Radvision builds conferencing architecture for Microsoft

BOSTON--By porting its multimedia conferencing technology to a software architecture and making it generally available for custom development, Radvision will help Microsoft deliver a standards-based solution for its Microsoft Office Live Communications Server environment, Radvision announced this week at the VON conference.

The new multimedia platform, to be available by the end of the year, also will add functionality to Microsoft’s Live Communications client, which the company announced at VON. The client, code named “Instanbul” will provide integrated instant messaging, extensible presence, PC-based voice and video as well as telephony integration.

“It is now clear that the PC has become a communications device and not just an information access device,” said Killko Caballero, senior vice president of enterprise strategy at Radvision.

Instanbul will be the preferred client for the Microsoft Office Live Communications Server (LCS). It is scheduled for release in the first half of 2005.

The software version of Radvision’s conferencing technology, called viaIP, will become part of its iView suite of applications, which includes middleware and supports point-to-point and conference calls for both desktop users and conference rooms.

“If service providers are going to deploy video conferencing to the desktop, they’ll want it to go to everyone, not just to the executives. So you need to be able to support thousands of connections,” Caballero said.

Radvision and Microsoft are already conducting pilot trials globally using Radvision’s hardware solution and Microsoft’s LCS.