Intel and Dialogic Subsidiary Bolster Movement to Open Computer Telephony - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Nov 22, 1999

Intel Corporation Monday announced a series of steps designed to accelerate industry movement toward open computer telephony (CT) systems by simplifying CT software development.

These actions include the acquisition of Parity Software Development Corporation and equity investments in two companies through the Intel Communications Fund. In addition, Intel has signed a letter of intent with Artisoft, Inc. stating the two companies intend to work together on several CT-related projects.

Intel Monday announced it has acquired Parity Software Development Corporation, a privately held developer of advanced computer telephony infrastructure software. The acquisition provides Intel with "object-oriented" CT software technology. Developing CT applications using object-oriented software can reduce time-to-market schedules and costs for application developers, system integrators, tool providers, and resellers.

Object-oriented technology is a well-known method of organizing software in a way that hides its complexity, making it easier for developers to understand and design applications. Intel intends to use Parity Software's technology and expertise to define an object-oriented infrastructure that will simplify and further standardize the way developers utilize computer telephony capabilities, boosting Intel's efforts to accelerate the widespread adoption of computer telephony technology.

Founded in 1989, Sausalito, Calif.-based Parity will be integrated into Intel's Dialogic subsidiary. Dialogic, acquired by Intel in July, is the leading supplier of a variety of award winning computer telephony hardware and software products used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), application developers and communication service providers.

In a related action, Intel made its first equity investments in companies developing solutions based on the CT Media software platform. MediaSoft Telecom, Inc. and PRIMA, Inc. have each received equity investments from the Intel Communications Fund.

The $200 million Intel Communications Fund was created Sept. 1 to invest in companies supporting Intel's key programs and initiatives in voice and data communications. The fund, which makes minority equity investments of typically less than $10 million, is initially focused on investments in companies developing solutions based on CT Media, as well as on Intel's Internet Exchange (IX) Architecture. The fund is managed and controlled by Intel.

CT Media is an open software platform for designing standards-based telecommunication servers that support computer telephony applications such as messaging, fax, automatic call distribution and other applications from different vendors. Intel and its Dialogic subsidiary are committed to making the CT Media platform the centerpiece for enabling next generation converged voice and data Internet solutions.

Montreal-based MediaSoft is a computer telephony and Internet software manufacturer. The company provides software development tools and runtime platforms to rapidly build, run and manage medium to large-scale Web-based computer telephony solutions. MediaSoft's products are used in PC-based PBXs, "enhanced services," call centers and unified messaging solutions integrating voice, fax, Web and multimedia technologies.

PRIMA, also with headquarters in Montreal, develops software that allows organizations to integrate telephony technologies with e-commerce customer service applications in large-scale environments. The company's suite of software products includes interactive voice processing, unified messaging, computer telephony integration, voice recognition and other computer telephony functions. Both PRIMA and MediaSoft will optimize their software products to operate with CT Media.

Finally, Intel has announced it has signed a letter of intent with Artisoft, Inc. Terms of the letter of intent call for Intel to acquire rights to Artisoft's widely recognized Visual Voice product. Visual Voice is an object-oriented software development tool for building CT applications such as those used in call centers to offer customers access to product information around the clock and to provide access to personal account information.

Obtaining the rights to Visual Voice allows Dialogic and Intel the ability to guide this software development tool as it is built on the object-oriented CT infrastructure referenced above in order to better serve their customers.

Artisoft also intends to port its TeleVantage telephone switching software to operate on CT Media server platforms. Intel in turn, plans to license its CT Media software to Artisoft.

"The acquisition of Parity Software, Intel's equity investments and the plans to work together with Artisoft underscore Intel's commitment to encouraging innovation and accelerating the growth of standards-based computer telephony applications," said Howard Bubb, president of Intel's Dialogic Division. "As voice and data networks converge, Intel is providing customers with the building blocks they need to build advanced computer telephony solutions."