Telepresence: The Emerging Energy-Efficient Video Conferencing

Feb. 8, 2011, Washington, D.C. — The Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference bills itself as the U.S. forum on building a green economy. With a mission to create good jobs, confront environmental problems and secure America’s economic and environmental future, this year’s conference drew more than 2,500 union, environmental and advocacy community representatives to the nation’s capital Feb. 8 to Feb. 10.

One workshop in particular focused on a product that supports energy efficiency in business: “The Telepresence Revolution: How Travel Substitution Technology is Driving Economy-Wide Financial and Environmental Benefits.”

Same Room, Different Countries

Alliance President Kateri Callahan moderated the “telepresence revolution” panel discussion on how information and communication technology helps businesses make energy-efficient choices.  The session focused on telepresence – the video conferencing of the future – and its ability to reduce carbon emissions associated with business travel and daily commuting.  

AT&T’s Vice President of Business Marketing Communications Alicia Dietsch discussed AT&T’s Telepresence Solution, noting the environmental and economic benefits that could arise from a large-scale adoption of telepresence, which uses full-high definition video and spatial audio over a VPN network so users can interact from across states and countries with the “feeling of being in the same room” with remote participants.

Saving Energy and Money with Telepresence

Carbon Disclosure Project President Paul Dickinson added that a recent AT&T-sponsored and CDP-commissioned study, “The Telepresence Revolution,” reports environmental benefits and financial savings that immediately arise from using telepresence. For instance, the study demonstrates that a firm with at least $1 billion in revenue that implements four telepresence rooms can save nearly 900 business trips in one year, achieve a financial return on investment in 15 months and reduce emissions by 2,271 metric tons in five years.