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 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. possible for multiple participants on a single call. The company also announced release 2.0 of its Vistium Personal Video Software. AT&T WorldWorx Personal Conferencing Service was demonstrated among locations 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. , San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , and at the Enterprise Computing Refers to information technology in the larger company. See enterprise data and enterprise networking. 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 data conferencing Sharing data interactively among several users in different locations. Data conferencing is made up of whiteboards and application sharing and are often used in conjunction with an audio or videoconferencing connection. 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 The ability to share the same data resource with multiple applications or users. It implies that the data are stored in one or more servers in the network and that there is some software locking mechanism that prevents the same set of data from being changed by two people at the same time. ." 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 Verb 1. confer with - get or ask advice from; "Consult your local broker"; "They had to consult before arriving at a decision" consult ask, enquire, inquire - inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times" 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 in·di·vid·u·al·ize tr.v. in·di·vid·u·al·ized, in·di·vid·u·al·iz·ing, in·di·vid·u·al·iz·es 1. To give individuality to. 2. To consider or treat individually; particularize. 3. . 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 Refers to users working on their own computers rather than a terminal to a mainframe. Sometimes, the term refers to using computers at home for work and/or entertainment in contrast to business use only. See personal computer. 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 General Board of Church and Society (United Methodist Church) GBCS Ground Based Common Sensor GBCS Green Bay Christian School (Green Bay, WI) GBCS Global Business Communications Services ), 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 (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) , 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 word processing, use of a computer program or a dedicated hardware and software package to write, edit, format, and print a document. Text is most commonly entered using a keyboard similar to a typewriter's, although handwritten input (see pen-based computer) and , 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 (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. 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 ISDN in full Integrated Services Digital Network Digital telecommunications network that operates over standard copper telephone wires or other media. 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) |
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