AT&T to refer customers to Intel and PictureTel for desktop videoconferencing products

Business Wire, Dec 12, 1995

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 1995--AT&T today announced it is making customer referral arrangements with multiple providers of desktop videoconferencing equipment, beginning with Intel and PictureTel(R) Corporation, to give customers more options for desktop video solutions.

In addition, AT&T has created a trade-in program with PictureTel and Intel that allows customers to replace existing AT&T Vistium(tm) Personal Video Systems with selected PictureTel or Intel desktop systems. Recently AT&T announced it will no longer market its Vistium systems.

"By adopting this new multivendor strategy, AT&T is focusing on providing customers with extensive professional services," said Dean Harvey, general manager of visual communications, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems. "These services can range from design support through complete management and implementation of the multi-vendor visual communications solution. AT&T GBCS will even act as a single point of contact for other vendor products and services during the provisioning and on-going phases of the project. All of this provides the customer with the comfort and security that the job will be done right."

As part of its multivendor strategy, AT&T will support various desktop videoconferencing products, beginning with the Intel ProShare(tm) Video System 200 and the PictureTel LIVE(tm) PCS 50, PCS 100, and PCS 200.

All of these products provide video, application document sharing, annotation, whiteboard, ISDN connections, and a Windows-based user interface. More importantly, they all support the international standard, referred to as ITU-T H.320, for videoconferencing. Users can mix and match desktop systems with other standards-based video endpoints in the same conference.

Both PictureTel and Intel have committed to support T.120 data sharing standards, assuring complete interoperability for point-to-point and multipoint data sharing.

The AT&T DEFINITY(R) Enterprise Communications Server resides at the heart of the AT&T family of connectivity solutions, which includes the AT&T MultiPoint Control Unit, Conference Reservation System and DEFINITY MultiMedia Link. These products provide customers with a reliable infrastructure for videoconferencing, along with on-going systems management and maintenance through the company's professional services offerings.

For more information on AT&T's complete line of video networking products, reservations systems and group video systems, as well as the Vistium trade-in program, customers can call 1-800-VIDEO-GO, which connects them with AT&T's Video Technical Center in Denver. The center provides a range of professional services, including video, data and telephony design and project management of complex, multi-location, multi-vendor video systems.

AT&T Global Business Communications Systems designs, manufactures, sells and services a complete line of customer-premises communications, video, voice processing and computer-telephone integration systems for business customers globally. By the end of 1996, it will be part of a new communications systems and technology company. Bell Laboratories will continue to be the research and development engine for the company. -0- For more information on AT&T's video products, call 800-VIDEO-GO.

For more information on Intel's ProShare products, call 800-538-3373 or visit Intel's World Wide Web page at http://www.intel.com/comm.net/proshare/index.html.>For more information on PictureTel's products, call Kevin Flanagan, 508-762-5178, or email: flanagank@pictel.com.

CONTACT: AT&T

Nancy Culton

908-953-7527 (office)

908-234-9416 (home)

nculton@attmail.com (email)