ANDOVER, Mass., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- PictureTel Corporation
(Nasdaq: PCTL), the global videoconferencing company, and Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange 1st Division: NTT) of Japan, the
world's largest telecommunications company, today announced the establishment
of NTT Phoenix Communications Network, Inc. (PCN), a joint-venture company
specializing in providing multipoint videoconferencing services in Japan.
This new joint venture will provide multipoint videoconferencing services
using the NTT PCN multipoint videoconferencing network center -- the largest
in the world -- which initially can manage up to 1,000 videoconferencing sites
simultaneously. The center is equipped with PictureTel's Montage(TM)
multipoint conferencing servers, and will be linked with PictureTel network
operations centers in the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore in the
near future, which will provide customers in Japan with access to multipoint
videoconferencing around the world. In addition, PictureTel also will enable
its partners and customers worldwide to hold multipoint videoconferences with
Japan.
NTT PCN will provide multipoint videoconferencing services for customers
who use the global H.320 standard for ISDN-based calls. Plans call for the
company to increase its conference management capabilities and expand its
network support to include H.323 (local area network) and H.324 (analog or
POTS) conferences, as well.
NTT Phoenix Communications Network will have its headquarters in Tokyo,
Japan. Board members and the management team will include representatives
from both PictureTel and NTT. NTT will own approximately 44 percent of the
company while PictureTel will own approximately 20 percent.
Two of PictureTel's major distributors in Japan, Otsuka-Shokai and Canon
Sales; NTT's subsidiaries, such as NTT-TE and NTT-PC; and NOVA, a private
nationwide foreign language school in Japan, are minority investors in the
joint venture.
Multipoint videoconferencing has been very popular among multi-national
conglomerates for the last several years. Now as PictureTel's compact system,
SwiftSite(TM), and desktop systems such as the Live200(TM)/Phoenix(TM) are
rapidly gaining market share in Japan and around the world, customers are
using videoconferencing for exciting new mission-critical applications, and
the need for multipoint services is on the rise among small-to-medium sized
companies, public organizations and educational institutions.
One such example is NOVA, which last year began piloting interactive
remote language lessons at up to 200 sites using Live200/Phoenix and Montage.
NOVA enables foreign-language students to "study in your living room" instead
of studying abroad. This program proved enormously popular and NOVA intends
to start full-scale commercial service using the NTT Phoenix Communications
Network beginning in May 1997. NOVA anticipates that 20,000 or more Japanese
students will learn English or other languages in this program.
Dom LaCava, President and COO of PictureTel says videoconferencing
customers are ready for the type of service the NTT PCN will offer.
"The multipoint videoconferencing market in Japan is growing rapidly. It
has two distinct segments -- privately constructed multipoint networks by
corporations and organizations, and services provided by a third party such as
NTT Phoenix Communications Network. Both segments of the market will continue
to grow rapidly and bring the benefits of multipoint videoconferencing to many
more people in Japan. PictureTel also will be able to provide multipoint
access to Japan for our partners and customers around the world," said LaCava.
Shigeru Ikeda, Executive Vice President of NTT, says, "There are high
expectations for the services of this new joint venture among medical/welfare-
related public organizations, educational institutions and volunteer
organizations. I believe this venture will provide great benefit to the
people of Japan."
PictureTel Corporation is the world leader in developing, manufacturing
and marketing a full range of videoconferencing technologies. The company's
products serve videoconferencing needs from the desktop to the boardroom.
PictureTel also markets network conferencing products and a comprehensive
portfolio of enterprise-wide services. Additional PictureTel information is
available on the Internet at www.picturetel.com. PictureTel videoconferencing
eliminates the barrier of distance, enabling people to be Anywhere Now(TM).
NOTE: PictureTel is a registered trademark and Montage, Live200 and
Anywhere Now are trademarks of PictureTel Corporation.
Recent PictureTel news releases are available on our Web site at
www.picturetel.com or by calling 1-800-716-6000, extension 4 (U.S. and Canada
only). |
