BW -March 28, 2000-Ericsson and White Pine Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPNE), a leading provider of multimedia conferencing applications for the Internet and intranets, today announced that Ericsson will incorporate White Pine's CU-SeeMe(R) Web technology in its iPulse messaging product to create the first commercially available instant messaging implementation with video capability. iPulse goes beyond Internet instant messaging to allow voice chat, instant messages to cellular phones, personal profile and presence management, IP telephony calls to any phone - and now visual instant messaging.
"With the addition of CU-SeeMe technology, iPulse continues to be at the forefront of instant messaging, with features no other instant messaging service is offering," said Harry Hakansson, General Manager of Ericsson's Interactive Communications Product Line. "With this agreement, we can now offer more revenue-generating opportunities to carriers through a value-added service they can't get anywhere else."
In addition to enhancing the iPulse product, the agreement provides for White Pine to host an iPulse server on its ASP infrastructure and showcase the iPulse technology on its CU-SeeMe World Web site, http:///www.cuseemeworld.com. Furthermore, the agreement provides for Ericsson to resell White Pine's Meeting Point conference server in the future to enable multi point visual instant messaging.
"The interactive, visual capability of CU-SeeMe Web is a natural extension of the iPulse communications suite," said Killko Caballero, president and CEO of White Pine. "It allows us to offer a complete video instant messaging solution to our CU-SeeMe users, and together, White Pine and Ericsson can take instant messaging and visual communication over the Internet to an entirely new level."
iPulse visual instant messaging will be demonstrated in Ericsson's booth at this week's Voice On the Net (VON) trade show at the San Jose Convention Center March 28-30.
The video add-on to iPulse will be commercially available to wireless and wireline carriers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) worldwide in the second quarter of 2000. iPulse is already commercially available and being offered by carriers in Finland and Iceland.
iPulse adds to Ericsson's portfolio of Messaging over IP solutions. Ericsson Messaging provides complete messaging solutions, including platforms, applications, advisory services, systems integrations and network compatibility programs. |
