BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International (NYSE: MAR) today rolled out its first GoThere Virtual Meetings studios at the New York Marriott East Side Hotel and Bethesda North Marriott Hotel near Washington, D.C. GoThere Virtual Meetings are part of a roll-out of AT&T TelePresence Solution, using Cisco TelePresence(TM) studios enabled by AT&T network and the AT&T Business Exchange at Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels and Renaissance Hotels around the world.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100127/NE44826 )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090217/MARRIOTTINTLLOGO )

Key Facts / Highlights:


    --  Marriott is the first major global hotel company to offer Cisco
        TelePresence meeting options with the AT&T network to its customers in
        locations worldwide.
    --  The first GoThere Virtual Meetings studios are now open at the New York
        Marriott East Side and the Bethesda North Marriott just outside
        Washington, D.C. Marriott plans to expand to 25 hotels around the world
        in the first phase. The next hotels to offer GoThere Virtual Meetings
        will be Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel; JW Marriott Hong Kong;
        Renaissance Sao Paulo; JW Marriott Marquis Miami; Renaissance
        Washington, D.C.; Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway; and Dallas/Fort
        Worth Airport Marriott with more to follow.
    --  Marriott's corporate customers told the company they would hold more
        meetings at its hotels if an appealing virtual meeting option was
        available. GoThere Virtual Meetings will give Marriott customers
        additional opportunities to hold more productive, collaborative small
        meetings.
    --  By being the first major global hotel company to build out a global
        network of Cisco TelePresence rooms with AT&T, Marriott International
        expects to gain a competitive edge and attract more small business
        meetings typically of 20 or fewer people in multiple locations. Marriott
        hotels will be able to offer corporations a whole new meeting experience
        built around telepresence.
    --  GoThere Virtual Meetings will create new revenue streams for Marriott
        hotels, and we expect that most of this new business will be
        incremental. Customers will now have real time, high-definition meeting
        alternatives to less productive global telephone or video conference
        calls.
    --  GoThere Virtual Meetings will expand the current private Cisco
        TelePresence network by making the technology more widely available
        worldwide. Customers will also be able to connect to other Cisco
        TelePresence rooms on the AT&T Business Exchange, AT&T's unique
        intercompany, multipoint, meet-me bridging capability.  There are nearly
        700 existing private Cisco TelePresence locations throughout the world
        connected to the AT&T Business Exchange.
    --  The GoThere Virtual Meetings utilizes AT&T's fully-managed AT&T
        TelePresence Solution.  Cisco TelePresence technology helps enable
        Marriott to offer its customers the widest array of meeting options,
        whether in-person, virtual or both.
    --  To book a meeting room online or keep updated on new locations,
        customers can go to https://www.gotherevirtualmeetings.com/.
    --  Telepresence is a rapidly growing and increasingly popular technology
        that enables groups to meet and collaborate in multiple locations
        worldwide in real time.  By combining high-definition video, real time
        audio and interior design for GoThere Virtual Meetings studios, groups
        feel as if they are actually gathered together in the same room across a
        virtual table, even if they are thousands of miles apart.
    --  Marriott chose AT&T TelePresence Solution because it combines AT&T's
        global communications networking capabilities with the Cisco
        TelePresence technology.

Supporting Quotes:


    --  "Marriott continues to lead the lodging industry in delivering the
        latest meeting technology to its customers.  GoThere Virtual Meetings
        with AT&T and Cisco TelePresence will offer our customers a new way to
        hold more productive, collaborative meetings linking locations around
        the world, and open up new revenue opportunities for our company and our
        hotels. We are proud to work with AT&T and Cisco to enhance innovative
        communications technology at our hotels and offer it to our customers."
        -- David Marriott, chief operations officer, Americas Eastern Region,
        Marriott International


    --  "In an increasingly interconnected business world, companies of all
        sizes are seeking the ability to hold a more internal and client
        meetings across the globe.  With the opening of GoThere Virtual Meetings
        with AT&T and Cisco, Marriott customers are able to easily collaborate
        'in-person' with partners around the world.  We look forward to working
        with Marriott to further expand intercompany connectivity and accelerate
        global innovation and collaboration." -- Bill Archer, executive vice
        president - Global Strategy and Transformation, AT&T Business Solutions.


    --  "Marriott International is demonstrating its leadership in the lodging
        industry by using innovative technologies like Cisco TelePresence to
        offer its customers the widest array of meeting options, whether
        in-person, virtual or both.  Working with leading global companies,
        Marriott and AT&T, Cisco is delighted to bring the vision of a global
        Cisco TelePresence network to reality." -- Mark Weidick, vice president
        and general manager, TelePresence Business Unit for Cisco

Links / URLs:


    --  GoThere Virtual Meetings with AT&T and Cisco TelePresence Information
        Site (www.marriott.com/gotherevirtualmeetings)
    --  GoThere Virtual Meetings with AT&T and Cisco TelePresence Booking Portal
        (www.gotherevirtualmeetings.com)
    --  Follow Cisco on Twitter
    --  Read the Cisco "The Platform" blog
    --  Follow Marriott International on Twitter
    --  Follow AT&T Business Solutions on Cisco Service Provider 360 on Twitter

Tags / Keywords: Marriott International, Marriott, Renaissance, JW Marriott, GoThere, Go There Virtual Meetings by Marriott, AT&T, AT&T TelePresence Solution, Cisco, Cisco TelePresence, TelePresence, hotel, meetings

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Embedded Video:


    --  GoThere Virtual Meetings Demo
    --  Cisco TelePresence Solutions

Photos


    --  http://www.flickr.com/photos/marriott/sets/72157623151050381/

About Marriott International

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About AT&T

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.