SINA Works with Cisco to Offer New Online Video Interview Experience

Chinese Web Media Portal Pioneers Use of Cisco TelePresence for High-Definition Remote Guest Interviews
BEIJING, July 2008 - Cisco China announced today that SINA Corp will deploy the Cisco® TelePresence System to create an in-person communication experience for its online interview program with guests around China. SINA Corp will be the first web portal globally to use the virtual meeting solution to transform the way that its online video interviews are conducted.

SINA Corp will deploy four Cisco TelePresence System 1000 endpoints at its studios in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Cisco’s innovations in video, audio and communications technologies enable SINA Corp to capture interviews and other important interactions in a rich, high-quality experience over an Internet Protocol (IP) network, regardless of the distance between the parties.

“As the leading online media company and value-added information services provider serving the Chinese communities in China and across the world, SINA Corp will take advantage of Cisco’s collaborative Web 2.0 technology to enrich the interactive experience of our users,” said Charles Chao, SINA Corp’s president and chief executive officer. “The cooperation with Cisco will further consolidate the competitive edge of SINA Corp as a web portal and will provide an advanced technology platform for our business innovation and brand building in the Web 2.0 era.”

Cisco TelePresence helps remove geographic barriers that can affect interactions, helping users to dramatically improve communications, accelerate their decision-making process and speed up globalization initiatives. It also reduces users’ need for travel and carbon footprint, thereby helping to improve energy efficiency worldwide. More than 100 customers in over 40 countries have already deployed Cisco TelePresence technology.

“We are pleased to bring the ’in-person’ communications experience to SINA Corp’s online interview program with the Cisco TelePresence solution,” said Sue Bostrom, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, for Cisco. “Cisco is dedicated to bringing innovative experiences to the human network of Internet users in China by changing the way people communicate and collaborate with networking solutions.”

In China, the Cisco TelePresence virtual meeting solution is gaining popularity among an increasing number of customers, including China Netcom, Shanghai Telecom, the Xiamen municipal government, Renmin University of China and the Shenzhen Guanlanhu Golf Club.

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