GSA to Create Virtual Meeting Centers

The General Services Administration has contracted with AT&T to develop and manage telepresence centers at 11 federal buildings across the country, enabling agencies to hold virtual meetings.

The centers, scheduled to be operational early next year, are designed to help agencies cut down on travel costs by facilitating face to face meetings online. They will be built at each of GSA's 11 regional headquarters offices, which are located in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Four other Washington-area buildings also will get centers.

AT&T will develop and oversee the network of centers via an $18 million task order under GSA's Networx contract.

Here's the full announcement from GSA:

Oct. 25, 2010

GSA Moves to Establish Telepresence Centers for Government Use

Virtual meetings help federal agencies meet sustainability and cost-cutting goals.

WASHINGTON - In a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving federal travel dollars, the U.S. General Services Administration announced today it will establish virtual meeting centers at federal buildings across the United States. When operational in early 2011, the centers will be available for use by all federal agencies at a fixed hourly rate, making it easy for federal employees to conduct important face-to-face meetings without the need to travel. The centers will also be made available to stateside military families so that they can meet virtually with service members overseas.

"As the federal government's workplace solutions expert, GSA is exploring new ways to create a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable government for the American people," said GSA Administrator Martha N. Johnson. "This includes incorporating innovative and collaborative technologies like virtual meeting centers to create seamless connections around the world. Availability of virtual meeting technology will help launch our government to the next level of productivity."

The centers will be built at each of GSA's 11 regional headquarters offices in federal buildings in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., as well as four headquarters locations in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. The centers will be specially constructed and equipped to provide live, face-to-face, immersive meeting experiences to all participants across the network. Each room will contain high-definition video and advanced audio equipment, as well as state of the art collaboration tools to enhance the immersive experience and facilitate participant productivity. The network will allow any subscribing agency to meet with counterparts in any of these cities as well as with counterparts in other telepresence-type networks nationally and internationally.

AT&T will develop and manage the virtual network through an estimated $18 million task order under GSA's Networx Enterprise contract. The contractor's infrastructure costs will be rolled into a set hourly rate that is then purchased by GSA and customer agencies in a "pay as you go" model, avoiding the need for individual agency start up costs. Once the network is operational, agencies will be able to order and schedule virtual meeting sessions through a secure web-based portal as well as through a valet that will be available around the clock.