Videophone eradicates gaps in conversation.
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Press Release Summary:
The mm745 videophone delivers TV-quality video links over Internet Protocol (IP) networks and supports data rates between 128 kbps and 2 Mbps. Unit includes 12 in. fold away screen, infrared keyboard, and mouse. It stores list of contacts with thumbnail images. Touch-screen buttons, allow user to call contacts' videophone, regular phone, mobile phone, or go to web site. System accesses the Web with existing LAN, WAN, or VPN. Browser sends and receives e-mails via internet-based accounts.
Original Press Release:
New Era for Communications - World's First 'Internet' Videophone Is Launched
One hundred and twenty six years after Alexander Graham Bell received the first telephone patent, his great grandson, Gilbert Grosvenor, today (4 December) made the first call on the phone of the 21st century.
Grosvenor is chairman of the National Geographic Society's Board of Trustees in Washington, USA, and former editor of National Geographic magazine. He took part in a transatlantic video link using the world's first desktop "internet" videophone developed by UK-based Motion Media. This product is set to revolutionise business communications, enabling companies to reduce unnecessary and expensive business travel as well as increase employee productivity.
With more processing power than a PC, the mm745 delivers TV-quality video links over Internet Protocol (IP) networks - a communications network based on Internet technology - which are being implemented by the world's leading corporate organisations to reduce overall communications costs. The videophone will initially support data rates of between 128kbps and 2Mbps, extending up to 10Mbps in the future. The mm745 is as easy to use as a standard telephone and comes with a 12" fold-away screen to allow natural video calls to take place, with the user sitting back in their chair rather than leaning forward into the phone.
Although the product is advanced, it is simple to operate. By touching or clicking on the phone book icon, users gain access to an unlimited phonebook stored on the system, online directories, such as those found on corporate intranets, and video and audio meeting services provided by third parties.
In addition to storing an IP address, the videophone enables thumbnail photos to be taken of personal contacts. The user sees an alphabetically sorted list of contacts. By each name there is a thumbnail image and a series of touch-screen buttons, allowing the user to call a contact's videophone, regular phone, mobile phone, or go to their web site.
The video quality of the mm745 is matched by superior quality hands-free audio, comparable to more expensive group conferencing systems.
The time taken to make a call is only ten seconds, which compares favourably to traditional 384kbps ISDN video conferences, where the typical call set up time is around 30 seconds. The product has also been developed to eradicate gaps in conversation, users speaking over each other and poor synchronisation of voice and lip movement, all common issues to be found in video communications systems.
The integral full web browsing facility enables users to simultaneously communicate face-to-face and access web information and personalised software. In addition to accessing the World Wide Web, the browser can also be used to send and receive emails via internet-based accounts. Each unit is supplied with an infra-red keyboard and mouse to maximise use of the browser function.
The key benefits of the web browser are to enhance communication, whether reserving a video conference with a conference service provider or simply making a call from a link on a web page.
Being IP based, the mm745 can be easily implemented and make video calls anywhere on an organisation's LAN, WAN or VPN. The videophone has been designed to be network friendly, using a variety of mechanisms to adjust its bandwidth consumption in line with that available. This ensures the call is maintained without causing inconvenience to others.
Users can make video calls with the mm745, either across the IP network or via an ISDN gateway.
For organizations with IP networks already installed, where there is sufficient bandwidth available, video calls via the mm745 can ride on the back of the local area or wide area network at no cost to the user. The mm745 can also be used over cable or DSL broadband networks featuring an Ethernet connection.
Phillips Infotech predicts 30% of PBX (Private Branch Exchange) line connections in in Europe will be IP based by 2004. According to Allied Business Intelligence, this equates to 10 million lines worldwide.
The mm745 is designed to replace the Voice over IP phone on the desks of senior executives and those with a need for enhanced communication.
Graham Brown, Managing Director at Motion Media, said: "The mm745 represents a major leap in video communications and makes the mass take up of the technology a realistic possibility.
"For the first time, users will benefit from the technology of high end videoconferencing equipment at a fraction of the cost - and it's on their desktops! No longer does video technology have to live solely in the conferencing room or the boardroom.
"No room has to be booked and no IT person has to be called upon to set up the technology - it's that simple.
"It will provide an ideal solution for organisations looking to reduce business travel, increase productivity of their employees, and enhance communications with customers, colleagues and suppliers."
Two models of the mm745 will be launched initially, retailing at £1,995 and £2,495 per unit respectively. The more expensive system will include the additional features of a touch screen, data rates to 2Mbps, and an in-built 3 port switch, which enables the videophone, a PC and a printer to connect to the network via a single cable.
Motion Media PLC (London Stock Exchange - MMD), is a world leader in the design and development of visual communications technology and products, providing innovative and practical solutions for business, healthcare, security and the home. The company provides a full range of affordable, easy-to-use products with outstanding video and audio quality, including desktop videophones, remote surveillance systems, telecare solutions and videocommunications technology for OEMs.
Motion Media's products are used in more than 40 different countries by businesses, government agencies, healthcare providers, the Deaf community, educational establishments and security and surveillance organisations.
Motion Media, headquartered at Aust near Bristol, UK, was founded in 1993. The Company opened offices in Wilmington, North Carolina in early 2001 to serve the Americas markets. Major customers and development partners include BT, Orange, Vodafone, Ericsson, Cadbury-Schweppes, Sprint, Fox News Network, ALLTEL, ADI and the U.S. Veterans Administration, as well as other major organisations around the world.
About Motion Media's partners
Support Technologies from partners include:
- Equator Technologies' which has provided high performance, programmable and power-efficient BSP(TM) family of chips, to enable video quality to be taken to a new level;
- Wind River, which has provided the VxWorks real time operating system;
- Motorola's PowerPC ISA-based POWERQUICC(TM) communications processors;
- An Espial Escape browser, for corporate directories, meeting services, mail retrieval and regular web browsing. It is enabled to run Java applications, allowing integrators to tailor the product to meet specific business needs.
