - Alert) as a “green” technology is very real, Boezel said.

 

“It’s about environmental sustainability, and executives are feeling they need to do something about that, as well,” Boezel said.

 

And there are other reasons, he said.

 

“There’s always the potential, with telepresence, for fall back between a company and its clients, in case anything prohibits travel – an outbreak of SARS, for example, or a kind of a calamity,” Boezel said.

 

Specifically, Nortel says its services-powered “Telepresence Solution” makes set-up and operation of video meetings as easy as walking into a conference room, allowing executives, in this case Deloitte professionals, to focus on a meeting rather than mechanics.

 

Nortel officials say that with their “Multimedia Network Operations Centers,” professionals from Deloitte and member firms will be able to connect even at times when travel is restricted.

 

“Making real-time visual communications and collaboration across town and across borders more immediate and effective lessens the need for travel, resulting in lower costs, higher productivity and reduced carbon footprint,” Nortel officials say.