Cisco TelePresence System 500
Price on application
Designed to give executives and senior managers the capabilities of a high-end system at home, Cisco’s product is centred around a 37-inch screen and an array of microphones and speakers. Like Polycom, Cisco has dubbed this a telepresence system rather than a video-conferencing one. Using a single screen, it is an interesting, if expensive, way to take part in high-end virtual meetings without having to buy a fully featured system. Video and audio quality is excellent and, when not in use, the monitor can work as a standard PC display.
For the executive who spends a lot of time working from home, this is an excellent, high-quality way to take part in meetings. One could argue that it is complete overkill, and systems like this will soon be replaced with either a laptop with an HD video camera, or even a Skype-enabled TV. But for now, the superior quality, integration with Cisco’s other systems and ease of use show there is still a market for systems such as this.
PROS Great performance
CONS Advances in web technology could make it obsolete
