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Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2019)	12/4/1998 6:53:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3178

Telecom Consumers Pay More for Local Than Long Distance, Insight Research Reports December 4, 1998 PARSIPPANY, NJ--(BUSINESS WIRE)Long distance telephone ads shouting about lower rates makes it seem like the service is too expensive, but in reality, consumers are paying more per month on their local phone bills than their long distance phone bills, says a new Consumer Telecom Report by INSIGHT RESEARCH. According to INSIGHT's report "Consumers' Reactions to Telecom Competition," 71 percent of respondents surveyed said their average monthly local bill was $50 or under. Only 29% paid under $25 monthly for local service. For long distance bills, 47% were in the under $25 category. Local service competition lingers on the horizon, and with it will come greater choice and lower local rates. However, local bills may still be higher than long distance because various taxes will be levied on dial tone service. Long distance bills do not have these extra charges. INSIGHT believes local telcos must start paying attention to the potential harm they face as consumers rebel against high local phone bills. Consumers may not view these fixed line charges as valid, instead assuming they are included in their local toll charges. "If it's a surprise that people are paying more for local service, it's even more amazing to find out that 10 percent don't even know what they pay each month," says Robert Rosenberg, president of INSIGHT. "As local competition intensifies, it will be interesting to see if people pay more attention to their bills. The decline in rates may actually increase calling frequency and volume," Rosenberg said. Further consumer forecasts of telecommunication services are published in "Consumers' Reactions to Telecom Competition," a 102-page market research study now available from INSIGHT RESEARCH for $4,795. Primary research consisted of interviews with regulators, industry players, academicians, and INSIGHT's proprietary survey of 1,018 consumers. For this sample, survey data was weighed to account for probabilities of random selection and balanced by age, gender, race, and education to match U.S. Census demographic variables. INSIGHT RESEARCH, based in Parsippany, NJ, is a respected source for telecommunications market research and competitive analysis. Link to insight-corp.com for an excerpt of this study. For more information, please contact: Tara D. Mahon email: tara@insight-corp.com The Insight Research Corporation phone: (973) 605-1400 Gatehall I, One Gatehall Drive fax: (973) 605-1440 Parsippany, NJ 07054 CONTACT: Tara D. Mahon, Director of Marketing \| (973) 605-1400 \| email: tara@insight-corp.com \| KEYWORRD: NEW YORK [Copyright 1998, Business Wire]

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2019)	12/4/1998 7:05:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3178

Samsung Selects 8X8 LVP Chip for Web Videophone; Samsung Videophone Capitalizes on LVP's Power and Flexibility to Deliver a Multifunction Videophone December 4, 1998 ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)8x8, Inc. (Nasdaq:EGHT), a leading supplier of multimedia communication technology and systems, announced today that Samsung is using 8x8's Low Bitrate Video Processor (LVP) chip in its WebPhone. The WebPhone includes an H.324 videophone for standard telephone lines, an H.323 videophone for the World Wide Web, a Web browser, an email client and an innovative personal information manager. The WebPhone will be available at consumer electronics retailers early in 1999. 8x8's LVP is a high-performance video and audio processing chip that supports both the H.324 and H.323 videophone standards. "The Samsung WebPhone is the first telephony product to integrate both an H.323 Web videophone and an H.324 POTS videophone in one unit," said Y.S.Kim, director of multimedia development at Samsung. "We chose 8x8's LVP for our WebPhone because 8x8 is the leader in audio and video codec quality, because of their clear, long-term commitment to the videophone market place, and because the LVP is the only device that satisfies our price/performance targets." "We are very pleased to have been chosen by Samsung for the WebPhone project," said Paul Voois, 8x8's chairman and CEO. "Samsung's WebPhone takes a major step towards providing more complete communication by adding video to standard telephone calls and allowing people to make video calls on the Web." 8x8 and Samsung have also agreed to work together on future versions of the Web-Phone product line to add more features or to reduce cost. "Samsung is an estimable partner for us because of their enormous technical and marketing resources," noted Bryan Martin, 8x8's vice president of engineering and CTO. "We are looking forward to exploring the next generation WebPhone with them to bring the advantages of video communication to a wider audience. " About 8x8's LVP The LVP is suitable for all low bitrate videoconferencing applications, particularly via standard telephone lines (POTS) and computer networks (LAN/Internet). The LVP supports the ITU standards for video communication over those media: H.324 for POTS and H.323 for Internet. The LVP can deliver up to 15 frames per second over POTS telephone lines. In POTS applications, a single LVP implements video and audio compression, full-duplex echo cancellation, communication protocols and the graphical user interface, making it the only single-chip H.324 videophone solution available today. About 8x8 A leading manufacturer of multimedia communication systems, semiconductors and software, 8x8, Inc. is committed to providing both businesses and consumers with a more complete way of communicating. From high-performance digital telephony processors to affordable videophones, 8x8's products offer a full range of video communications and telephony solutions. The company is headquartered at 2445 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95054. For more information, call toll free 888-VIEW-8X8, or in London for European sales, 8x8, Ltd., Harleyford Estate, Marlow, Bucks, SL7 2DX England, 011-44-1628-402800, fax 011-44-1628-402829. About Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a US $13 billion (1997) flagship company of Korean-based the Samsung Group, is a world leader in electronics, with operations in more than 60 countries and 85,000 employees worldwide. This press release contains forward-looking statements. 8x8's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed, implied or forecasted in the forward-looking statements due to factors including in particular dependence on key customers, the uncertainty of market acceptance of IP telephony, the limits of existing IP telephony technology, the lack of infrastructure support for IP telephony (such as limited cable and xDSL modem availability), dependence on IP telephony service providers, rapid technological change, dependence on new product introduction, dependence on proprietary technology, compliance with industry standards, dependence on key personnel, the need for additional capital and current and potential competition. Further information on these and other factors that could affect the actual results of 8x8 are included in 8x8's Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1998, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 8x8 assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release. 8x8, the 8x8 logo,ViaTV, and the ViaTV logo are trademarks of 8x8, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CONTACT: 8x8, Inc. \| Scott St. Clair, 408/727-1885 \| scottsc@8x8.com \| or \| Technology Solutions \| Donna Austi, 212/320-2288 \| dausti@tsipr.com [Copyright 1998, Business Wire]