MELBOURNE, Australia -- Telstra and Cisco have enabled members of the Australian Government to meet face to face without the need for costly travel, following the successful deployment of one of the largest national TelePresence networks in the country, the Australian Government’s National TelePresence System.

In Canberra today, the Government announced the TelePresence solution had achieved productivity, sustainability and cost benefits, with the service hosting more than 1031 official meetings totalling more than 1660 hours. This has enabled staff to stay at their interstate offices instead of travelling to Canberra.

For one TelePresence meeting connected to 12 different locations, the Government estimated to have saved $100,600 in costs relating to travel.

The Government also revealed the service has delivered cost savings in excess of $12 million relating to travel expenses which in turn has directly enabled the Government to reduce carbon emissions by not having to travel to meetings.

Announced in February 2009 as a joint initiative with Telstra and Cisco, the deployment of Cisco TelePresence units operating over the Telstra Next IP® network has been operating for 18 months. The service incorporates 36 TelePresence sites connecting the seven Commonwealth Government offices, Prime Ministerial and Cabinet offices, Parliament House and the offices of Premiers and Chief Minister agencies in every state and territory to one highly secure, high definition video conferencing facility.

Telstra Corp. Ltd. (ASX: TLS; NZK: TLS)

Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO)