Summary
The advanced audio, video, and networking technologies of TelePresence comprise only one half of the equation. The room and environment you use it in is equally important as the technology itself to delivering a TelePresence experience. Network engineers who are familiar with deploying other Cisco technologies will find TelePresence a fascinating new venture because it incorporates environmental, aesthetic, and acoustical concepts that many network engineers might not have been introduced to before. This chapter provided a detailed view into the design considerations for the room in which a TelePresence system will be deployed. In it, the following topics were discussed, providing both the theory behind each concept along with specific examples and recommendations:
- Room Dimensions, Shape, and Orientation: Discussed the physical size, shape, and orientation of the room and the location of doors, windows, columns, and furniture within the room.
- Wall, Floor and Ceiling Surfaces: Discussed the recommended colors, patterns, and materials of wall, floor, and ceiling surfaces within the room.
- Lighting and Illumination: Discussed overall illumination considerations and specific lighting requirements and recommendations.
- Acoustics: Discussed the concepts of sound reproduction and the effects of ambient noise and reverberation within the environment and how they are measured.
- HVAC: Discussed the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements and the recommended types and locations of air-conditioning registers within the room.
- Power Requirements: Discussed power consumption requirements for the equipment and participants and the recommended types and locations of electrical receptacles within the room.
- Network Connectivity: Discussed the network connectivity required within the room for the equipment and the participants and the recommended ways of providing network access to the participants.