Video conference centre at Amari hotel
Tony Waltham
Businessmen here now have the ability to engage in video conferencing
at a video conference centre established in the Amari Watergate hotel
by Swiss entrepreneur Mugi Jabre who offers state-of-the-art PictureTel
videoconferencing equipment that produces good images over international
ISDN telephone lines.
His REALCOM®
Video Conference centre enables Thai businessmen to link either to
other the estimated 40,000 offices worldwide that are equipped with videoconferencing
equipment, or to any of some 15,000 public videoconferencing rooms in
some 52 countries.
The only private company offering a videoconferencing service to the
public in Thailand, REALCOM®'s
main customers are now hotel guests who take advantage of this service
at the Amari Watergate, as well as travel agents and some Swiss companies.
Mr Jabre is now in the process of building up the business he started
here in July.
One VCR records the proceedings for review later, if this is needed,
and a second VCR can be used to send information, while there is a document
camera which can send paperwork to be viewed.
The main camera which has three microprocessors can be controlled to
focus on several preset positions through a small console unit, while
the PictureTel Venue 2000 system, which adheres to the CODEC H320 standard,
can talk to videoconferencing equipment of other suppliers such as Sony.
This was demonstrated last week and is as simple as placing a telephone
call to a similarly equipped office or location.
Mr Jabre explained that the potential savings were considerable, and
cited the example of savings that could be achieved in having a two-hour
meeting with a party in Switzerland.
If this was done face-to-face, the costs of the business class air-fare
and accommodation, etc, would amount to some 100,000 baht and take a full
three days to complete, he said.
Yet, to have the same "meeting" using REALCOM®'s
videoconferencing service on the other hand, would only cost 27,500 baht
for a two-hour call, and the total time consumed for the occasion would
only be the two hours - plus the time to get to the Amari Watergate Hotel,
he said.
Additional benefits are that two to 12 persons could participate in
the meeting here, coupled with other bonuses such as being at home with
the family instead of undertaking stressful travelling.
The cost of the videoconferencing links varies with the "destination",
with a 30 minute session with a destination in Asia being between 8,000
and 10,000 baht, increasing to just over 10,000 baht in Europe or 11,000
baht in the Americas.
If someone wants to engage in a videoconference with a party that does
not have the videoconferencing equipment themselves, then REALCOM®
can advise where the nearest studio with similar equipment is and make
necessary arrangements, Mr Jabre said.
The equipment has several advanced features designed into it, with the
ability to control the remote camera - to zoom in on a person being addressed.
This can be viewed by the other party on an inset picture, if desired.
REALCOM® here has
a 34-inch television monitor that delivers true face-to-face communication
and appears to have the potential to save both time and money in business
meetings where "pressing the flesh" or a physical handshake is not required.
REALCOM® can be
reached by email at info@realcomth.com
and has a world wide web site at http://www.realcomth.com.
Their fax number in Bangkok is 02 653-9172.
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