Broker of public videoconferencing facilities will provide customers with immersive meeting options using Tata Communications’ affordable public Telepresence suites
Tata Communications, a leading provider of the new world of communications, and Whygo, a global specialist in public videoconferencing facility scheduling, today announced that they will team up to provide Telepresence solutions to Whygo customers.
The partnership allows Whygo to sell Tata Communications’ public Telepresence Suite hours, to its customer base, providing an additional option to videoconferencing users who prefer a life-like face-to-face meeting experience. Customers will also be able to quickly and conveniently schedule their Telepresence bookings online via Whygo’s portal.
“Telepresence is a communication option that is gaining traction internationally. We hope that through this partnership with Whygo, even more business executives can take advantage of the productivity this technology brings without the considerable cost of building a private room at their premises,” said John Landau, Senior Vice President, Global Managed Services, Tata Communications.
Whygo, which has operations in more than 20 countries, is Tata Communications’ first videoconferencing channel sales partner. Whygo also owns the world’s first online booking portal for public videoconferencing facilities with more than 2,500 locations worldwide.
“Whygo is excited about this opportunity to include Tata Communications’ global Telepresence network into our suite of offerings. We look forward to riding on Tata Communications’ aggressive Telepresence expansion plans to help us bring the Telepresence experience to even more enterprises and SMEs as a pay-per-use service,” said James Matthews, Managing Director, Whygo Group.
"The partnership with Whygo is yet another example of Tata Communications’ commitment to the global proliferation and mass market accessibility of telepresence. At the same time, Whygo's established presence in public video conferencing facility scheduling gives Tata Communications, a necessary channel to market for its public Telepresence Suites,” said Jonathan Edwards, Enterprise Communications Infrastructure Analyst with IDC
The Whygo partnership follows Tata Communications’ recent announcement of its partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) to provide CWT Telepresence, an enhanced offering to CWT’s clients that lets them access Tata Communications’ network of Cisco Telepresence suites around the world. In addition, Tata Communications also announced its partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide that will significantly increase its network of public Cisco TelePresence rooms with 10 new facilities opening in Starwood hotels around the globe. The first telepresence suites are planned for W Chicago City Center, Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel and The Westin Los Angeles Airport. Tata Communications will continue to aggressively expand its Telepresence network and partner ecosystem to bring this cutting edge service to more users.
Tata Communications, the world’s first provider of public Telepresence rooms, has been operating these rooms with their community of partners since 2008 and now has presence in India (Mumbai, Bangalore (x2), Chennai, Hyderabad and Gurgaon), London, Boston, Manila and Johannesburg. Twenty-five more rooms will be added by mid 2010.
About Tata Communications
Tata Communications is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.
The Tata Global Network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 400 PoPs, and nearly 1 million square feet of data center and collocation space worldwide.
Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services, leadership in global international voice, and strategic investments in operators in South Africa (Neotel), Sri Lanka (Tata Communications Lanka Limited), Nepal (United Telecom Limited), and subject to approval by the Chinese government, China (China Enterprise Communications)
Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India and its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. (NYSE: TCL)
www.tatacommunications.com
About Whygo
Whygo Videoconferencing specialises in scheduling public video conferencing facilities around the world. Whygo created the first and still market leading global online booking system for public video conferencing facilities with over 2500 locations online today and many of which offer live real time availability and instant confirmations. Whygo services direct and agent/wholesale customer channels. The Whygo scheduling system is easily re-brandable with feature set options to suite most agent and broker service models. The company vision is to make booking a video conferencing facility as close to the customer as possible and easier than booking a flight. The company has operations in Sydney, London & Dallas that seamlessly work together to offer a 24 hour service to global customers, agents and room suppliers. Learn more at: www.whygo.eu , www.whygo.us .
Forward-looking and cautionary statements
Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications’ expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications’ operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications’ network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company’s communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications’ industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications’ control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications’ various filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, updates or alters its forward-looking statements.
