Accord Networks Revolutionizes Internet Connectivity for Voice and Visual Communications
Users can now make visual calls instantly regardless of their location or endpoint.
Monday September 18, 8:44 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Accord Networks (Nasdaq: ACCD - news), the leading manufacturer of IP, ATM, and ISDN visual and voice communications solutions including network switches, conference bridges, gateways and management systems known as the V2IPERA(TM) family, today announced breakthrough software enhancements for its IP communications products that, for the first time, make it easy to use the Internet for high-quality voice and visual communications.
Accord's enhanced IP software solution allows users to communicate from anywhere in the world without having to know the technical characteristic of their video or voice-enabled system, or their network. This solution is well positioned to have a major impact on the intranet/Internet real-time communications industry and will aid in Accord's growth in the IP visual and voice communications market.
``This is a major step forward and it brings the most rich form of communications - that of real-time visual and voice communications - to the Internet and corporate intranets,'' said Phil Keenan, executive vice president of Accord. ``Now no matter where you are, or what kind of system you have - be it a video- or voice-enabled PC, regular telephone, Internet telephone or high-end visual collaboration system, you can use the Internet or your corporate intranet to meet in real-time with the people you want to,'' he said.
In addition to empowering business-to-business users with the ability to use the Internet for visual and voice communications, the new software will enable home users to participate in chat rooms, user groups or family meetings via video and voice over the Internet. Through services that will be offered by service providers, such as ISPs, ASPs and CLECs, users can access the Accord® conferencing bridge on demand, connect with their colleagues and/or family members and meet without a reservation or operator assistance. The technology also allows the meeting to grow dynamically based on the number of people who want to participate at any given time.
``This innovation is a modern-day party line - with the addition of video,'' said Phil Keenan. ``Just imagine, being able to get your whole family together, or all of your college friends, whenever you want to,'' he added.
The new software is included in release 2.2 of Accord's software and is available immediately. It is a no charge upgrade for any Accord customer with a support contract. Systems will require an H.323 IP hardware module installed to take advantage of the new software capabilities.
About the V2IPERA Family
The Accord V2IPERA family includes a series of advanced IP and broadband products and services that are essential building blocks for service providers, enterprises and institutions to design and successfully implement real-time interactive video- and voice-enabled IP networks that are high-performance, scalable, robust and secure.
The Accord V2IPERA Family of IP and broadband products currently includes the V2GC-20(TM) Firewall Gateway, MGC-100(TM), MGC-50(TM) and MGC WebCommander(TM). It will be extended to include other hardware and software packages designed to address even broader issues that are specific to supporting video and voice over IP networks. The family of products addresses security, Quality of Service (QoS), integrating IP and legacy networks and protocols, and providing additional connectivity options for broadband networks.
About Accord Networks
Accord Networks is the leading manufacturer of networking products that enable Rich Media Communication, including real-time, interactive voice, visual and data collaboration, over IP, ATM, and ISDN networks. Accord's V2IPERA product family includes network switches, conference bridges, network gateways, protocol gateways and management systems that make it easy for two or more people to participate in a Rich Media Communication session without having to know the technical characteristics of their network or their video- or voice-enabled system. These systems today could be an Internet telephone, regular telephone, video-PC or videoconferencing system. When integrated into a network solution, Accord's products are uniquely positioned to solve many problems faced by network designers today such as dealing with multiple speeds and feeds, multiple protocols, multiple networks and QoS issues. All of Accord's solutions are managed and controlled under a common management suite. Accord's solutions are used both by end users and by service providers who are offering outsourced solutions to end users. Service providers offering these services include RBOCs, CLECs, ISPs and ASPs.
As well as being highly active on the industry bodies that drive new standards, Accord has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to lead the industry with its own technology. For example, Accord's advanced transcoding technology is an industry first and is the underlying mechanism that makes rich media calls as easy to make as a telephone call. Other leading features such as allowing the caller to modify their screen layout to simultaneously display other callers' video streams and collaborative data windows further enhance the user's productivity. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.accordnetworks.com.
Accord is a registered trademark and MGC-100, MGC-50, MGC WebCommander, V2IPERA and V2-GC20 are trademarks of Accord Networks.
Certain statements in this press release, particularly those anticipating future financial performance, business prospects, growth and operating strategies, sources of revenue and similar matters, and those modified by the words ``believes,'' ``expects,'' ``anticipates,'' ``intends,'' ``estimates'' or similar expressions, constitute ``forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect management's expectations and are based upon currently available information. These statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which cannot be predicted or anticipated. Future events and actual results, financial or otherwise, could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause future events or actual results to differ materially include: quarterly fluctuations in results, general business conditions in the industry, changes in demand for products, the timing of orders, management of growth, technological changes in the industry, competition and other risks identified from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of such filings also are available upon request from Accord Networks' investor relations department. |
