Home > Issue by Date > September 2007

Face Time

The future has arrived with new high tech options for conference rooms and beyond.

By Jillian Ruffino

istock photos Photo: istock photos

Since the advent of motion pictures, people have been creating futuristic visions. From Star Trek’s holodecks (which simulate reality in three dimensions) to Star Wars’ holographic meetings of the Jedi Council, the creative and visionary artists behind these science fiction works have imagined a variety of ways for individuals to interact. Occasionally, these seemingly far-fetched ideas become reality.

One of those ideas is three dimensional telepresence. This technology allows people in different locations to interact as if they were in the same room through the use of holographic representations. It makes it possible for separated colleagues to make eye contact with one another during important discussions.

Until recently, building occupants were unable to take advantage of such cutting edge technologies. Meetings could only take place within the physical space of a conference room, with absent team members incorporated through telephones or flat video screens. This setup may not be effective in today’s fast paced global business environment, where important issues are increasingly discussed between people separated by distance.

The idea of conferences taking place in specific rooms or spaces, with every member of a team present, is no longer relevant. There are several reasons for this change.

With offshoring, many jobs are moving to distant countries. When workers are spread around the globe, communication is crucial to ensure smooth operation, and yet it is simply impossible for workers to gather in a centralized space every time a meeting is needed.

As economies become increasingly interdependent, organizations will need to operate internationally or risk becoming irrelevant. Leaders must find a way to interact with workers around the globe.

Another factor affecting the use of conference rooms is flexible scheduling. The line between home and office is blurring, as more employees work from home at least some of the time. This trend is picking up momentum.

With all of these changes in the modern workplace, what new technologies are being used to connect people? And why is face to face contact so important?

Technology

The newest technologies have been designed to make it appear that every member of a team is in the same room, whether they are in the office, at home, or on the other side of the world.

Duffie White is the founder of TelePresence Technologies, LLC, based in Dallas, TX. His company develops and manufactures telepresence solutions and has created a three dimensional system.

White explains, “The system is a completely self contained unit, so it can be placed at the end of a table. The person being communicated with appears to be present from across the table, and people in different locations can make eye contact with one another as if they were in the same room.”

istock photos Separated by geography, these workers take advantage of Telepresence Technologies’ self contained unit. It can be rolled up to a table or desk to provide even more flexibility. (Photo: telepresence technologies) istock photos Integrated conferencing using BrightCom’s technologies helps police departments to gather and coordinate, creating a powerful alliance against crime. Some communications are too important to rely on the telephone, where facial expressions and gestures cannot be ascertained. (Photo: brightcom)

This unit is on casters, so it can be moved up to a conference table or desk and later rolled out of the way. The plasma monitor can display one person or a small group.

This technology differs from the use of flat screens for telepresence. While an effective form of conferencing, flat screens do not offer aligned eye contact, since cameras are typically positioned outside the screen area.

BrightCom, another teleconferencing and telepresence provider, is located in Huntington Beach, CA and headed up by CEO Bob McCandless. His company, as he outlines it, “blends together different types of video conferencing. We cover different interconnections to allow people to share video images across a variety of platforms.”

He says, “One of the things we’re seeing a lot of interest in right now is our telepresence suite. This allows organizations to have a high definition video conference that gives the illusion that everyone is in the same room.”

This is the difference between telepresence and traditional video conferencing. McCandless continues, “This makes it look like people are in the same environment, instead of appearing to be in different rooms.”

With video conferencing, distracting background noise and motion are negligible when the meeting is between two people. When more people get together, however, the accompanying sounds and surrounding activity can become a distraction.

In order for organizations to implement BrightCom’s solution, they must build telepresence suites wherever they anticipate the need for communication. Each room must match every other room in order to create the illusion that geographically distant individuals are in the same place at the same time.

Face To Face

It is interesting to note that, as people move farther away from one another physically, they search for technologies to bring them together again.

 

White says, “There are times when a sense of presence is very important.” He cites an example of one organization that has taken advantage of TelePresence Technologies’ solutions. It is an international company in the financial services business that regularly deals with large sums of money; discussions between this company’s employees often involve millions of dollars.

“The higher up on the scale an organization is, the more valuable the communications are,” explains McCandless. He continues, “The older way of conducting video

conferencing, where you’re just looking at an image from another office, really isn’t a rich enough experience.”

White believes telepresence technology creates a closer sense of connection and normalizes interactions between people. “When you have technology that is not as realistic, it can get in the way.” He says. “A phone conversation is just not as good, because you can’t see the person you’re talking to.”

Furthermore, as White points out, body language and facial expressions are crucial when people from different cultures interact. Misunderstandings may increase when low tech communications create a barrier.

The Future

In terms of conferencing, facility managers may need to rethink the concept of rooms and their occupants.

“The office of the future will change radically from being a physical place into a connection of people through very high level communication technology,” predicts White.

McCandless takes this vision one step further, eliminating the need for people to have a physical presence. BrightCom gathers inspiration for future advances from Second Life, an Internet based virtual world. “We’re looking into using avatars to map people realistically, so if they don’t choose to be on video, they can be represented through this avatar. A lot of people enjoy the level of separation an avatar gives them in order to avoid feeling as though they were on video all the time.”

Another possible advancement would be the ability to share data and images in real time displays.

More currently, McCandless believes many buildings will begin to incorporate video on a widespread scale. “In conference rooms, with prices coming down, video will become a common component.”

He envisions an explosion in the use of video conferencing, with a growing number of users taking advantage of three dimensional telepresence as well. “There will be a blend of these technologies throughout the workplace.”

Facility managers have always been responsible for building collaborative environments to connect occupants. As needs change, conference rooms and office spaces must follow suit with appropriate technologies.

This article was based on interviews with McCandless and White.

What do you think of these new technologies? How do you see them affecting conference rooms in the years to come? Send comments to jruffino@groupc.com.

Click here to qualify for a complimentary subscription to Today's Facility Manager Magazine.