By PR Newswire Press Release

SINGAPORE and JOHANNESBURG, April 6/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Tata Communications, a leading provider of the new world of communications, and Dimension Data, the $4.5-billion specialist IT services and solutions provider, have signed an agreement to support the Cisco Systems Telepresence suite of products on a worldwide basis. 

Dimension Data, one of a select few Cisco partners with TelePresence Global Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) status, has the skills to sell, design, install, and support Cisco Telepresence in 47 countries. In addition, Dimension Data will be using the Tata Communications global WAN to connect our own internal TelePresence endpoints. In a flexible model for clients, Tata Communications, part of the $62.5 billion Tata Group, and Dimension Data, will together provide the entire suite of services, including bandwidth, Telepresence hardware, support, maintenance and a fully managed service. 

Both organisations said that the global agreement aligns well with their go-to-market model and provides a ‘compelling offering' for clients. “One significant benefit is that clients will be able to procure the hardware on either a capex or opex model, explained Dimension Data's Group Executive: Global Solutions, Dimension Data Holdings PLC, Steve Joubert. 

According to John Landau, Senior Vice President of Global Managed Services at Tata Communications, “Our vision is to be the leading provider of Telepresence meetings – within enterprises as well as with their ecosystem of customers, suppliers and partners. Our partnership with Dimension Data enables us to deliver comprehensive managed Telepresence services to companies around the world” 

According to a MarketScope for Video Telepresence Solutions report published by Gartner (21 April 2008), and authored by Rich Costello and Scott Morrison: “by 2010, Gartner expects telepresence to generate $600 million in annual equipment revenue worldwide. With services included, total telepresence market revenue could reach $1.5 billion annually by 2010.” Gartner said “Although we feel that the high cost of these solutions will limit broad market penetration, large organizations with a business case for telepresence, as well as the financial resources to purchase and support it, make telepresence a “promising” enterprise market technology.” 

Mr Joubert added,” Our partnership with Tata Communications reduces barriers to adoption and increases accessibility of TelePresence to a much broader audience to communicate and collaborate in real-time.” 

Tata Communications is the market-leading provider of Telepresence services with a comprehensive offering for enterprises' ecosystem of users globally. The service includes Cisco-certified TelePresence network, a hosted and managed service, the world's first public rooms and soon, the world's first open global Telepresence exchange. Tata Communications currently has public rooms in India – Mumbai, Bangalore (2), Chennai, Hyderabad and Gurgaon; London and Boston, with plans to expand their network of rooms significantly around the world by the end of 2009. 

For further information on Tata Communications Telepresence Services and Dimension Data, visit 

http://www.tatacommunications.com/telepresence or http://www.dimensiondata.com