Representatives from National Lambda Rail (NLR) and Internet 2 to Speak at Telepresence World 2007 Conference in San Diego as Plans for Merger Progress

Steamboat Springs, CO (May 3, 2007) – Tom West, CEO of National Lambda Rail, and Jonathan Tyman, Manager of Digital Video Initiatives for Internet 2, will address delegates at Telepresence World 2007, the landmark summit on telepresence, presence, and unified communications technologies that will be held at the University of San Diego in San Diego, CA, June 4th – 6th 2007. West, who became Chief Executive Officer of NLR in September of 2003 after four decades of executive management experience in the research and higher education community, will present on Monday, June 4th, as part of the Conference’s “Enterprise Track,” which will provide attendees with an overview of the technology behind telepresence and its many applications. The NLR is a national effort whose membership comprises research institutions and associates from across the country. The organization’s focus is on the implementation and operation of a country-wide network infrastructure to serve the needs of the advanced research community.

Tyman, who also has a background in higher education and has taught filmmaking and mass media classes at the University of Michigan for eight years, will keynote the Conference Program on Wednesday, June 6th, with a presentation on the future of telepresence and education. As Manager of Digital Video at Internet 2, a non-profit consortium which develops and deploys advanced high-speed network applications and technologies for education and research purposes, Tyman helps promote mainstream adoption of media collaboration tools, such as H.323 video and DVTS, by making them available to members of Internet 2.

Telepresence technology, which uses large, high-resolution screens, high-definition video, and CD-quality audio to provide a fluid, “in-person” experience, requires high-speed, low latency networks in order to create such a life-like milieu. In December of 2006, the NLR announced plans to develop a telepresence “test bed” across its national fiber optical backbone based on Cisco’s TelePresence Meeting Solution. Such a solution could dramatically improve collaboration and facilitate research among academic communities.

In March and April of 2007, NLR and Internet 2 leadership issued joint statements that detailed a renewed interest in merging the two consortiums into a single organization in order to provide an improved framework for collaborative activities. Mark Barounos, President of Hemisphere Expo Services, the organizers of Telepresence World 2007, says that “the recent news regarding the proposed merger between the two entities is generating a tremendous amount of interest in the future high-speed network infrastructure. Delegates to Telepresence World 2007 will undoubtedly be the first to hear what’s on the horizon for these two organizations—and the research and education community as a whole—as they make plans to integrate their very extensive resources.“

Telepresence World 2007 will bring together industry leaders, researchers, and end-users from around the world to experience, discuss, and compare telepresence solutions and technologies. Leading telepresence providers, including sponsors Polycom, Teliris, Cisco, Telanetix, BT, DVE (Digital Video Enterprises), and Masergy will host live demonstrations for conference delegates so they can experience the incredible life-like reality of this technology, which far surpasses anything of this nature previously available. Media sponsors for Telepresence World 2007 include: CXO, CIOIndex, Business Management (bm), VOIP-News.com, and ITSecurity. Telepresence World 2007 is supported by the Interactive Media & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA), the International Society of Presence Research (ISPR), and the Wall Street Technology Association (WSTA.org). For further information on the Telepresence World 2007 agenda, speakers, registration, and sponsors, see: http://www.telepresenceworld.com.

Sponsor, speaker and exhibitor opportunities are still available for this landmark event. Please email info@hemisphereinc.com for details.

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).

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