[8X8]
Steve and anyone else --
Did you notice this press release? Amati has an alliance with 8X8 you may find interesting:
amati.com
8X8 was founded by Joe Parkinson, one of Micron's early backers.
<<<
Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 1997--8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT) today announced that computer superstore retailers CompUSA, CompuSmart and DataVision Computer Video will sell 8x8's ViaTV Videophone.
The ViaTV Videophone will also be carried by specialty communications retailer The Telephone Booth and by catalog retailers Damark and Global DirectMail Corp. The ViaTV Videophone combines a TV and a touch-tone telephone to provide a complete video conferencing solution. Because it uses standard telephone lines instead of the special digital lines required by traditional video conferencing systems, ViaTV makes video communications as easy and inexpensive as making a regular phone call.
"The availability of ViaTV at CompUSA underscores its appeal as a complement to computer-based video conferencing and video communications," said Chris McNiffe, 8x8's vice president of sales and marketing. "By providing a video communication solution that is simple to use and requires no special telephone lines, ViaTV is bringing the power of video communication to consumers and small business owners everywhere."
"Availability of ViaTV at CompuSmart and The Telephone Booth in Quebec represents another important landmark for 8x8," continued McNiffe. "The ViaTV Videophone has now received all regulatory approvals required for sale and use in Canada. This event reinforces our commitment to seek regulatory approval for ViaTV in other countries as we work to bring video communication to people around the world, all via standard telephone lines."
With 134 stores, CompUSA is the largest computer superstore retailer in the U.S. The ViaTV Videophone is available in all CompUSA stores immediately. The Telephone Booth and CompuSmart are units of Hartco, Canada's largest franchiser of computer resellers, integrators and retailers with locations strategically located across that country. There are 23 Telephone Booth specialty shops and 11 CompuSmart computer superstores. Hartco plans to make ViaTV available in CompuSmart and The Telephone Booth in mid-September. DataVision Computer Video is located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. This retail location is also home for The Apple Shop, a Sony Interactive Showroom, Desktop and The CyberBar Internet cafe. DataVision also plans to make the ViaTV Videophone available in September.
Catalog retailer Damark plans to include the ViaTV Videophone in its Fall 1997 catalog. Damark's customer list includes more than 12 million names, and it markets thousands of quality products through more than 145 million catalog copies annually. Global DirectMail Corp. expects to include the ViaTV Videophone in catalogs targeted at computer, data communications and portable computing applications beginning in September 1997. Global is a leading direct marketer of brand-name and private label computer, office and industrial supplies in North America and Europe, offering a broad spectrum of business products to mid- and large-sized corporate and small office/home office customers.
In addition, the ViaTV Videophone is available at Staples office supply stores nationwide, Frys Electronics in California, Communications Expo in Texas, J&R Computer World in New York, and selected GTE Phone Marts. Catalog retailers Hammacher Schlemmer, Sharper Image, MicroWarehouse, and Hello Direct also sell ViaTV Videophones.
About ViaTV Videophone
Priced at about $499 per unit (estimated street price), a pair of ViaTV Videophones represents an investment of only $1000. Because the ViaTV Phone does not require special telephone lines or a personal computer, it will allow virtually anyone in the U.S. and now Canada to take advantage of the expanded communications capability that visual communication provides.
ViaTV Phone uses a standard television set and touch-tone telephone to provide a complete video phone solution. Since ViaTV utilizes a standard telephone line, local or long distance video phone calls cost no more than regular audio calls. No monthly service or subscription fees are required. ViaTV Phone is compatible with the H.324 standard for POTS video telephony, which allows ViaTV Phone to interoperate with other H.324 compatible video phones, including Intel's Video Phone with ProShare technology.
The ViaTV Phone has many features that enhance its utility, including electronic pan/tilt/zoom camera controls, snapshot, caller ID, auto-answer capability, scaleable video quality, the ability to display both local and remote views simultaneously, and a simple, menu-driven user interface.
About 8x8
8x8, Inc. is a manufacturer of video conferencing systems, semiconductors and software. 8x8 is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. For more information on ordering a ViaTV, call 8x8 toll free at 888/VIEW8x8 or visit 8x8's Web site at 8x8.com . -0- >>>
From IPO prospectus on file with SEC, a list of competition:
<<<One company has publicly announced that it is developing a video conferencing product based upon Lucent Technologies' video compression semiconductors and that it will be making available for sale to third parties a video phone reference design incorporating Lucent Technologies' semiconductors.
In addition, another company has publicly announced that it is developing a similar product based on semiconductors from Analog Devices. The Company's ability to compete depends upon its future success in developing and manufacturing new generations of video compression semiconductors that integrate additional functions and reduce costs. Otherwise, competing semiconductor manufacturers may in the future have competitive advantages in cost, size and performance which could make systems based on competing semiconductors preferable to the Company's VideoCommunicators.>>>
In same document, an explanation of the need for high-speed bandwidth:
<<< In addition, the data carrying capacity of standard analog phone lines is limited. Currently, modems used for the symmetrical transmission of data over standard analog phone lines are limited to data transfer rates of up to 33.6 kilobits per second ("Kbps"). Using such modems, the Company's VC100 may initially be capable of delivering video data at rates only up to 15 frames per second. This compares to 30 frames per second provided by television, 24 frames
per second provided by movies and 24 or more frames per second provided by ISDN video teleconferencing. At rates less than approximately 24 frames per second, the human eye can detect degradation of video quality. Further, POTS infrastructure varies widely in configuration and integrity, which can result in
decreased rates of transmission and difficulties in establishing and maintaining connections. Actual or perceived technical difficulties related to the H.324 standard on POTS could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and results of operations.>>>
Management (the whole reason I started looking at the prospectus):
<<< Joe Parkinson has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since June 1995. From October 1994 to June 1995, Mr. Parkinson served as a consultant to Micron Technology, Inc. ("Micron"), a manufacturer of semiconductor memory products, personal computers and circuit board assemblies. From October 1985 to October 1994, he served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Micron, and from July 1980 to October 1985 he served as President of Micron. Mr. Parkinson is a director of Ultratech
Stepper, Inc. Mr. Parkinson received a B.A. from Columbia College, a J.D. from Tulane University and a L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University.
Keith R. Barraclough was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer and became a director of the Company in January 1997. From April 1996 to the present, he has also served as a director of VidUs, Inc. ("VidUs"), a subsidiary of the Company engaged in the design of integrated camera and video compression solutions. Mr. Barraclough served as Director of Videophone Development of the
Company from September 1995 to January 1997, and as Strategic Marketing Manager from January 1995 to September 1995. From April 1993 to January 1995, Mr. Barraclough served as Manager of Semiconductor Development at Media Vision Technology, Inc., a manufacturer of multimedia products. From 1988 to April 1993, Mr. Barraclough held a position as engineer at IBM. Mr. Barraclough received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University College, London and a
M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London.
Dr. Paul Voois was promoted to Executive Vice President and became a director of the Company in January 1997. From April 1996 to the present, he has also served as a director of VidUs. Dr. Voois served as Manager of Multimedia Codec Development of the Company from April 1996 to January 1997, as Technical Lead of the Company's H.324 Development Group from November 1995 to April 1996, and as a member of the technical staff of the Company from September 1994 to November 1995. From January 1990 to December 1993, Dr. Voois was a research
assistant in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Dr. Voois received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University, and a M.S. and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.>>>
Changing subjects, what do you see as the synergies between Amati and Lucent?
Regards,
Pat
|
