Global IP Sound Releases New Software Modules to Enhance Audio Quality of Internet Calls.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Spring VON 2004

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2004

GIPS Voice Enhancement Solutions Help Software Developers

Create High-Quality Soft Phone Applications

Global IP Sound, the leading provider of embedded voice-processing technologies, today released GIPS Voice Enhancement Solutions, a set of modules for developers of software applications for real-time communications over the Internet. The modules include functionality to add comfort noise during silence and automatically adjust audio levels to achieve a consistent and comfortable listening experience during Voice over IP (VoIP) conversations.

GIPS Voice Enhancement modules can be used separately, or as a part of GIPS VoiceEngine, a software framework designed to handle all voice-related tasks for VoIP soft clients in PC or PDA environments. When combined with GIPS VoiceEngine and GIPS ConferenceEngine, which is being demonstrated this week in Global IP Sound's booth (Booth #202) at the Voice on the Net (VON) Spring 2004 Conference (March 29 - April 1) in Santa Clara, Calif., developers can be confident that they are building a soft client application with the best possible voice quality for real-time communications over the Internet.

"There are so many variables that can affect the quality of a call, from the inherent nature of the network infrastructure to a user's computer and the environment in which it is used," said Gary Hermansen, president and CEO of Global IP Sound. "Finding solutions to address those variables is Global IP Sound's mission. These Voice Enhancement modules are the most recent example of GIPS solutions to facilitate real-time communications for VoIP calls."

GIPS Voice Enhancement Solutions include Voice Activity Detector (VAD), Discontinuous Transmission (DTX) and Comfort Noise Generator (CNG) modules. The VAD classifies every frame as active speech frame or non-active speech frame. Non-active frames are passed to the comfort noise encoder that encodes the parameters of the background noise. The DTX defines the packet size and packet interval for the background noise parameters to obtain a decrease in bit rate. On the receiving side, the CNG decoder analyzes the background noise parameters and generates a comfort noise signal. Collectively the modules makes it possible to maintain a high perceived sound quality while reducing the average transmitted data rate during silent periods of speech. The VAD can operate in several modes depending on the usage scenario.

The Solutions also include GIPS Automatic Gain Control (AGC), an algorithm that automatically adjusts audio signal levels to achieve consistent and comfortable volume. This helps to minimize signal clipping or low signal levels caused by inconsistent audio settings, equipment type and surroundings. GIPS AGC operates in two modes: a pure digital or a combined analog and digital mode. The digital mode can be used in conferencing applications, audio mixing and speakerphones where analog signal level cannot be adjusted and where very quick adaptations are sometimes necessary. In edge devices where the analog signal level can be adjusted, such as in soft clients, Global IP Sound's combined analog and digital mode AGC can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal and prevent audio clipping. To prevent background noise from increasing during the absence of speech, GIPS AGC also includes sophisticated methods to ensure that the gain is adjusted only when speech is present in the input signal.

About VoiceEngine

GIPS VoiceEngine is a software plug-in designed to handle all voice-related tasks for VoIP soft clients in PC or PDA environments. The framework is an easy-to-implement solution for improved voice quality in any soft-client application, using the technology already integrated into products from leading Internet communications companies, such as Nortel, Skype and WebEx. GIPS VoiceEngine simplifies the integration of speech codecs, communication with sound cards, real-time performance, RTP protocol handling and other voice-related tasks to deliver superior quality and minimal latency for real-time communications over the Internet. A fully customizable voice processing plug-in, GIPS VoiceEngine is compatible with all IP telephony standards (G.711, SIP, H.323, etc.) allowing manufacturers to quickly and easily integrate both standard and customer-specific codecs. The flexibility of the framework also allows developers to leverage design and resource investments across a family of products across computer and PDA platforms (Windows, Linux, MAC, and Pocket PC).

About ConferenceEngine

GIPS ConferenceEngine seamlessly mixes wideband and narrowband audio as well as truly mixes several audio streams to accommodate any number of lines over a conference bridge. The number of callers is only limited to the capacity of the server. The conferencing plug-in is an open and flexible tool which can be ported to the manufacturer's operating system of choice -- Windows 2000/XP, Solaris or Linux. It also offers a large set of control functionality to allow for individual codec settings and the ability to set volume and mute manually for every channel. The plug-in also provides interfaces to support the integration of 3rd party encryption algorithms for secure calling.

About Global IP Sound

Global IP Sound develops embedded voice processing technologies for real-time communications on packet networks. GIPS SoundWare(TM) provides better than PSTN voice quality and fidelity in end-to-end IP communications with robustness against packet loss, even in degraded networks. Global IP Sound's world-renowned speech processing and IP telephony experts deliver these solutions to applications developers and chip, board and gateway manufacturers. Companies using GIPS SoundWare products include Nortel Networks, WebEx, Marratech, Skype and other key players in the VoIP market. Global IP Sound is a member of the Intel(R) PCA Developer Network, the Motorola Design Alliance, and Texas Instruments' third party developer network. Global IP Sound has headquarters in Stockholm and San Francisco. More information is available at www.globalipsound.com.

Global IP Sound, GIPS, SoundWare, VoiceEngine, NetEQ, iPCM-wb, Enhanced G.711, and associated design marks and logos are trademarks owned or used under license by Global IP Sound Inc., and may be registered in the United States and other countries.