Sports Technology & Communications News from Around the World

Cisco (News - Alert), the provider of networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, has announced that ESPN (News - Alert) will be utilizing Cisco TelePresence to live and recorded coverage of soccer matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament in South Africa.

The solution will also be used to connect coaches, players and teams to the global soccer community.

With Cisco TelePresence, ESPN can offer televised content more effectively and inexpensively. This will also make the viewing experience of the soccer fans better. For a face-to-face virtual experience, Cisco TelePresence utilizes high definition audio and video. It will improve ESPN's coverage of the soccer matches all throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament.

By utilizing the present Cisco broadband network located in South Africa, Cisco and ESPN will change the sports television industry by allowing a more well-timed delivery of video content. Fans can have better access to game analysis and player footage.

A first for any video communications solutions, the Cisco TelePresence HD real-time video will be used by ESPN for the live coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament. It will also provide ESPN with enhanced flexibility and a broader coverage. This improves the content and coverage of the games.

Unnoticeable latency, no matter what distance, made this excellent experience possible. This eventually leads to a more powerful interview. The use of the Cisco TelePresence in South Africa will also allow ESPN to host remote interviews with visiting country leaders, players, coaches and fans. Soccer fans will then be able to gain access to these remote broadcast interviews obtained through Cisco TelePresence on the worldwide soccer sites of ESPN.

ESPN will be able save a massive amount as measured against traditional remote interviews by using Cisco TelePresence to do exclusive World Cup reports from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

"Having Cisco Telepresence (News - Alert) in the arsenal of content-contribution tools ESPN is using in South Africa allows us to give fans unique content that brings the World Cup one step closer to home," said Rob Hunter, ESPN vice president for innovation. "Cisco TelePresence will connect fans and our audience to the action in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in ways that weren't previously possible."

Cisco was in news recently when it was told by federal jury in Marshall, Texas to pay $3.7 million in patent royalties to the Woodlands, Texas-based Commil USA LLC.

As reported by TMCnet, this verdict was made in connection with a legal dispute over wireless network technology where Commil's wireless-transmission technology has been used by a Cisco subsidiary without their permission.