Cisco offers consumer telepresence; MegaPath enhances VoIP service

Cisco has introduced Umi as an HD telepresence solution for the consumer market. Umi telepresence connects to an existing HD television and a broadband Internet connection. Cisco's experience with enterprise-grade Cisco TelePresence is evident in this product, with the capability to support full motion 1080p HD quality video, reverting to 720p HD quality or even 480p SD if bandwidth isn't available or if packet loss creates an unsuitable picture. The system offers both HDMI and optical audio connections, but audio quality will vary depending quality of the TV speakers or home entertainment system audio.

The new MegaPath (the result of the MegaPath-Speakeasy-Covad merger) has announced it is offering free Cisco SPA 303-3 IP phones for a limited time. Under the terms of promotion, new business customers who buy unlimited or global Hosted Voice calling plans and have at least five lines will receive the IP phones. The program is part MegaPath's post-merger integration to offer common prices, products and promotions across all three company Web sites. The list price for the free phones is $135.