Jun 30, 1997 12:00 PM,

VideoServer adds eggs to basket

SHIRA LEVINE, New Media Editor

Just one week after announcing that its multipoint control units would support videoconferencing over frame relay, VideoServer Inc. pushed the envelope even further, announcing support for asynchronous transfer mode and Internet protocol networks as well.

More on this Topic

Industry News

Blogs

Briefing Room

"Our announcements are all adding up to a theme," said Arnold Englander, vice president of marketing at VideoServer. "We're trying to be the heart of conferences that are not only multimedia in the sense of delivering voice, video and data, but [that also transmit] over multiple networks, whether it's frame relay or ISDN or ATM or IP.

In an arrangement similar to the one struck with ABL Canada for frame relay (Telephony, June 23, page 12), VideoServer has teamed up with video networking provider First Virtual Corp. to enable videoconferencing over ATM networks.

VideoServer has incorporated First Virtual's multimedia operating software technology into an ATM network interface card for the multimedia conference server, enabling ATM users to participate in multipoint videoconferences for the first time.

"In general, ATM doesn't have a huge installed base, but it's just going through the same growing pains that frame relay did three years ago," Englander said.

On the IP side, VideoServer announced that it will develop a line of products based on the H.323 standard for video- and audioconferencing over packet networks. Products include an H.323/H.320 conference gateway that lets traditional circuit-based conferencing customers communicate with IP-based users and a multipoint conference server that supports the H.323 audio and video standard, the T-120 data standard and standard telephone lines so POTS callers can participate. A network management product will oversee and control multimedia traffic over all networks.

The H.323 products will be fully compatible with H.323-complaint end points, including Intel's Teamstation and ProShare and Microsoft's NetMeeting, Englander said. VideoServer will introduce the products within the next few weeks.