8x8 Expands ViaTV Videophone Distribution to Computer Superstores and Telephone Speciality Retailers; CompUSA, CompuSmart, Telephone Booth Carry 8x8's Videophone.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 1997--8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :EGHT) today announced that computer superstore retailers CompUSA, CompuSmart and DataVision Computer Video will sell 8x8's ViaTV Videophone (1) (VideoPhone) A line of videophones (definition #1 below) from AT&T that were introduced in the early 1990s and later pulled off the market due to poor sales. The first models came with a price tag above $1,000, and a pair were needed. See Picturephone. . The ViaTV Videophone will also be carried by specialty communications retailer The Telephone Booth and by catalog retailers Damark and Global DirectMail Corp. The ViaTV Videophone combines a TV and a touch-tone telephone to provide a complete video conferencing See videoconferencing. (communications) video conferencing - A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. solution. Because it uses standard telephone lines instead of the special digital lines required by traditional video conferencing systems, ViaTV makes video communications as easy and inexpensive as making a regular phone call. "The availability of ViaTV at CompUSA underscores its appeal as a complement to computer-based video conferencing and video communications," said Chris McNiffe, 8x8's vice president of sales and marketing. "By providing a video communication solution that is simple to use and requires no special telephone lines, ViaTV is bringing the power of video communication to consumers and small business owners everywhere." "Availability of ViaTV at CompuSmart and The Telephone Booth in Quebec represents another important landmark for 8x8," continued McNiffe. "The ViaTV Videophone has now received all regulatory approvals required for sale and use in Canada. This event reinforces our commitment to seek regulatory approval for ViaTV in other countries as we work to bring video communication to people around the world, all via standard telephone lines." With 134 stores, CompUSA is the largest computer superstore retailer in the U.S. The ViaTV Videophone is available in all CompUSA stores immediately. The Telephone Booth and CompuSmart are units of Hartco, Canada's largest franchiser of computer resellers, integrators and retailers with locations strategically located across that country. There are 23 Telephone Booth specialty shops and 11 CompuSmart computer superstores. Hartco plans to make ViaTV available in CompuSmart and The Telephone Booth in mid-September. DataVision Computer Video is located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . This retail location is also home for The Apple Shop, a Sony Interactive Showroom, Desktop and The CyberBar Internet cafe The high-tech equivalent of the coffee house. However, instead of playing chess or having heated political discussions, you browse the Internet and discuss the latest technology. CDs, DVDs, games and other "cyber stuff" are also generally available. . DataVision also plans to make the ViaTV Videophone available in September. Catalog retailer Damark plans to include the ViaTV Videophone in its Fall 1997 catalog. Damark's customer list includes more than 12 million names, and it markets thousands of quality products through more than 145 million catalog copies annually. Global DirectMail Corp. expects to include the ViaTV Videophone in catalogs targeted at computer, data communications data communications, application of telecommunications technology to the problem of transmitting data, especially to, from, or between computers. In popular usage, it is said that data communications make it possible for one computer to "talk" with another. and portable computing applications beginning in September 1997. Global is a leading direct marketer of brand-name and private label computer, office and industrial supplies in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and Europe, offering a broad spectrum of business products to mid- and large-sized corporate and small office/home office See SOHO. customers. In addition, the ViaTV Videophone is available at Staples office supply stores nationwide, Frys Electronics in California, Communications Expo in Texas, J&R Computer World in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , and selected GTE GTE General Telephone & Electronics GTE Génie Thermique et Énergie (French) GTE Gas Turbine Engine GTE Global Tropospheric Experiment GTE Geothermal Energy GTE Gas Turbine Efficiency plc (Sweden & USA) Phone Marts. Catalog retailers Hammacher Schlemmer, Sharper Image, MicroWarehouse, and Hello Direct also sell ViaTV Videophones. About ViaTV Videophone Priced at about $499 per unit (estimated street price), a pair of ViaTV Videophones represents an investment of only $1000. Because the ViaTV Phone does not require special telephone lines or a personal computer, it will allow virtually anyone in the U.S. and now Canada to take advantage of the expanded communications capability that visual communication provides. ViaTV Phone uses a standard television set and touch-tone telephone to provide a complete video phone solution. Since ViaTV utilizes a standard telephone line, local or long distance video phone calls cost no more than regular audio calls. No monthly service or subscription fees are required. ViaTV Phone is compatible with the H.324 standard for POTS video telephony See videophone. , which allows ViaTV Phone to interoperate with other H.324 compatible video phones, including Intel's Video Phone with ProShare technology. The ViaTV Phone has many features that enhance its utility, including electronic pan/tilt/zoom camera controls, snapshot, caller ID, auto-answer capability, scaleable video quality, the ability to display both local and remote views simultaneously, and a simple, menu-driven user interface. About 8x8 8x8, Inc. is a manufacturer of video conferencing systems, semiconductors and software. 8x8 is headquartered in Santa Clara, California Santa Clara, California (IPA: /ˌsæntəˈklærə/) , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. . For more information on ordering a ViaTV, call 8x8 toll free at 888/VIEW8x8 or visit 8x8's Web site at http://www.8x8.com . -0- Note to Editors: 8x8, the 8x8 logo and ViaTV are trademarks of 8x8, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CONTACT: 8x8, Inc. Scott St. Clair, 408/727-1885 scottsc@8x8.com or Technology Solutions Inc. Donna Austi, 212/320-2288 dausti@tsipr.com |
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