Starlight, Madge Reel In Video for Networks (PC Week)
From PC Week for September 8, 1997 by Scott Berinato
Starlight Networks Inc. and Madge Networks Inc. will begin pushing new
video products this week that enable administrators to add video to
existing networks.
Starlight has partnered with Compaq Computer Corp. to provide server
hardware and software for video streaming and IP multicast in a single
package.
Madge is readying the LAN Video Gateway switch for establishing a
videoconferencing gateway in the enterprise.
Starlight will bundle Compaq's ProLiant NT servers with Starlight's
StarWorks and StarCast streaming software, said company officials in
Mountain View, Calif.
The two companies will work together to provide standard configurations
of the package, so minimal MIS setup is needed. The servers will support
Advanced Streaming Format and Microsoft Corp.'s NetShow, as well as
MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 for corporate users.
Initially, Compaq and Starlight will offer the system to the financial
services industry. However, each plans to expand the technology for all
corporate settings.
Pricing for the server packages has not been set, officials said.
Meanwhile, Madge this week will roll out the LVG (LAN Video Gateway).
LVG is a stackable switch that provides a campus link between WAN
videoconferencing via ISDN lines and LAN video. It supports all major
video standards including H.320 and H.323.
The switch will support four concurrent video calls and has ISDN Basic
Rate Interface and V.35 WAN access for connecting the device to an
inverse multiplexer. Two LAN ports also are available, one for Ethernet
and one for Token-Ring, said officials in San Jose, Calif.
While traditional routers can move videoconferencing traffic, they
introduce far too much latency for quality videoconferencing, as they
are responsible for other network traffic.
"The LVG is a cleaner solution for true video collaboration," said
Martha Young, an analyst at Cutting Edge Information Group, in Golden,
Colo.
"Another key to the LVG is it will work with any Ethernet switch," Young
said.
LVG will ship in October with a price of $11,000 to $13,000.
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