SAN MATEO, Calif., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avistar Communications Corporation has announced additions to its C3 desktop videoconferencing software for unified communications that improve interoperability with market-leading, room-based videoconferencing solutions. This advanced capability is built from a partnership established with RADVISION, Ltd. , a leading provider of video network infrastructure and developer tools for unified visual communications over IP, 3G, and emerging next-generation IMS networks. Avistar C3 delivers an all-software solution that leverages the RADVISION SCOPIA multi-point control unit (MCU). Together, the integrated solution delivers advanced multi-party desktop videoconferencing, and connectivity with third-party systems, that supports existing and future conferencing investments.
"Combining the Avistar C3 solution with RADVISION's SCOPIA MCU provides advanced connectivity with room systems, extending the reach and versatility of C3. Our software can also take advantage of existing SCOPIA systems already deployed, leveraging previous IT investments," said Stephen Epstein, chief marketing officer at Avistar. "Avistar and RADVISION will be able to fully promote each other's solutions in order to offer a cost-effective platform to bring face-to-face unified communications to the desktop, an additional benefit of this built-in interconnectivity is that it enables face-to-face meetings with diverse constituents including customers, suppliers and other external parties."
Avistar C3 has been upgraded to provide integrated support for H.323, a common standard that defines the protocols for audio and visual communications between two systems on an IP network. Using RADVISION's SCOPIA MCU's, devices which are used to bridge multi-party connections for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and video, Avistar C3 users can now initiate multi-party calls to third-party room-based systems right from their desktop. Avistar's integrated dynamic bandwidth management means that videoconferencing can be rolled out across the organization without causing risk to network performance or incurring significant investment in new infrastructure. Since MCU resources are only utilized when calls are running, Avistar video calls can share capacity alongside VoIP and other connections.
"H.323 interoperability is high on the requirements list of most enterprises interested in desktop videoconferencing," said Ira Weinstein, senior analyst and partner at Wainhouse Research, a market research and analyst firm specializing in the field of unified communications. "The RADVISION integration allows Avistar users to host small and large conferences, including a mixture of desktop video users and external standards-based room video systems, from within the Avistar user interface."
"Through our partnership with Avistar, organizations can now leverage the advanced media processing and connectivity capabilities of our SCOPIA MCU while using Avistar's C3 system, extending connectivity options for Avistar customers," said Zeev Bikowsky, General Manager, Networking Business Unit for RADVISION. "Extensive testing conducted by RADVISION and Avistar ensures a seamless customer experience, so now everyone can join the meeting, even if they're using room-based systems from a variety of different vendors."
Avistar C3 is available in two server and two client editions, scalable to any size of organization, from the small and medium sized business to global enterprises. It supports industry standard USB 2.0 webcams, Bluetooth headsets and VoIP speakerphones. Avistar C3 is priced per user and is available both as a fully outsourced hosted service (SaaS), as well as direct from Avistar and from Avistar-certified value-added resellers.
Avistar has been certified as being interoperable with RADVISION's SCOPIA MCU, and sees this new development as an expansion of the partnership agreement begun in June 2007, at which point Avistar and RADVISION entered into a patent cross-licensing agreement.
About Avistar Communications Corporation
Avistar creates technology that provides the missing critical element in unified communications: bringing people in organizations face-to-face, through enhanced communications, for true collaboration anytime, anyplace. Its latest product, Avistar C3, draws on over a decade of market experience to deliver a single-click desktop videoconferencing and collaboration experience that moves business communications into a new era. Available as a stand-alone solution, or integrated with existing unified communications software from other vendors, Avistar C3 users gain instant messaging-style ability to initiate video communications across and outside the enterprise. Patented bandwidth management enables thousands of users to access desktop videoconferencing, Voice over IP (VoIP) and streaming media without requiring substantial new network investment or impairing network performance.
Avistar's desktop videoconferencing and collaboration installations are among the world's largest, including more than 17,000 seats in more than 40 countries. Clients report as much as a 20 percent reduction in travel expense, 23 percent reduction in carbon emissions, 2.5 percent increase in productivity, and immeasurably improved relationship building within their organizations, as well as with suppliers and customers. Avistar holds a portfolio of 80 patents for inventions in video and network technology and licenses IP to videoconferencing, rich-media services, public networking and related industries. Current licensees include Sony Corporation, Polycom, Inc., Tandberg ASA, Radvision Ltd. and Emblaze-VCON.
For more information, visit http://www.avistar.com/. About RADVISION
RADVISION is the industry's leading provider of market-proven products and technologies for unified visual communications over IP, 3G and IMS networks. With its complete set of standards-based video networking infrastructure and developer toolkits for voice, video, data and wireless communications, RADVISION is driving the unified communications evolution by combining the power of video, voice, data and wireless -- for high definition video conferencing systems, innovative converged mobile services, and highly scalable video-enabled desktop platforms on IP, 3G and emerging next-generation IMS networks. For more information about RADVISION, visit http://www.radvision.com/.
Forward Looking Statements
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 RADVISION's filings with the Securities Exchange Commission, including RADVISION's Form 20-F Annual Report. These documents contain and identify other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements. Stockholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement.
