Released on: February 7, 2008, 3:19 am

Press Release Author: Hemisphere Expo Services

Industry: Financial

Press Release Summary: Comments from Analyst Firm Frost & Sullivan and mini
case-study from an HP Halo Client

Press Release Body: London: 7th February, 2008 - Financial institutions of all sizes
are quickly realising the vast benefits telepresence technology offers (live and
face-to-face virtual meetings). Many financial institutions are, by design, very
geographically distributed to increase their opportunity to reach new markets and
potential clients. However, increased numbers of localised branches means that core
resources become widely distributed. The use of telepresence can significantly
reduce time, travel costs and time to market for new products, while increasing
productivity, customer experience and revenue.

Telepresence World 2008 London (www.telepresenceworld.com), which will take place
18th - 19th March at the internationally acclaimed ExCel Exhibition and Conference
Centre located in London, will give attendees a unique opportunity to experience
telepresence technology via live demonstrations provided by the world's top
telepresence providers and to see for themselves how this amazing technology can
streamline their global operations.

Since 2006, AIG Financial Product Corp has conducted global employee meetings and
rollouts using the HP Halo telepresence offering. The company has negotiated deals
and conducted personnel reviews and training sessions using Halo. The benefits of
the technology have been several fold: more productive meetings, less need for
travel, and enhanced access to distributed resources. Halo has allowed AIG-FP to
quickly and effectively promote multi-national and cross-cultural business
collaborations while reducing their carbon footprint and saving money.
Telepresence can help finance organisations to close contracts quickly, shorten
sales cycles, and streamline their operations by getting the right people and
materials together at the right time in order to make critical decisions rapidly and
with confidence. In many cases, the merger & acquisition process (M&A) can be
significantly improved by using telepresence to create a "Virtual Data Room." The
traditional data room used in M&A is literally a physically secure and continuously
monitored space in which bidders and advisers meet to inspect and report on the
various documents and data available. Teams involved in large "due diligence"
processes may need to be flown in from remote sites and remain available throughout
the process. Such teams often comprise a number of experts in different fields and
the overall cost of keeping such groups on-call, near to the data room is often
extremely high. Telepresence can simplify this process tremendously, saving travel
costs and time.

According to Dominic Dodd, senior analyst of global growth consulting firm Frost &
Sullivan, buyers find that despite the higher costs telepresence systems can quickly
pay for themselves by cutting travel expenses and reducing executive 'wear and
tear'. \"While video conferencing is now widely regarded as just another
communications technology,\" says Mr. Dodd, \"the in-built service capability that
defines and differentiates telepresence seems to be creating a new-found enthusiasm
among key decision-makers in organisations both large and small.\" As a partner of
Telepresence World 2008 London, Frost & Sullivan will be on hand to moderate many of
conference sessions, providing market leadership, perspective, and insight.

For further information of Telepresence World 2008 London, including additional
conference content and registration logistics, please visit
http://www.telepresenceworld.com. Diamond Sponsors of Telepresence World 2008
London include Teliris, Cisco, and HP. BT has joined as a Gold Sponsor and Network
Sponsorship will be provided by Masergy Communications. The Interactive Media &
Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA) and the European Association of
Healthcare IT Managers are Strategic Alliance partners. Organisational Supporters
include the International Society of Presence Research (ISPR), Digital Content Forum
(DCF), the Communications Management Association (CMA), the British Computer Society
(BCS), and the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE). Audio Visual (AV)
Magazine, AV News, Connect World, CXO, Education Business, European CEO, Financial
Sector Technology (FST), Government Technology, Health Business, Healthcare IT, New
Media Age, Report Buyer, Total Telecom, and Videoconferencing Insight Newsletter are
among a growing listing of Media Sponsors who have signed on to promote the event.
Telepresence World 2008 London is presented in association with Frost & Sullivan
and is a CarbonNeutral event.

Additional major sponsor announcements will be released in the next few weeks;
however partner and exhibitor opportunities are still available; please email
info@hemisphereinc.com for details. For more information on Telepresence World
events, see: http://www.telepresenceworld.com. To view "Telepresence in Action,"
please visit http://www.telepresenceworld.tv ; and to find out more about
telepresence, read the latest news, and participate in the global dialogue
surrounding this fantastic technology, please join us at
http://www.telepresenceworld.net.

About Hemisphere Expo Services, Inc.
Established in 1990, The Hemisphere Group has produced events throughout Asia,
India, and the Americas. Their events portfolio includes conferences, seminars, and
tradeshows on topics ranging from aerospace to finance. Known today as Hemisphere
Expo Services, Inc., they provide expertise in the production and management of
events relating to high-technology advancements. (http://www.HemisphereInc.com).

Web Site: http://www.telepresenceworld.net

Contact Details: Emily Hampton
Bamboo PR
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emily@bamboopr.co.uk
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