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Enbridge Inc. is deploying the innovative Cisco TelePresence(TM) virtual meeting solution to better link teams, save travel costs and be more environmentally responsible. Cisco(R)   TelePresence helps break down the barriers of distance by creating an experience where participants feel as though they are sitting in the same room even though they may be thousands of miles apart.

Deployed in late October, the first two Cisco TelePresence rooms are already yielding benefits for Enbridge. These include a targeted reduction in travel costs; a decreased loss of employee productivity associated with travel; accelerated project completion through increased interactions between key technical and operational decision makers; improved project execution due to a simplified access to key internal and external resources; greater timeliness in employee communications and a reduced carbon footprint.

Enbridge has embarked on a period of unprecedented growth, with more than $12 billion in capital projects managed by teams distributed across North America. Enbridge executives recognized the need to provide employees with improved communication tools and services to support such growth.

“Enbridge has a reputation for being an innovator in the use of technology, and our Cisco TelePresence deployment is an important addition to our communications infrastructure,” said Brent Poohkay, Enbridge’s chief information officer. “Our development teams in Calgary, Edmonton and Wisconsin can work together and collaborate much more effectively on multiple projects. After evaluating available video conferencing solutions, we chose Cisco TelePresence because it represents a leap forward from traditional video conferencing and is as close as possible to actually being there, in the same room.”

Enbridge has introduced Cisco TelePresence System 3000 units in its Calgary, Alberta, head office and Edmonton, Alberta, regional office. Deployment of a third Cisco TelePresence system is under way in Superior, Wisconsin, with more locations planned for 2009.

“With Cisco TelePresence we have the opportunity to significantly improve our project communications,” said Poohkay. “Our teams work on very complex and time-critical projects, so we need to enable them to communicate as clearly and effectively as possible. The energy industry is a capital-intense business, so reducing time to decisions and improving the quality of those decisions is a key to success.”

“Cisco TelePresence is particularly well-suited to the communication challenges of companies in the energy sector, which typically have project teams working in multiple locations around the world,” said Peter Tertzakian, chief energy economist and managing director, ARC Financial. “Enbridge’s deployment of Cisco TelePresence underscores its leadership in employing innovative technologies to help address operational issues, including collaboration, the speed of decision making, and energy related benefits accruing from reduced air travel, commuting and associated carbon emissions.”