Renting rooms by the hour...

Cisco Systems announced today that they have partnered with Tata Communications of India to install Cisco's TelePresence video conferencing equipment at hotel and other locations.  They will then open the rooms to the public by online reservations.  One of the suites will be in a room at a Cisco building in Silicon Valley.  By the end of next year the hope to have 100 locations opened throughout the world.  

Rental fees will be between $299 and $899 an hour, depending on the size of the room.  Cisco has installed around 1,000 conferencing suites for corporate clients, at prices ranging from $34,000 to $349,000 apiece.  Paul Waadevig, a consultant with Frost & Sullivan market research firm, believes that renting the suites out will be a good way for future customers to get familiar with the technology.

So if your company has been hit by the global slowdown and needs to cut down on technological cost, renting these rooms could be the way to go.  

-Carly Youngren