Taking videoconferencing mainstream

The ultimate collaborative machine - offering videoconferencing and PC capabilities in one - has been launched by PictureTel Corporation, the world leader in integration collaboration.

The complexity, reliability, management and information sharing obstacles that have kept videoconferencing from mass adoption in the corporate mainstream have been solved. This is thanks to the PictureTel 900 series, which is much more than a videoconferencing (VC) solution - it is also a fully functioning PC.

"The increasing complexity of the business environment, factored with time to market pressures and the resource shortages common across all industries, points to a critical requirement for companies to work together effectively across distances," says Glynis Hyslop, MD of Dimension Data`s Interactive Media division Videre, which represents PictureTel in South Africa.

"The new videoconferencing series helps create an entirely new working environment and satisfies a growing requirement to interact as intelligently as possible across distances," she says.

The PictureTel 900 systems are the first built on the iPower software and hardware architecture, co-developed by PictureTel and Intel. The iPower architecture combines Intel`s hardware and chip expertise with PictureTel`s videoconferencing capabilities.

The PictureTel 900 Series can be connected to Local and Wide Area Networks (LANs/WANs), or used to access the Internet. It can also be used when high quality communication tools are required, such as sales presentations, product development, and management meetings. This means greater utilisation, and a higher return on investment.

The system is further enhanced by the capabilities of ImageShare. Explaining how this works, Hyslop says: "You simply plug in your laptop, push ImageShare`s blue button and you are showing your data, your PowerPoint presentations, or any files from your PC to all meeting locations. No one but PictureTel can offer this."

Dr. Norman Gaut, chairman and CEO of PictureTel Corporation, says: "The PictureTel 900 Series represents more than a technology advance, it represents a human advance.

"The natural interaction capabilities delivered are compressing distances and driving greater productivity. As we have re-invented the user experience, we have taken aim at technology barriers. The PictureTel 900 Series shatters complexity, reliability, and management obstacles that compromise total productivity," he concludes.

The PictureTel 900 series:

The PictureTel 900 Series is designed to differentiate between people and information. When users are interacting "face-to-face", the systems transmit at the highest frame rate to optimise motion video quality. When a user elects to share content, the systems intelligently switch to a much higher resolution transmission that allows documents to be easily and clearly read. This unique feature is simply and appropriately named People+Content.

Sound quality on the PictureTel 900 Series is also far better than has previously been available. At 14kHz the PictureTel 900 Series offers twice the audio fidelity of any comparable solution, allowing participants to concentrate not just on hearing what has been said but on listening to the conversation itself - a particularly important consideration when videoconferences can involve several nationalities.

Unmatched reliability

PictureTel has developed Sure Connect and the patent-pending Network Optimizer technology in the PictureTel 900 Series. These innovative solutions mean that calls get through first time, connections are stable, and video quality is as high as possible even during network errors. Again, the result is that participants do not have to worry about the integrity of the technology. They can focus purely on the business at hand.

Reduced management time

The PictureTel 900 Series is easy to manage and monitor, and can be controlled simply though a standard web browser interface. IT departments can also monitor it remotely, using any SNMP station. The PictureTel 900 Series supports English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese, because in today`s world, business speaks many languages.

Available now

The PictureTel 900 Series is available today from PictureTel partners around the world. If you would like more information, please visit our website - www.picturetel.com.