Videoconferencing moving from novelty to necessity according to new market study.TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 1997--Forward Concepts Tuesday announced availability of its newest market research report, "Teleconferencing Markets and Strategies: from Novelty to Necessity." The report, which is the firm's third annual teleconferencing study, is an in-depth analysis of the computer and communications technologies impacting the videoconferencing A real time video session between two or more users or between two or more locations. Although the first videoconferencing was done with traditional analog TV and satellites, inhouse room systems became popular in the early 1980s after Compression Labs pioneered digitized video systems industry and the product directions being taken by desktop, group, and stand-alone system vendors. The study concludes that the market is being shaped by the broad acceptance of videoconferencing standards Following are the primary standards used with videoconferencing. See videoconferencing. Videophone Directory H.350 is the ITU standard for a videophone directory. See H.350. Session Initiation for Dial-Up Networks and T1 H. for all circuit-switched and packet-based networks, reductions in price, improvements in performance, and widening channels of distribution. The analysis is based on a survey of end users, IC manufacturers, VARs, and board, software and system vendors. The report forecasts that the worldwide videoconferencing equipment industry will grow at an annualized annualized Of or relating to a variable that has been mathematically converted to a yearly rate. Inflation and interest rates are generally annualized since it is on this basis that these two variables are ordinarily stated and compared. rate of 40% from over $1 billion in 1996 to over $5 billion by the year 2001. The analysis segments the overall market into four major equipment categories: -0- 1) Desktop videoconferencing systems (PC-based), where Intel is now the unit market leader. 2) Group videoconferencing systems (conference rooms and rollabouts), where PictureTel is the market leader in both units and dollars. 3) Stand-alone systems (videophones and TV set-top boxes), a virtually new product category. 4) Network components (multipoint control units, gateways, and multimedia conferencing servers), where VideoServer is the current market leader. One sign of videoconferencing market maturity is the emergence of several distinct technologies and customer applications overlaid on these four product categories. While the current market is dominated by H.320 (for ISDN ISDN in full Integrated Services Digital Network Digital telecommunications network that operates over standard copper telephone wires or other media. ), Forward Concepts concludes that H.323 (for IP LANs) and H.324 (for the plain old telephone system, or POTS) will dominate the unit market within 18 months. H.323-compliant products will play a major role in the corporate market and the report predicts that H.323-protocol components will become standard in commercial operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. within three years. H.324 targets mobile and home users, and is moving into computer OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and channels during 1997. New in 1997 is the emergence of a significant professional/consumer (prosumer (PROfessional conSUMER) A person who is very knowledgeable about a subject and likes to purchase high-quality equipment. For example, many digital cameras fall into the prosumer category. ) segment. Prosumer videoconferencing is being driven by H.324 add-on kits and OEM software solutions for the PC market. The report predicts that by 1998 the consumer market will also see significant shipments of new H.324-compliant stand-alone videophones and TV set-top boxes. The report also discusses the impact of the Internet and emerging broadband communications technologies on videoconferencing. Within three years, Forward Concepts expects a growing portion of the market to be using two-way cable modems over HFC 1. (networking) HFC - Hybrid Fiber Coax. 2. (hardware) HFC - hydrofluorocarbon. or xDSL modems over twisted pair A thin-diameter wire (22 to 26 gauge) commonly used for telephone and network cabling. The wires are twisted around each other to minimize interference from other twisted pairs in the cable (Alexander Graham Bell invented this and was awarded a patent for it in 1881). copper as a videoconferencing pipeline. With the adoption of H.323, the study concludes that the Internet will also become a major backbone for many video communicators. In addition to updating and expansion of the previous edition, the 1997 report includes a new Volume II, "Desktop Videoconferencing Using a PC or Mac for a videophone session or videoconference. Contrast with a "room videoconferencing system" where a group of participants congregate in one room. See videoconferencing. Product Guide." This supplement is an exhaustive compilation of information on over 150 desktop videoconferencing products from 78 companies. Product coverage includes key specifications and pricing along with manufacturer's contacts and distribution, support and warranty policies. The product guide covers systems based on H.320, H.324 and H.323 standards as well as proprietary offerings. Add-on kits, cameras and set-top boxes designed for videoconferencing are covered along with turnkey systems. Designed for use by product planners, technology evaluators, systems integrators and service providers of all kinds, this valuable resource adds to the utility of the study. Forward Concepts is considered the premiere market research firm specializing in markets driven by digital signal processing See DSP. Digital Signal Processing - (DSP) Computer manipulation of analog signals (commonly sound or image) which have been converted to digital form (sampled). (DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive ) technology, and is considered a top authority on videoconferencing markets and trends. "Teleconferencing Markets and Strategies: from Novelty to Necessity" is available as a two-volume set for $3,295.00. Volume I, "Technology and Market Forecast," is available separately for $2,750.00. Volume II, "Desktop Videoconferencing Product Guide," is also available separately for $995. A brochure is available from Forward Concepts, 1575 W. University Dr. No. 111, Tempe, AZ 85281, Tel: 602/968-3759, Fax: 602/968-7145, e-mail: dvc@fwdconcepts.com . Further details are available on-line at the company's web site: http://www.fwdconcepts.com . CONTACT: Forward Concepts, Tempe Will Strauss, 602/968-3759 |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion