Norwegian videoconferencing vendor TANDBERG has introduced its first telepresence solution, Experia. Telepresence is a high-end form of videoconferencing that makes meeting participants feel as though they are conversing with colleagues across the table, even while they are miles or continents apart.

Telepresence is still relatively little used in the corporate world, but TANDBERG says Experia addresses obstacles to telepresence adoption by being relatively easy to integrate into existing conference rooms and by being able to work with other video systems. Fredrik Halvorsen, TANDBERG chief executive officer, says Experia's value is "as a component of an overall visual communication strategy rather than a distant island of communication."

Unlike many other telepresence solutions, Experia can be used in most conference rooms with only minor adjustments to the rooms. In addition, Experia users can reach colleagues and experts who may not have access to a telepresence room. This focus on interoperability is designed to enable the entire organization to benefit from visual communication,and may be especially useful for organizations with remote offices, manufacturing plants or partner operations, or with existing video investments.

As well as interoperability, Experia offers high-definition video, one-touch connectivity and low bandwidth requirements. It is optimized for six participants per site and can be managed through TANDBERG Management Suite (TMS) as well as existing desktop tools. Systems can be ordered today and will ship beginning Q2.