Virtual Reunions via Telepresence

I first saw the Cisco Telepresence in use watching “24.” Yup, the famous real-time popular TV series, featuring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. In that episode, at CTU, there was a video conference call. I noticed the Cisco logo on the three monitors across the round tables in a conference room. As in any episode, everything was a race against time and the Telepresence equipment was the most convenient and fastest way to bring people across the US together to face the crisis that Jack Bauer is trying to solve. Photo of Kiefer Sutherland from www.ew.com

I am still a little envious whenever I would hear another phone ring using the Cisco ringtone. I never figured out up to today how to download that Cisco ringtone on my iPhone.

But watching Telepresence on TV really doesn’t give justice to what the Telepresence is until one experiences it live and in person. Working with Cisco gave me this opportunity. This rare opportunity, maybe, to be like Jack Bauer sitting across a conference round-table and speaking to someone thousands of miles away.

Last February 11, 2009, I did experience Telepresence. After our pilot session with a couple of OFW families, we talked with Lulu Salazar and other officials from the Bayanihan Center in Hong Kong. And yes, Telepresence is a totally different experience. One can see up close and personal the smallest details of emotion. For these virtual reunions among OFWs, joy and excitement can be felt across this virtual technology.

Today, Cisco offers these “virtual reunions” for free for OFWs outside the Philippines. Two families, the Savedras from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and the Ubamos (not Obamas) had gone through this virtual reunions.

Can you imagine if the hundreds of thousands Filipino OFWs knew about Telepresence? There will probably long lines outside Cisco offices across 131 cities spread 40 countries. There are over 300 Telepresence facilities around the globe!

Cisco Philippines is the third country in Southeast Asia to put into place TelePresence. Singapore and Malaysia also have these facilities, together with over 300 TelePresence facilities.