Deutsche Telekom and Cisco supply state-of-the-art Deutschland TelePresence solutions to German Football Association DFB
- DFB trainers and managers benefit from a whole new dimension in live conferencing
- Direct and efficient exchange of information supports preparations for the 2010 World Cup
A successful partnership is being extended: in preparation for the 2010 World Cup, the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball Bund, DFB) has been given the opportunity to utilize the Deutschland TelePresence service, courtesy of Deutsche Telekom. In collaboration with Cisco, Deutsche Telekom will be equipping the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt and the national team coach, Joachim Löw, and his staff with a live conferencing solution. The complete package comprises state-of-the-art Cisco TelePresence systems, broadband network connections, the TelePresence service, a security package and technical customer service. This means that whatever the distances involved the president, secretary, coaches and managers will be able to communicate with one another in superb video and audio quality, discuss ideas in even greater depth, and reach agreements faster.
"Our new Deutschland TelePresence service is a complete service package for high-end live conferencing," says Dirk Backofen, head of Business Customer Marketing at Deutsche Telekom. "On-screen meetings in HD quality ensure an extremely concentrated and efficient exchange of information, as befits the German team's World Cup preparations".
The German team manager, Oliver Bierhoff, is similarly impressed by the Deutschland TelePresence service: "TelePresence optimizes our communications with each other, enabling us to respond to situations even more effectively. Deutsche Telekom and Cisco's support means that we can prepare for the World Cup in South Africa at a high technical standard."
Michael Ganser, CEO of Cisco in Germany, is keen to stress the unprecedented quality and scalability of live conferencing: "With TelePresence, the meeting participants feel as though they are all sitting around the same table, regardless of their location. The platform for these systems is an intelligent network that allows additional conference solutions, such as Webex, to be easily integrated at the push of a button."
Deutsche Telekom and Cisco plan to supply the TelePresence service and TelePresence systems to the DFB over a three-year period. As well as using live conferencing for internal communications within the association, the DFB will also be using the system in other ways, such as for contacts with its partners.
The innovative service will also be available to other customers following CeBIT. The complete package comprises all services from planning through installation of the system to operation - all at a fixed leasing price. This will make the Deutschland TelePresence service attractive for various SME customers. The individual components are an IP line, Cisco TelePresence system, switching service, booking systems, security equipment, installation, operation and maintenance. All components complement each other perfectly, enabling customers to use the service simply and easily at the push of a button.
Deutsche Telekom has been a partner to the DFB and a Premium Partner to the national men's, women's and youth teams since 2005. The Group is also a national sponsor of the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany. Alongside these sports commitments, Deutsche Telekom also uses football as a platform for promising business models. The partnership opens up a string of opportunities for demonstrating the full innovative strength of Europe's leading telecommunications provider with new products and services.
About Deutsche Telekom AG Deutsche Telekom is one of the leading integrated telecommunications companies worldwide with more than 151 million mobile customers, more than 38 million fixed-network lines and more than 15 million broadband lines (as at: December 31, 2009). Its product brands are called T-Home (fixed-network telephony, broadband Internet), T-Mobile (mobile communication) and