Virtual conferencing by HP

CALIFORNIA – Hewlett-Packard Co. on Monday jumped into the business of providing the technology – and building the rooms – for large companies to hold virtual face-to-face meetings regardless of the distance between participants.

HP’s Halo Collaboration Studio offers a nearly immersive environment where people can see each other, talk and collaborate remotely as if they were in the same room. The underlying network, built and serviced by HP, minimises delays and never crosses the public Internet.Developed in partnership with DreamWorks Animation SKG LLC, the rooms are targeted at large corporations that are looking to cut down on the amount of time and money spent flying people to different locations.Each room costs roughly US$550 000 (N$3,5 million) per month fee though the charges vary with the number ordered.In HP’s rooms, up to six users in one location sit at a table and face their colleagues, who appear on three 127-centimetre plasma screens.Video cameras are located in holes near the screens so it appears that people are looking into the eyes of their colleagues when talking.- Nampa-APThe underlying network, built and serviced by HP, minimises delays and never crosses the public Internet.Developed in partnership with DreamWorks Animation SKG LLC, the rooms are targeted at large corporations that are looking to cut down on the amount of time and money spent flying people to different locations.Each room costs roughly US$550 000 (N$3,5 million) per month fee though the charges vary with the number ordered.In HP’s rooms, up to six users in one location sit at a table and face their colleagues, who appear on three 127-centimetre plasma screens.Video cameras are located in holes near the screens so it appears that people are looking into the eyes of their colleagues when talking.- Nampa-AP