Bob Metcalfe Joins Avistar Communications Corporation Board of Directors; Video Communications Company Adds Networking Expertise.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2000

Avistar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:AVSR), the enterprise video company, today announced that Bob Metcalfe -- 3Com founder, Ethernet inventor and InfoWorld pundit -- has joined its board of directors.

"We're very fortunate to have Bob Metcalfe join Avistar's board of directors," said Jerry Burnett, CEO of Avistar Communications. "His experience with the development of data networking, along with the breadth of his business background at 3Com and elsewhere, make Bob an invaluable addition to our board."

Bob Metcalfe said, "Jerry Burnett and his Avistar team are delivering the next big networking thing, video communications. Their market opportunities and technical approach are exciting. I am enthusiastic about pitching in."

Dr. Robert M. Metcalfe invented Ethernet at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 1973. Bob founded 3Com Corporation in 1979. He has been a publisher and pundit at the International Data Group since 1992. He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering and is a recipient of the Medal of Honor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He serves on the boards of IDG, International Data Corporation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and MIT's MediaLabEurope.

Avistar provides the Avistar VOS(TM) video operating system and platform of networked video products which deliver high-quality, interactive video calling, content creation and publishing, broadcast origination, video-on-demand and integrated data sharing. From an Avistar-enabled desktop, colleagues, clients and suppliers can interact by video, with the spontaneity and reliability of making a telephone call and the impact of a face-to-face meeting. The Avistar VOS video operating system and infrastructure are designed to enable companies to rapidly deploy a variety of video services and data collaboration applications both at individual desktops and in conference rooms across the world.

Avistar Communications Corporation

Avistar develops, markets and supports video-enabled communications networks, which are helping transform how people collaborate. The Avistar product line includes a seamless, integrated suite of video and data collaboration applications, all managed by the Avistar VOS(TM) video operating system. From a desktop, the system delivers high quality interactive video calling, content creation and publishing, broadcast video, video-on-demand, and integrated data sharing. Based on an open software platform and leveraging video, telephony and Internet networking standards, the Avistar network is scalable, reliable, cost effective, easy to use and designed to evolve with changing technologies.

Avistar Communications Corporation is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, with offices in New York, Dallas and London. Avistar Systems, Inc. and Collaboration Properties, Inc. are wholly owned subsidiaries of Avistar Communications Corporation. Collaboration Properties develops and holds patents on a wide range of networked video software and hardware. For more information on Avistar, visit www.avistar.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements concerning the future of networked video communications. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including such factors, among others, as the impact of competitive products and pricing, the timely development and market acceptance of new products, the ability to raise capital, the mix between domestic and international sales, manufacturing and cost of Avistar's products, dependence on collaborative partners, the enforcement of intellectual property rights, and uncertainties relating to sole source suppliers, production efficiencies and technological approaches. Additional risk factors are discussed in Avistar's Registration Statement on Form S-1 and the Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 1, 2000. Avistar disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Note to Editors: Avistar, Avistar VOS, the Avistar logo, and Avistar Systems are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avistar Communications Corporation. All other names used are the trademarks of their respective owners.