PictureTel to Provide Voice Conferencing Technologies to Microsoft; Development Effort Will Enable PC Users to Enjoy Natural Conversation.Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2000 PictureTel Corporation (Nasdaq: PCTL PCTL Percentile PCTL Prioritized Candidate Target List ), the world leader in collaboration technology, today announced it has licensed its best-in-class IDEC-II conferencing technologies to Microsoft Corporation (company) Microsoft Corporation - The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Microsoft Access, LAN Manager, MS Client, SQL Server, Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail, (Nasdaq: MSFTP). By combining PictureTel's IDEC-II audio technology within the Microsoft DirectSound component architecture, users of Windows-based PCs with an Internet or conventional telephone connection will be able to converse naturally without purchasing expensive speakerphones. Under the agreement, PictureTel will license its IDEC-II technology to Microsoft, enabling hands-free, full-duplex audio capabilities for Windows-based PCs with DirectSound. Additionally, PictureTel will license the IDEC-II components to third parties to enable integration of this capability into other products, such as soundcards, VoIP devices, wireless telephones, and other multimedia devices. "We are committed to enabling Windows as a high-performance telephony client," said Harish Naidu, general manager of Microsoft's Digital Media Division. "The convergence of the various technologies - voice, data, and video - will impact all business users moving forward and will further enhance the PC's positioning as the total communications appliance." "The mainstream adoption of the Internet has radically changed the business communications landscape," states David Snow David William Snow (born September 30 1924) is an English ornithologist. Snow was born in Windermere. , PictureTel's vice president, Strategic Initiatives. "Over the past two years, PictureTel has made a substantial investment in research and development to enable New World conferencing and collaboration paradigms. The IDEC-II technology and its selection by Microsoft further demonstrate our leadership position. Working with industry leaders such as Microsoft will allow us to raise the bar in enabling intuitive, natural content-rich communication for global customers." The licensing of PictureTel's IDEC-II voice conferencing technologies enables PictureTel and Microsoft to take advantage of the rapidly growing demand for IP-based visual collaboration and audio conferencing See audioconferencing. , expanding the potential of IP-based solutions and multimedia applications. About IDEC-II Technology PictureTel's IDEC IDEC Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor (Portugese: Brazilian Consumer Protection Agency) IDEC Information Design & End-User Computing IDEC Interior Design Educators Council, Inc. II technology integrates advanced acoustic echo cancellation The elimination of an echo in a two-way voice transmission. Echo is created in the telephone company's central office switch when two-wire lines from the customer are converted to four-wire lines for backbone trunks. , noise suppression, and automatic gain control. Several patents issued to PictureTel cover the technology. PictureTel's patent portfolio includes a range of audio, video, and data collaboration See data conferencing. technologies, and includes the Siren(TM) audio codec (1) A hardware circuit that converts analog voice into PCM or ADPCM digital code and vice versa. The term may refer to only the A/D and D/A conversion, or it may include the compression technique for further reducing the signal (definition #2 below). See sampling and codec. , which was recently designated as a standard by the International Telecommunications Union See ITU. (body, standard) International Telecommunications Union - (ITU) ITU-T, the telecommunication standardisation sector of ITU, is responsible for making technical recommendations about telephone and data (including fax) communications systems for PTTs and suppliers. (ITU (International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, Switzerland, www.itu.ch) A telecommunications standards body that is under the auspices of the United Nations. Comprising more than 185 member countries, the ITU sets standards for global telecom networks. ) as G.722.1. About PictureTel PictureTel Corporation is the world leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a full range of visual- and audio-collaboration and streaming-video solutions. The company's systems meet customers' collaboration needs from the desktop to the boardroom. PictureTel also markets network conferencing servers and a comprehensive portfolio of enterprise-wide services. Additional PictureTel information is available on the Internet at www.picturetel.com. PictureTel collaboration products See collaborative software. and services eliminate the barrier of distance, enabling people to be Anywhere Now. This release includes projections and other forward-looking statements about the company's revenues, earnings, and other measures of economic performance. Actual results could differ materially from forecasts due to many factors such as, for example, competitive pressures, changes in technology and the difficulty of forecasting in overseas markets and indirect channels. Additional information concerning risks that could cause actual results to differ is contained in the company's annual report on Form 10K as filed with the SEC. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. PictureTel is a registered trademark and Anywhere Now is a trademark of PictureTel Corporation. Other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. |
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