Verizon (NYSE: VZ), which in March launched a new offering that will allow users to conduct secure, high-quality video meetings across private or public networks on a variety of previously incompatible video platforms, is partnering with Orange Business Services on a broad telepresence play.

The deal will allow Verizon Immersive Video Exchange customers to collaborate with Orange Telepresence Community users across Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) TelePresence endpoints. AT&T (NYSE: T) in February announced a similar deal with Orange.

The latest deal helps streamline the infrastructure between the two telcos, helping to create similar scheduling, support, security and encryption mechanisms.

"Orange is committed to implementing interexchange services to make it easier for our customers to communicate via telepresence, regardless of network or exchange," said Andrew McFadzen, head of International Network Solutions at Orange Business Services. "This agreement expands the telepresence ecosystem for customers of both providers... our objective is to make telepresence as border-free as a phone call."

The trend for carriers to expand their telepresence interoperability is accelerating. This deal, in fact, is the second major deal with a European carrier that Verizon has made in 2012. This pact follows on the heels of one Verizon made with BT in February, which also is based on interconnectivity between the two carriers across Cisco's high-end system.

Tata Communications, in January, said it would team up with nine other service providers-- including Sprint (NYSE: S), Glowpoint (NYSE: GLOW) and TELUS (Toronto: T.TO) in North America, Safaricom in Africa, Telstra (ASX: TLS.AX) in Australia, Etisalat, Qtel and Mobily in the Middle East, and Neotel in South Africa-- to interconnect their business networks.

For more:
- see this release

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Telepresence critics often point to the relatively high price of dedicated telepresence rooms, which can go underused and generally are devoted to conferences for a very small group of people.

The solution? An increasing number of videoconferencing vendors would suggest solutions that revolve around a fixed camera, be it a webcam or one built into a laptop. Others might champion solutions that take advantage of tablets like the iPad or smartphones, pointing to their mobility.

And, frankly, any of these solutioins is likely increase productivity, reduce costs and help a scattered workforce function more like a team.

But I have a third option: A videoconferencing robot.

Really.

A pair of companies--Anybots and VGo Communications--have begun selling wheeled telepresence robots, which allow a worker to be part of meetings, team building and even office gossip.

The units include a small screen, a camera and audio. They're mounted on motorized wheeled platforms, which allow the user to trundle around an office, join meetings, stop to chat or even carry on a conversation while moving along a hallway with a bipedal humanoid.

MIT Technology Review writer Tom Simonite tried out one of the robots in the magazine's Cambridge, Mass., office while working from his home in San Francisco. His take?

There was a bit of a steep learning curve, especially in piloting the robot around the office. Part of that, he said, was simply the lack of vision the robot had; the camera didn't offer enough of a view. And, he said, the audio could be less-than-satisfactory; apparently the robot's ears need a little more fine tuning.

But, a video of his experience (watch it here) shows more promise than you might imagine.

There is, or course, the requisite footage of the robot bumping into a wall, and the inevitable lost connection that causes Simonite's screen to go dark during a meeting, as well as the laughter from his colleagues.

But, again, all of that can be overcome. Anybots' device, for example, has built in obstacle avoidance. Microphones can be tweaked to be more sensitive to sound. And, if you've ever used a videoconferencing system, regardless of how high end, you've experienced something similar to having your screen go dark.

And, I've been laughed at for worse than going blank in a meeting...

Simonite reports that sales are fairly "tepid" so far; some of that is attributed to the $6,000 to $15,000 price tag, which, frankly seems not so out of line compared to high-end telepresence rooms.

VGo said it has shipped about 200 robots to date. Customers include HP and Cisco, and its VP of product management, Ned Semonite, points out that since the unit is mobile, it adds a new dimension to videoconferencing: "The person who is remote can choose what they want to see and go places beyond the meeting room."

He said the company is working with Verizon on a 4G-connected version that will make it less dependent on Wi-Fi and give the robot more range.

If videoconferencing on wheels isn't enough to interest you... wait a few months, there's more to come.

Colin Angle, co-founder and CEO of iRobot, whose company makes the Roomba vacuum cleaner and the PackBot for the military, says iRobot is working to make a device that has a higher artificial IQ... enough to make it as effective as a remote worker would be in person. Can't wait.--Jim

The popular random chat generator which has connected people all over the world to like minded thrill seekers (and also a few weirdos) has decided to embace the video communication aspect of its service. The video calling feature has resulted in viral YouTube videos and strangers meeting even stranger strangers via the magic of the Internet.

The founder of Chatroulette, Andrey Ternowsky, has decided that text chats are a dime a dozen and that the real power lies in video chat. He will focus the future release of the website on the video calling aspects of the service, making the video viewing box bigger and setting up channels to divide up chatters based on interest. As the site focuses more on video interaction, the channels become necessary to filter out exhibitionists interested in certain types of visual communication not all random video chat enthusiasts are looking to witness. At the same time, akwardness and surprise are two things all Chatroulette players are looking for, and Ternowsky believes telepresence is the way to deliver that far more successfully than text chat.

As more companies adopt video chat and telepresence over the old telephone and chat box, I wonder if this will also up the awkwardness factor in the office? Getting a video call while you are eating lunch at your desk, calls from people you don't recognize, bad hair days could all lead to some awkward moments in business video calling.

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VoIP Survivor has a few musings on all this talk about software replacing our beloved hardware solutions. How long is it before we are really there? He has a few ideas but he thinks most of today's marketing is reminscent of bedtime stories... Blog

Sure the swine flu had us all hunkered down in our biohazard bunkers using Cisco Telepresence to weather the flu season, but a new and unexpected threat has reared its ugly head. Volcanoes! Yes, thats right, of all the things to keep economic recovery down, mother nature has decided to completly shut down business travel to, from and within Europe through the clever use of magma and clouds of ash. Never fear, as a number of unified communications oppurtunists have pointed out, companies using UC can get an edge while the competition gets covered in volcanic debris.

According to Outsourcery, businesses using integrated communications solutions like instant messaging, presence information and voice and video conferencing, are not being disrupted by the volcanic eruption in Iceland. When face to face meetings get cancled do to flight groundings, a be replaced with a quick telepresence meeting.

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- read this blog post

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The 3D TV buzz is all the rage right now, but what about 3D telepresence or even augmented reality. Why wouldn't these things eventually make sense for the way our communications are going? VoIP Survivor takes a look at the state of IP communications in his favorite Sci-Fi novels... Article

Telepresence changed the way we conduct meetings. Now it's changing the way we conduct healthcare, education and even manufacturing activities. Take a look at Connected Planet's feature.

Where oh where did the summer go? It's already time to start thinking about fall trade shows, and I wanted to put out the word that I'm getting my calendar set for IT EXPO West 2009 in sunny Los Angeles in early September. I'm flying in Sept. 2 and will be available for meetings for the duration of time the show floor is open on Sept. 2 and 3.

Let me know if your company is rolling out new products or making interesting announcements at the show, but do so quickly, as I'm sure my schedule will fill up fast.

I'm also planning on attending a couple of the conference tracks, so let me know which ones those of you who can't make the show want a report on. I'd like to fit my coverage of the show to what the readership wants to learn more about. Front runners right now include the track on trends in IP communication, including a session on "Is VoIP Dead? Where do we stand?" and the "Mobile UC marketplace," as well as the unified communications track and its "Best of Breed vs. Best of Suite for UC" session.

I'll also be looking into the latest trends and hot topics including HD voice, telepresence, and unified communications.

Email me with comments, thoughts and suggestions, as well as meeting proposals. 

- Pete
@fiercevoip