Incite System Enhancements redefine Computer Telephone Integration; Upgrades to Conversational Media system extend PBX capabilities and enhance video communications.

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 1996--Just weeks after rolling out its new networked multimedia technology, Incite Tuesday announced a powerful upgrade of its Conversational Media(TM) system.

The upgrade includes new software and hardware additions that more tightly integrate Incite's technology with private branch exchanges (PBXs) and expand desktop video capabilities to provide completely integrated multimedia communications.

Chief among the new enhancements is an integrated network interface card which enables multimedia telephony capabilities, a suite of desktop video enhancements, Internet integration and an E-1 hub for system deployment outside the United States. Conversational Media's new features expand the traditional concepts of computer telephone integration beyond voice and data mingling to fully collaborative, real-time multimedia communications.

"The Conversational Media system offers a marriage of multimedia capabilities that simply can not be found anywhere else at any price," said David Tucker, Incite's general manager. "Businesses, educational institutions and other potential users no longer have to settle for a piecemeal approach to multimedia communications. Incite offers a technology that combines the best attributes of voice and data networks, adds superior quality collaborative video and makes these capabilities available throughout the network."

Conversational Media is the industry's first network platform to merge PBX-quality voice, MPEG and H.320 video, and T.120 collaborative data at the desktop. Leveraging the marriage of Ethernet and integrated services digital network (ISDN), Conversational Media offers a standards-based architecture deployable in virtually any local area network (LAN) or PBX environment with minimal alterations necessary to a legacy infrastructure.

By integrating the Conversational Media system with an existing PBX via primary rate interface (PRI) ISDN lines, the phone system can support conventional voice services as well as H.320 video and collaborative data calls. The user now can use only one telephone to manage voice, video and data collaboration.

A desktop PC's sound system also can be used instead of the PBX phone to access the ISDN channels to place and receive calls with data sharing capabilities, allowing for quality collaborative sessions without video.

Other enhancements that are part of this new computer telephony offering include:

-- inclusion of audio-only callers into a video conference;

-- voice mail to record the audio portion of a video call;

-- ability to integrate with exiting call centers to provide

video call routing for kiosks and video callers;

-- call transfer for video calls;

-- call hold for video calls in which the holding party receives a

video message;

-- call waiting for video calls, allowing a single user to

handle up to 10 calls from a single desktop computer; and

-- do not disturb functions.

"While others in the industry seem to be waiting around for the evolution of other technologies to enable complete multimedia communications, Incite has developed a product that provides those capabilities today," said Peter Bernstein, a prominent technology analyst and consultant with Ramsey, N.J.-based Infonautics Consulting Inc. "This is virtually the only networked multimedia alternative with the proper price/performance characteristics."

In conjunction with the PBX integration, the Conversational Media upgrade also includes sophisticated enhancements for desktop video, including:

-- 15-party video conferencing capabilities from each desktop,

with the host user managing the video stream viewed by other

participants. This provides basic video conferencing functions

without the expense of an external multipoint control unit 

(MCU);

-- distribution of broadcast TV and videotaped images over ISDN

to as many as 16 users per source;

-- Motion Picture Experts Groups (MPEG) video file playback via

ISDN from video sources anywhere in the world; and

-- desktop bonding or inverse video multiplexing to allow all

users access to higher bandwidth calls for video and data

collaboration without the expense of a separate inverse

multiplexing system.

With Conversational Media's standard feature Internet interface capabilities, a web browser can be used to select a video service and set up an ISDN video session, providing high quality access to H.320 users, video sources and MPEG files.

This marries the ISDN network with the Internet to deliver superior video and voice service. Organizations also can place video directories on home pages to allow users to make video calls without having to know the person's phone number.

Incite, based in Dallas, has designed and developed the industry's first true voice, video and data network platform deployable in LAN and PBX environments. Incite's modular network system is the first technology to converge all media and services on the desktop.

Incite's standards-based technology offers the most comprehensive and cost-effective multimedia communications capabilities available. Incite is a division of Dallas-based Intecom, a premier supplier of telecommunications technology, and Matra Hachette, based in Paris.

CONTACT: Incite, Dallas

David Tucker, 214/447-8565

Jerrie Rea, 214/447-8822

or

MCCommunications Inc., Dallas

Mike Crawford, 214/480-8383