Tata Communications partners with Starwood Hotels

Tata Communications and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed a partnership agreement to roll out Cisco certified public Telepresence rooms in hotels globally.

Under the agreement, Tata Communications will increase its network of public Cisco TelePresence rooms with 10 new facilities opening in Starwood hotels by the end of 2009.

The first telepresence suites are planned for Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, The Westin Los Angeles Airport and W Chicago-City Center.

Starwood anticipates to expand the offering to hotels in key international business markets like Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.

Tata Communications Telepresence Service will provide Starwood and its guests an "in person" meeting experience with participants in rooms around the world.

"We believe that public telepresence rooms are the key to increasing the accessibility of telepresence beyond major company offices to their wider ecosystem of users - customers, suppliers, remote workers and business partners. Using managed telepresence services is 'better than being there' and helps companies hold more productive meetings without incurring travel and time costs. More team members can participate in meetings and collaborate around the world," said John Landau, Senior Vice President, Global Managed Services, from Tata Communications