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In order to survive in today's turbulent economic times, successful enterprises and SMBs have had to find ways to remain innovative while also lowering operational costs. To achieve this goal, many companies have decided to adopt large-scale telepresence solutions, which provide businesses with HD video conferencing capabilities for large multiparty calling.

These solutions have become more pervasive in the enterprise space over the last two years as the quality of the products has improved and the average price point has dropped. For these reasons, decision makers at enterprises have begun recognizing telepresence as a rational alternative to costly, time-consuming business travel. 

To gain a better understanding of the telepresence market and where it is headed in the next few years, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) recently sat down with David Morrison, senior product manager at LifeSize (News - Alert), a provider of high-definition video communications products. The two caught up with each other at Interop New York 2010, the world's leading business technology event. 

Morrison mentioned that LifeSize, creator of the world's first high-definition-capable end-point, is now making serious headway in the enterprise space. New products like LifeSize Bridge, a 16-port multiparty HD video communications solution, have allowed enterprises to develop an integrated telepresence system in a modular, low-risk and cost-effective manner.

"What this now gives them is a one-stop shop for a total solution from the management of the solution to the infrastructure," said Morrison.

He added that LifeSize's piecemeal approach to creating a personalized telepresence solution enables enterprises to test out the technology and implement it slowly as various needs arrive.

"So customers can kind of dip their toe in the water first and grow their solution as video becomes more pervasive in their organization," Morrison told Tehrani.

He also touched upon the synergies that have been created over the last year since LifeSize was acquired by Logitech (News - Alert), a high-end electronic device manufacturer. LifeSize has spent the last 12 months integrating Logitech's top-of-the-line HD video cameras into its telepresence solutions.

Morrison wraps up the conversation by analyzing Cisco's (News - Alert) new video conferencing solution and the telepresence market in general.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf