Suitable Technologies, a smart presence systems company, has opened what is believed to be the first retail outlet by a remote telecommunications enterprise to sell its video telepresence devices directly to consumers.
The store, which is located on a busy main street in downtown Palo Alto, California, held its grand opening for the media on October 30 and opened its doors to the general public the following day.
The company’s flagship product – Beam – allows users to interact with people in remote locations by combining high-end video and audio with freedom of movement in space.
About the size of a tall upright vacuum, the Beam is equipped with a high-end video monitor, a camera so the person on the other end can see you too, and two-way audio. The devices roll (up to 2 mph) on wheels and are controlled by the person on the screen using a laptop or a wall-mounted system with a game controller.
