PCTL breaking out to a 52 week high on alliance news just out...... (COMTEX) B: ACCORD NETWORKS: Accord Networks announces strategic alli
B: ACCORD NETWORKS: Accord Networks announces strategic alliance with
PictureTel to develop PictureTel features and to distributed the Accord MGC;
PictureTel and its channels will distribute Accord's advanced networking and
switching system; Accord agrees to
MAR 1, 2000, M2 Communications - Maidenhead, Berkshire -- Accord
Networks today announced that they have formed a strategic alliance
with PictureTel Corporation (NASDAQ: PCTL) to develop unique features
and distribute the Accord MGC-100, an advanced networking and switching
system for real-time, interactive visual communications. Under terms of
the agreement, PictureTel and its channel partners will become
worldwide distributors of Accord's MGC. In addition, Accord has agreed
to develop its MGC-100 to include support for PictureTel's
next-generation of open PC-based videoconferencing systems.
PictureTel will begin by selling the Accord MGC-100 immediately. In
addition, Accord has agreed to develop its MGC-100 to support advanced
features such as PictureTel's patented PT 716 and G722.1 audio
algorithms and other features that will be unique to PictureTel's
next-generation of PC-based videoconferencing systems. Accord has
agreed to develop the support for PictureTel's unique features by later
this year for distribution through PictureTel and its distribution
channels. The addition of Accord's system to PictureTel's
industry-leading portfolio of visual communications systems enhances
PictureTel's capability to deliver visual communications systems for
IP, ATM and ISDN networks and visual applications.
"The demand for multi-site, multi-network visual communications is
growing rapidly. End users and network operators are investing in
enterprise-scale collaboration solutions that will support ISDN, IP and
ATM networks," said Tim Duffy, Group Vice President, Conferencing
Products for PictureTel.
"Our relationship with Accord expands our product portfolio and will
enable PictureTel to provide our worldwide customers with a powerful
visual communications system that supports the H.320, H.323 and H.321
standards-based visual applications as well as the ability to support
the new products that we expect to introduce later this year. These new
features are important to our future strategy, and the flexibility of
the Accord platform is very attractive to our global client base."
Growing Visual Communications Market
Both PictureTel and Accord recognise that Intranets and the Internet
are rapidly becoming viable for visual communications, due to the
accelerating deployment of broadband networks. PictureTel and Accord
believe that these networks will support a visual-communications
industry that is rapidly growing beyond videoconferencing to include
diverse business and consumer visual applications ranging from visual
e-commerce to business and personal visual meetings.
"Together, Accord and PictureTel are well positioned to take
advantage of the growing visual-communications market that uses several
different networks - ISDN, IP and ATM," said Phil Keenan, Senior Vice
President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing of Accord. "The combination
of Accord's advanced networking and switching technology and
PictureTel's conferencing systems will provide a reliable and flexible
environment that is easy to use for all types of visual communications
- from conferencing to visual chat rooms, visual help desks and call
centres and business-to-business meetings and personal visual meetings.
In particular, as the demand for ad-hoc conferences rises, due to the
ubiquity of the Internet, PictureTel and Accord will deliver an
outstanding combination of systems to the marketplace," he said.
The Accord MGC The MGC-100 is a leading ITU-compliant advanced
networking and switching system that enables real-time interactive
visual communications. It is the only system available today that
supports the H.320 standard for ISDN-based conferencing, the H.323
standard for conferencing over IP networks and the H.321 standard for
ATM-based conferencing in a single platform -enabling real-time
interactive multimedia communication between two or more audio, video
and/or data endpoints.
Accord customers choose the MGC-100 because of its high call
completion rate, its ease of management, and its advanced feature set
that includes six layouts of Continuous Presence, Multi-way
Transcoding, Touch-Tone Conference Management and an award-winning,
user friendly Greet and Guide capability.
The MGC-100 includes a high-speed multimedia backplane,
front-accessible hot-swappable modules, redundancy, online software
downloads and comprehensive diagnostics. About Accord Networks Accord
Networks is a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of an
advanced switching and networking system that enables real-time,
interactive visual communications. Accord's system is known for its
robust architecture, advanced feature set, simple to use yet powerful
management functions, ease of maintenance and single platform
multi-network connectivity - including ISDN, ATM and IP (LAN, intranet,
Internet) networks. Accord's system supports multiple media types in a
single session, including real-time audio, video and data. Accord's
system is also compatible with multiple endpoints, ranging from
telephones, PCs and TV set-top units, to high-end videoconferencing
terminals.
Accord's system is used today by business enterprises, service
providers, medical and educational institutions and government agencies
to deliver a broad range of visual communications services including
business conferencing, distance learning and telemedicine. Accord's
system is ideally suited for ISPs, ASPs and CLECs to deliver new
valued-added visual communications services - such as visual
e-commerce, visually enabled call centres and visual chat rooms -
across broadband access networks like xDSL and cable modems.
Accord also provides the ability to rapidly deploy these new visual
services using the Accord real-time enabling network architecture.
Accord's architecture provides the ability to develop new visual
communications applications that are compatible with ISDN, ATM and IP
networks. For more information visit the Accord Web Site at
www.accordnetworks.com
Accord is a registered trademark of Accord Networks, Inc. and MGC-100
is a trademark of Accord Networks, Inc. PictureTel is a registered
trademark of PictureTel Corporation. Other brands or products are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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(C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTDCONTACT: Sarah Chidgey, PR Manager,
Sixth Sense Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1635 552694
e-mail: sarah@sixthsense.co.uk
Philip Keenan, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing,
Accord Networks
Tel: +44 (0)1628 547580
Fax: +44 (0)1628 547590
e-mail: phil.keenan@accordnetworks.com
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information
provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties.
Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at
presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to
info@m2.com)).
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