PHOTO ADVISORY - NBA Star Grant Hill Reaches Global Fans with Cisco TelePresence

PHOENIX, Ariz., and SAN JOSE, Calif., March 2008 - The National Basketball Association and Cisco have teamed up to use TelePresence, Cisco’s cutting edge collaboration technology, to connect NBA players with fans and journalists all over the world.

Less than 48 hours before the Phoenix Suns were to host the surging Houston Rockets, Grant Hill had a face-to-face meeting with Chelsea Mark, an NBA China TV host located in Beijing. The Suns All-Star forward was not affected by the jet lag that normally accompanies a 13-hour flight to China. Instead the interview took place in the Cisco offices located in Phoenix and Beijing. Hill and Mark participated in a “virtual” in-person meeting with the use of Cisco TelePresence -- a life-size immersive video technology.
NBA Star Grant Hill Reaches Global Fans with Cisco TelePresence

Hill was intimately interviewed by the host of NBA Zhi Zhao, a weekly 30-minute lifestyle TV magazine program showcasing the latest trends in basketball and entertainment. Cisco TelePresence provided a life-size view of Hill, who appeared to be sitting directly across the table from Mark.

Cisco TelePresence technology creates an “in-person” meeting experience over the network, and delivering real-time, face-to-face interactions using advanced visual, audio, and collaboration technologies. These technologies transmit life-size, high-definition images and spatial audio that offer a real-world experience. It is designed to bring users closer to the important people, places, and events in their personal and professional lives.