Company Profile: Telepresence Tech
Website: http://www.telepresencetech.com/
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
Founded: 2004
Public/Private: Private
Company Details
Industry Categories: Telepresence Hardware Manufacturer, Telepresence Display Manufacturer
Key Executives:
- Duffie White, Chief Executive Officer
- Mike Powell, Co-owner and Director of Manufacturing
- Phil Speicher, Acting Chief Financial Officer
- Jonathan Varrassi, Director of Operations
- Corey Smith, Director of Technology
- Ken St. Pierre, Director of Engineering
Key Partners: Teleportel Europe and Regal Research & Manufacturing
Resellers / Distributors: AVI/SPL, Spire Global, Sony Europe, Right! Systems, AIT, EUS Networks
Telepresence Systems
TPT4000 Environment - Featuring an 82" LCD display and three 42" LCD monitors that can either display multiple locations and/or collaborative data. Using multiple beamsplitters, participants in the TPT room see life-size conferencing attendees and shared documents in the same field of vision, allowing for a more fluid conferencing experience. The TPT room has an optional environmental package featuring specially designed acoustical treatments, lighting and seating.
Pricing: The TPT4000 Environment at $74,999 is ready for codec and monitors. The TPT Room's optional environmental package is quoted to meet customer requirements.
TPT2000 Conference - The TPT2000 Conference is a small group telepresence system. The system can be used with a black background to provide a true depth display or with a normal background for group meetings with eye contact.
Pricing: The base price for the TPT Conference at $35,999 is ready for codec and monitor.
TPT1500 Cart - The TPT1500 Cart is a mobile telepresence system with a hidden eye-level camera and beam splitter. The cart can be used in retail kiosk applications or any location where a natural face-to-face meeting experience is desired. The cart features a 42" LCD display, a laminated safety glass panel, and a mobile stand with locking cabinet that fits easily through a standard 30" door.
Pricing: The base price for the TPT1500 Cart at $24,999 is ready for monitor and codec.
Key Features and Differentiators
- Eye Contact - TelePresence Tech systems align the camera at the eye level of the participants through a patented configuration using a front surface mirror and beamsplitter. This gives a true eye-contact experience and hides the camera.
- Direct View - The TelePresence Tech systems provide a direct view of the displayed image, instead of the reflected view used in the teleprompter format. Therefore the TPT image is not degraded as a reflection and in not a flipped mirror image.
- True Depth Display - Remote participants that are captured in front of a black backdrop appear with true depth in the room . For standard room settings without a black backdrop the participants enjoy eye contact and the bezel of the display disappears creating a seamless life-like image.
- Open Platform for All Videoconferencing Systems - All of the TelePresence Tech systems are universal to accept cameras and codecs from the major manufacturers. This allows the system to meet international standards for communication with all video conference systems globally and allows organizations to improve the end-user acceptance and usage of their existing deployments without a green field upgrade.
Telepresence Options Analysis
Duffie White, the founder and CEO of TelePresence Tech, is a member of the telepresence "Old-Boys Club" and has been building telepresence solutions before big boys like HP, Cisco, Polycom, and TANDBERG entered the market in the past 3-4 years. Duffie was previously CTO and co-founder of early telepresence provider Teleportec whose systems are still in use today by Ray Kurzweil and others.
With Telepresence Tech, Duffie has shifted the focus from telepresence podiums for presentations to meeting solutions that can improve traditional videoconferencing end-points with display solutions that improve eye-contact, hide the camera, and provide the illusion of depth. The company launched their flagship TPT Room at InfoComm in June 2008 and stole the show. Their HD floating image gathered crowd after crowd after crowd and really demonstrated the difference in experience that a seamless telepresence display technology delivers over the other flat screen telepresence systems.
The company has been busy developing partnerships and distributors notably: Regal Research and Manufacturing, a sophisticated contract manufacturer where the company shares space in a 200,000 sq. ft facility, allows for rapid prototyping of new solutions and custom configuration with the team of over 200.
The European AV distributor Teleportel which has a dedicated demonstration center in Belgium for showcasing the TelePresence Tech products and supporting the TelePresence Tech systems throughout Europe.
AVI/SPL has contracted with TelePresence Tech to install and support telepresence facilities incorporating the TPT products.
Sony Europe is providing distribution in Europe, Middle East and Africa for TelePresence Tech's display solutions which allows them to create bundled solutions using Sony's HD videoconferencing endpoints.
Spire Global is representing the TelePresence Tech products for their distribution in the United States.
The company has TPT systems in operation in 23 countries and seems well-situated to ride the rising tide of visual collaboration being generated by technical, economic, and geo-political forces.
