A PCTL press release...
ANDOVER, Mass., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- PictureTel Corporation
(Nasdaq: PCTL), the world leader in videoconferencing, and VideoServer
Incorporated (Nasdaq: VSVR), the leader in networked conferencing, today
announced plans to expand the set of network connectivity options on their
multipoint product lines to include Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM).
Today, customers that choose to use ATM as the network to connect room and
desktop videoconferencing systems must conference through a gateway to an ISDN
environment to conduct multipoint calls. The ATM interface, scheduled for
availability in the fourth quarter of 1997, delivers direct ATM access for
multipoint applications thereby reducing costs and complexity while increasing
reliability and performance. This option will be available from PictureTel
for its Montage(TM) and Prism(TM) products and is expected to have a U.S. list
price of under $10,000.
PictureTel and VideoServer have been working together since the summer of
1996 on the specification, development and testing of ATM connectivity. First
Virtual Corporation's ATM hardware and MOS software system has been chosen to
enable this integration.
"We are excited about delivering multipoint videoconferencing solutions to
the growing number of ATM users," said Robert Castle, president and CEO of
VideoServer. "PictureTel has been a critical driver in this program and
introducing this capability into the PictureTel product line is a continuation
of our close working relationship."
"Many of our customers have been asking for a simple solution to conduct
multipoint conferences for users directly connected to an ATM network," said
Dom LaCava, president and COO of PictureTel. "Our work with VideoServer will
enable us to deliver ATM capabilities to our customers. In addition, this
demonstrates the strength of the continuing partnership between VideoServer
and PictureTel and the commitment to the Montage and Prism product lines."
About VideoServer
VideoServer, Inc. is the leader in networked conferencing, providing
hardware and software networking solutions for multipoint and multimedia
conferences, enabling users to communicate over a variety of networks and
allowing them to interact as a group. The company's Multimedia Conference
Server (MCS) products provide multipoint conferencing, as well as applications
for conference control, network management and bandwidth management. The
company is extending its technology to offer easy connectivity of existing and
new conferencing solutions, expected to enable wide deployment of real-time
conferencing to the desktop and over corporate networks and the Internet.
VideoServer sells its products to leading suppliers and integrators of
videoconferencing equipment, telephone carriers, conferencing service
providers, network equipment companies, computer companies and others.
About PictureTel
PictureTel Corporation is the world leader in developing, manufacturing
and marketing a full range of videoconferencing solutions. The company's
systems meet customers' videoconferencing needs from the desktop to the
boardroom. PictureTel also markets network conferencing servers 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, Prism and Anywhere
Now are trademarks of PictureTel Corporation.
SOURCE PictureTel Corporation
CONTACT: Kevin Flanagan of PictureTel Corporation, 508-292-5178 or
flanagank@pictel.com or Mary Campbell of VideoServer Inc., 617-229-2000 or
mcampbell@videoserver.com |
