Here's the press release now ...
Monday September 11, 9:11 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Accord Networks Announces Video Firewall Gateway For Secure Interactive Video and Voice over IP Networks
New IP product allows IT Managers and Service Providers to provide voice and visual communications and services on and between Enterprise networks without opening security holes in existing data firewalls
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 2000-- Accord Networks (NASDAQ:ACCD - news), the leading manufacturer of a family of IP, ATM, and ISDN visual and voice communications solutions including network switches, conference bridges, gateways and management systems, today announced the Accord® V2GC-20 Firewall Gateway, the latest member of the Accord V2IPERA(TM) family of advanced IP video and voice products and services.
The V2GC-20 solves a major issue confronting network designers and service providers when implementing interactive voice and video services and applications across IP networks - that of navigating data firewalls without compromising network security. Enabling voice & visual communications between users who are both inside and outside the network firewall, or between secure networks, requires re-configuration of existing firewalls. In essence, network managers have to open a security hole in the firewall to pass the voice and video traffic through. This creates unacceptable security risks to the enterprise. The Accord V2GC-20 allows network managers to avoid this problem as it complements the firewall's capabilities and enables the video and voice traffic to pass without compromising security.
In addition, with its WebCommander(TM) application, Accord provides the IT manager with the ability to manage and control which specific parties outside the firewall can interact real-time with someone on the secure side of the firewall. WebCommander can reside on the secure side of the firewall, under the control of the IT or network manager.
``Accord is leveraging and enhancing its leading edge core technology and platforms and will continue to introduce a series of IP and broadband network specific solutions over the next several quarters,'' said Phil Keenan, executive vice president. ``All service providers, enterprises or institutions need this technology, because voice and visual communications across IP networks usually involves secure firewalls. Many are wrestling with the problem of how to enable voice and visual applications between users sitting on either side of the enterprise firewall. The Accord V2GC-20 is the perfect solution, and will help accelerate the growth of voice and visual communications on IP networks, and allows Accord to significantly grow its presence in intranets and the Internet,'' added Keenan.
The Accord V2GC-20 is available immediately. Pricing starts at $75,200 for 24 simultaneous users.
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 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.
The Accord V2IPERA family is based on the core technology of the Accord MGC-100, which is used by service providers, enterprises and institutions throughout the world to provide high performance, high quality, robust and scalable visual and voice communications.
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.
Accord is a registered trademark and V2IPERA, MGC-100, MGC-50, and MGC WebCommander are trademarks of Accord Networks.
Pricing reflects current manufacturer suggested retail price and is subject to change without notice. Actual dealer prices may vary. Accord is a registered trademark of Accord Networks, Inc. MGC and Greet and Guide are trademarks of Accord Networks, Inc. This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general business conditions in the industry, changes in demand for products, the timing and amount or cancellation of orders and other risks detailed from time to time in Accord Networks' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Accord Networks' Form F-1 registration statement.
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. |
