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AT&T OFFERS FIRST MULTIPOINT VOICE, VIDEO AND DATA SERVICE; AT&T WorldWorx(TM) Network Services Together With AT&T GIS' Vistium(TM) Products Provides PC Users Complete End-to-End Desktop Collaboration and Videoconferencing Capabilities.


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 1995--AT&T today announced commercial availability of the world's first service to make real-time voice, video and data communications possible for multiple participants on a single call. The company also announced release 2.0 of its Vistium Personal Video Software.

AT&T WorldWorx A multimedia network service from AT&T that provides point-to-point and multipoint connections between remote videoconferencing stations. Personal Conferencing Service was demonstrated among locations in New York City, San Francisco, and at the Enterprise Computing trade show in Chicago. The service is available now to AT&T WorldWorx subscribers who use personal computers equipped with the AT&T Vistium Personal Conferencing System and the new Vistium Personal Video Software. The addition of the new multipoint Refers to a communications line (network) that provides a path from one location to many. A cellphone is an example of a multipoint system. See multipoint line. Contrast with point-to-point. data conferencing capabilities expands the wide range of digital network and bridging services AT&T currently offers for multipoint voice and video calls among desktop and room-based videoconferencing systems, and for point-to-point voice, video and data calls.

"Today, AT&T adds another milestone to its history of providing customers with the best communication services possible," said Ernie DeNigris, vice president of AT&T WorldWorx Network Services. "The addition of multipoint data capability to our current service line, which includes point-to-point and room systems, helps users collaborate across their companies and communicate with their customers and suppliers. Real-time multimedia communication-- backed by AT&T's quality, reliability and customer service--is a valuable tool to help businesses save time and money, and work smarter. Beginning today, collaborative desktop conferencing See videoconferencing and data conferencing. becomes a reality with the availability of multipoint data sharing."

With real-time videoconferencing and data collaboration See data conferencing., customers in such areas as education, design, communication arts, medicine, manufacturing, sales, customer service and numerous others can reduce their travel costs and time; make quick group decisions that increase productivity; and interact as if they were in the same room. Some examples of applications are:

o Lawyers in a company's legal department can confer with

retained counsel in another state, review exhibits, attend

depositions and edit briefs and motions.

o Auto dealers learning about new products, services and packages

can receive training that is convenient and consistent, yet

individualized.

o Software developers who work from their homes can collaborate

with office colleagues on new products, saving time and costly errors

in a fast-moving market.

"The personal computer has moved from a personal productivity tool to become a powerful communications tool," said Rob Howe, vice president for WorldWide PC Marketing, AT&T Global Information Solutions (GIS). "Our customers have eagerly looked forward to expanding the personal computing and communications capabilities of our award-winning Globalyst line of PCs through enhancements to AT&T's world-class network services. Now, WorldWorx and GIS have tapped the core competencies of many parts of AT&T to significantly expand that power to include full multipoint voice, video and data collaboration capabilities."

WorldWorx multipoint capability is available today for customers who purchase AT&T Vistium 2.0, and a software upgrade is being offered to current Vistium customers. As the market develops and other companies provide H.320 and T.120-compliant endpoint products in the coming months, AT&T will extend multipoint capability to provide interoperability between various types of endpoints.

AT&T WorldWorx Personal Conferencing Service will provide interoperability across a variety of endpoint products through the use of the International Telecommunications Union's H.320 videoconferencing standard, which makes real-time audio and video communication possible among different kinds of videoconferencing devices. In addition, WorldWorx provides document and data sharing features based on the ITU's T.120 specification for data collaboration.

AT&T's Multipoint Control Unit See MCU., offered by AT&T Global Business Communications Systems (GBCS GBCS - Global Business Communications Services
GBCS - Global Business Communications System
GBCS - Green Bay Christian School (Green Bay, WI)
GBCS - Ground Base Common Sensor
), is a key component of WorldWorx Personal Conferencing Service. Compatible with H.320 and T.120 endpoints, the AT&T Multipoint Control Unit has been integrated into the networking infrastructure to provide unique WorldWorx features and functionality.

In addition to AT&T GIS, which offers Vistium, WorldWorx partners such as Apple, IBM, Intel and Sun will be providing compatible endpoint products and workgroup software next year. Using WorldWorx, customers on many platforms will be able to take advantage of a wide variety of collaborative desktop applications, including whiteboarding, word processing, presentations and spreadsheets.

WorldWorx Personal Conferencing Service will be subscription-based, with highly flexible pricing and billing options (see attached pricing sheet). The service will include a variety of enhanced features for security and participant identification; for example, network-based electronic "business cards" will allow identification of all parties at all times during the call, and can be exchanged and retained for later use.

The service can accommodate six simultaneous users initially, and up to 24 in the coming months; an additional voice-only participant can join in as well. Subscribers will simply make a reservation for a multipoint voice, video and data call, and their PCs will ring at the designated time. AT&T Customer Care will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For customers seeking to easily connect and integrate these systems into their existing communications networks, AT&T offers a range of professional services to design, engineer and implement integrated voice/video/data networks. AT&T also offers extensive endpoint and connectivity options, including its full line of Globalyst computers and its Definity(R) Communications System (GBCS' private branch exchange), which includes the Definity MultiMedia Link and ISDN basic rate interfaces. Other options include the Acculink(TM) Bandwidth Controller line of multiplexors.

For more information, customers can contact an AT&T sales representative or call the Customer Care Center at 1-800-828-WORX to talk with a service consultant. More information is also available from the new WorldWorx' World Wide Web site on the Internet at [http://www.att.com/worldworx].

AT&T is the world's networking leader, providing communications services and products, as well as network equipment and computer systems, to businesses, consumers, telecommunications services providers and government agencies.

CONTACT: Steven Plavny

908-658-5084 (Office)

610-867-4965 (Home)

plavny@attmail.com (Email)

or

Kevin Compton

408-452-3966 (Office)

408-353-3883 (Home)

kcompton@attmail.com (Email)

or

Jim Lowell, AT&T GIS

513-445-4984 (Office)

513-748-9816 (Home)

jim.lowell@daytonoh.attgis.com (Email)
COPYRIGHT 1995 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1995, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jul 26, 1995
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