Working Anywhere

Big Companies Banking on Telepresence While Other Options Abound

As someone who is clearly vested in the game of video conferencing with SightSpeed as a client, its great to see how much pioneering work giant Cisco is doing with Telepresence. While other companies like Tandberg and Polycom continue to also push out news about the concept of using video in the workplace and cutting down on travel, something which SightSpeed CEO Peter Csathy has been saying since 2006 when we first started working together, the big guys are all missing the point. The price point. SightSpeed gets that.

The difference between Cisco's Telepresence and SightSpeed from a conceptual standpoint really isn't that far apart, as both accomplish the same thing, but at very different price points. While the crowd that can buy a corporate jet may go for a Cisco Telepresence suite or a H-P Halo room set up, not everyone is in their league.

For the Mobile Worker without that kind of pocket change laying around idle in their wallet, SightSpeed for Business provides the kind of connectivity and face to face presence on a much more reasonable budget.

Here's the Net Net. If companies the size of HSBC can save money with Telepresence from Cisco to the level they have with 8000 people (though I doubt the teller in the branch ever stepped foot in the Telepresence Suite) think how much the rank and file could be saving on commutes between local offices, and how much more face time they could be getting using a much more cost efficient, and desktop capable solution.

What's more Csathy has been saying since 2006 that desktop video conferencing is also very good for the environmet.

Cisco may have a great product for the corporate Jet Set crowd, but if you're business doesn't have the budget for that, I'd look at something much more in line with what is priced at less than a tank of gas per month and see what can be done with your already existing broadband connection, your existing laptop or desktop or even one of the new UMPC's from Dell, Asus, Acer, etc. You see, while you can't take Cisco's Telepresence anywhere, you can take your video conference app from SIghtSpeed with you, latch on to WiFi, or use your own 3G card and have real personal experience with someone else, or up to eight other colleagues virtually anywhere there's 3G access.

To me, that's the way to stay connected.

Cool Tool for PC VoIP

Talk about cool, the Seattle Times has tipped me off to a very neat and somewhat new Bluetooth accessory that makes talking easier on a PC.

It's from Kensington and is the new Buetooth VoIP Internet Phone from Kensington.

Now I have yet to try it, so I won't say how good it is, but based on the review and Kensington's track record with other wireless products, this one would seem to be worth taking a gamble on.

While they say it is for Windows PC's only, Ill hook it up to one of my Asus or Acer UMPC's hat I tote around. This would be the perfect kinds of devices to use with them, and a VoIP client like Bria from Counterpath, the Gizmo Project Softphone or even Skype or SightSpeed.

Hotel Broadband--How To Be Ready For Prime Time

Jonathan Greene reports his hotel bandwidth is quite poor. He's staying at the Sheraton Harbor Island in San Diego for the Demo 2008 Conference. This is a hotel that is located directly across the street from the San Diego Airport and is very close to one of the main fiber rings in San Diego.

Access to higher speeds at that property is totally possible, but the issue is such that the hotel's parent brand, Starwood, and the property's ownership group tends to not really understand what the current "connected" traveler needs in the way of bandwidth and connectivity. They can survey all they want, the simple problem is when a group like the DEMO crowd arrives, they can't supply what they need and the conference has to bring in their own connectivity.

Sure, JG and others like him, including me, are resourceful enough to use 3G data, but even that at times, especially in a large resort or hotel complex even that isn't going to cut it. The totem pole effect still impacts 3G and sometimes walls, glass and other structures simple make that not work. Yesterday for example I watched my signal go from 3G to EDGE, back to 3G while sitting still in Ocean Beach, so the 3G argument isn't the answer.

Here are the things that matter which hotels and resorts would be wise to consider:

1) 45 Megabit Connectivity for a hotel up to 300 rooms

2) Low latency, such as a ping time to the ISP Network Ops Center of under 10 milliseconds

3) Wired and Wireless to the guest room

4) Single log on to both wired and wireless networks, including public areas

5) Wired and wireless capability in the conference areas, with different SSID's and a subnet that carves out some portion of the bandwidth

6) No less than 1.5 symmetrical speed to each user.

7) Ability to get more bandwidth on demand to meet the needs of the current guest load

8) No port blocking

9) True SMTP, Exchange, POP and IMAP capability, without the need to modify any settings (i.e. be standard)

10) A competent IT manager on duty at least two thirds of the day, the same way an engineer is on duty.

T-Mobile HotSpot Now Available in Heathrow's Terminal 5

If you're flying into London's newest airport terminal at Heathrow, aptly named "Terminal 5" you'll be happy to know that you can be working there while you wait for your baggage or are waiting to fly.

T-Mobiile Hotspot service is available there now.

Connect Those Data Cards to the Asus EEE PC Linux Models

For those of you who have discovered just how wonderful those new Asus EEE PCs are as laptop substitutes but wanted to make them connect with all the latest and greatest data cards (like the Novatel Merlin MC950D which I use, but didn't want to learn how to deal with Linux OS, nor buy the Windows edition, relief is now here.

The folks at Nova Media, perhaps the best at figuring out how to connect things that should work with other things on the planet have released a new version of their super terrific Launch2Net application especially for the Asus EEE PC.

I'm using the Mac version now and it's effortless to set up.

This is a great boon to those of us who travel globally, switch SIMs and use Pre-Paid data SIMS like those available in the UK from 3 and T-Mobile, as well as Spain from Yoigo and others. These data cards are also a great way around poor hotel broadband or jammed coffee shops that don't have business grade broadband.

This is one piece of software that is easily WORKING ANYWHERE APPROVED!!!

Be Careful With Your Details On The Road

SMS Text News' Mobile Industry Review has a very responsible public service post about the dangers of your personal details being shared without your knowledge.

Check out what they saw in London and think next time you give out yours who may be seeing all that gets inputted into the computer.

I recently expressed a similar concern to the Chief Privacy Officer of American Express about being asked to provide answers to questions that impact account security when in public and the merchant had to call in, something that happens more and more to global nomads even if you notify AMEX of your movements.

Bottom line. Be careful with your details.

Blogger RickySays Offers Tips for the Road Warrior

I'm always happy to see another "Brother of the Road" posts about their Road Warrior Travel Experiences, especially when they get down and really test out things.

On these two posts Ricky shares his experiences with SightSpeed (an agency client) and with USB rechargeable batters (AA for now).

What I liked about his review is Ricky has already done the math and told his readers that SightSpeed worked better than AIM and Skype and with which equipment. That's part of self-selective decisionmaking by consumers and why blog posts like his are so helpful.

With the USB rechargeable batteries, I see many use cases. But for devices with rechargeable batteries other than AA, my favorite recharging device is the Proporta USB Mobile Recharging Device. I use it to keep my Nokia N and E series (N95, E71) phones powered up and also a few other devices including the Nokia N810, a Blackberry Curve and even an iPod now and then.