Etisalat Launches Abu Dhabi’s 1st Public Telepresence Suite

Etisalat today unveiled Abu Dhabi’s first Public Telepresence suite in collaboration with Tata Communications and Cisco, at a press conference held at Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi. The launch and demonstration was attended by industry specialists and business executives from across the UAE.

Located at Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi, the Etisalat Public Telepresence room will provide a high-definition, life-size virtual conferencing experience that emulates an in-person meeting. The new facility is available for hire 24 hours a day and will enable local businesses to virtually connect with partners, customers and colleagues across the world.

The Etisalat service provides clients in Abu Dhabi access to a global video network of 42 other Public Telepresence rooms deployed by Tata Communications, in prime business capitals of the world, such as New York, London, Mumbai and Tokyo, to name a few.

Etisalat has developed an interactive, 24×7 online booking system (www.etisalat.ae/telepresence) that will enable businesses to book the Public Telepresence suite for their meetings, in advance. Delivering a live, face-to-face experience, the suite will allow the flexibility to connect with up to six participants on either side of a call between multiple Telepresence centers worldwide. The solution is designed to serve as an affordable and efficient alternative to attendees traveling for global meetings.

Etisalat’s first Public Telepresence room in the UAE was launched at the Dubai World Trade Centre in 2010.

The Public Telepresence room in Abu Dhabi features a Cisco CTS 3010 TelePresence endpoint for the ultimate immersive video experience, and connects to Tata Communications’ global network of Public Rooms, spanning 42 locations across five continents. It will enable groups to meet and collaborate in multiple locations worldwide in real time. By combining high-definition video, real-time audio and interior design for virtual meetings, business executives feel as if they are actually gathered together in the same room across a virtual table, even if they are thousands of miles apart.

Commenting on the launch of the Capital’s first Public Telepresence room, Abdulla Al Ahmed, Senior Vice President – Business at Etisalat said, “Etisalat launched the UAE’s first Public Telepresence room at Dubai World Trade Center in 2010. In order to meet the growing needs of businesses in the Capital, we are delighted to launch Abu Dhabi’s first Public Telepresence room at the Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi. The Telepresence service has a global reach as a result of Etisalat’s partnership with industry leaders – Tata Communications and Cisco. Public Telepresence is a transformational tool that has changed the way business meetings are conducted world over. The UAE’s economy is growing rapidly and in an era where physical realities are paving the way for virtual readiness, the new service will help multinationals extend their reach  globally, while reducing operational costs.”

In addition to providing an agile connectivity option to traveling business executives, the Public Telepresence room will enable companies in the UAE to use the Telepresence communications service on a pay-as-use basis. This will eliminate the need for them to set up their own facilities, thereby further reducing infrastructure expenses.

Radwan Moussalli, Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa, Tata Communications, said, “As Etisalat’s first public Telepresence room in Abu Dhabi, this launch marks another milestone for Tata Communications in the Middle East. As part of our extensive business ecosystem, Etisalat’s Abu Dhabi Telepresence room will have connectivity not only to the Tata Communications’ expansive , global, public room network, but also to all private rooms on our corporate and educational networks around the world, connected via Tata Communications’ Global Meeting Exchange™ telepresence inter-exchange service.  This makes Etisalat’s Abu Dhabi Telepresence room a truly global collaboration tool.”

Mohammad Tantawi, Regional Manager, Cisco UAE said, “The potential of video to change the way we do business is significant. Our collaboration with Etisalat, Beach Rotana – Abu Dhabi, and Tata Communications to launch the first public Telepresence solution in Abu Dhabi unleashes the potential of video and marks yet another major landmark for Cisco in the UAE and Etisalat. The Telepresence solution is innovative, yet reliable and cost effective for businesses whatever their size. We look forward to rolling out this solution in many more locations throughout the UAE.”

Moritz Klein, Area Vice President Abu Dhabi & Al Ain for Rotana Hotel Management Company, said “Rotana is pleased to partner with leading ICT authorities, Etisalat, Tata Communications and Cisco, in providing the platform for this innovative technology.  This state-of-the-art Telepresence Suite will extend added value to our guests, and will offer the business community in the UAE with a unique opportunity to connect to their global business partners.”

For further details, please visit www.etisalat.ae/publictelepresence.