Sony Offers Instant Video Everywhere
Working toward the ultimate goal of making "everything possible video-capable," Sony Electronics has partnered with GlowPoint Inc. to launch Instant Video Everywhere, a consumer-oriented Internet telephony option that offers free video VOIP calling capability worldwide, the companies announced Wednesday.
IVE is a standards-based application that combines desktop video services with voice-over-IP capability. The IVE service is compatible with a number of communication devices (such as cell phones and laptops) and enables live, face-to-face interactions between users, regardless of whether they have Web cam access, according to a recent news release.
"We look at video communication as the final frontier in terms of thinking about the ways people can connect," said David Trachtenberg, CEO and president of GlowPoint. "We are visual beings, consistently bombarded by one-way video. Moving forward, what we're talking about here is two-way real-time video communication."
Sony's IVE service is available at the consumer or enterprise level, upping the overall VOIP ante. It uses patent-pending standards-based technology to allow users to place and receive audio or video calls to any mobile phone, traditional telephone or videoconferencing system.
"With the current options available on the market, users can only communicate with people in their network," said Trachtenberg. "With the IVE solution you can now connect to anyone, anywhere, including cell phones and land lines."
Consumers can access the IVE service from their home, office or any other broadband-enabled "hot spot" (such as hotel, airport or coffee house) to place unlimited free calls to other users worldwide. In addition, communication is not restricted to users on the same proprietary service, according to a GlowPoint representative.
"We realize that it's more than transport. Getting a video packet from point A to point B has to be as easy and spontaneous as making a phone call," said Eric Murphy, vice president of integrated visual communications for Sony. "We've integrated services that mimic what you're used to in the telephone world into the video world. We call it VOIP Plus; it's what VOIP will be when it grows up."
The service is available as a free one-click software download at Sony's IVE Web site. In terms of features, it offers "All You Can See and Say" unlimited video and voice calling between users, with no per-call or long-distance charges. Each user is also given a 10-digit personal video number.
"We give out real telephone numbers to all subscribers, so users can make voice calls to a friend's cell phone from their computer," said Trachtenberg. "Not only going from video to voice, but also completely off of the video network, a user can place a call from a cell phone to a video number and have a VOIP call."
Sony is offering off-network access (i.e., calling a cell phone or communicating with video users on other conference-based systems) via IVE pay-for purchase options. The premium service is available to consumers for $9.95, and a service for office professional goes for $19.95.
Additional IVE service features include multiperson calling, video call mailboxes, live video operators, and online user and video portals.
"IVE is all bundled under the Sony brand, which is important from a distribution aspect because we're now able to use the solution to get into new channels and partnerships," said Trachtenberg. "Sony has already preloaded IVE on its new line of VAIO notebooks, so it's also opening up doors from a retail perspective."
"It's a great way to bring network, content, branding and distribution into one partnership," said Murphy. "The way Vonage did with the VOIP market, we will do with the video VOIP market."
Looking toward the future at advanced video VOIP technology, calls may come through your television or even your PlayStation Portable, according to Michael Brandofino, chief technology officer and executive vice president of GlowPoint.
"A video-enabled community is what we're driving for," he said. "And this service is the start of it."
Source
IVE is a standards-based application that combines desktop video services with voice-over-IP capability. The IVE service is compatible with a number of communication devices (such as cell phones and laptops) and enables live, face-to-face interactions between users, regardless of whether they have Web cam access, according to a recent news release.
"We look at video communication as the final frontier in terms of thinking about the ways people can connect," said David Trachtenberg, CEO and president of GlowPoint. "We are visual beings, consistently bombarded by one-way video. Moving forward, what we're talking about here is two-way real-time video communication."
Sony's IVE service is available at the consumer or enterprise level, upping the overall VOIP ante. It uses patent-pending standards-based technology to allow users to place and receive audio or video calls to any mobile phone, traditional telephone or videoconferencing system.
"With the current options available on the market, users can only communicate with people in their network," said Trachtenberg. "With the IVE solution you can now connect to anyone, anywhere, including cell phones and land lines."
Consumers can access the IVE service from their home, office or any other broadband-enabled "hot spot" (such as hotel, airport or coffee house) to place unlimited free calls to other users worldwide. In addition, communication is not restricted to users on the same proprietary service, according to a GlowPoint representative.
"We realize that it's more than transport. Getting a video packet from point A to point B has to be as easy and spontaneous as making a phone call," said Eric Murphy, vice president of integrated visual communications for Sony. "We've integrated services that mimic what you're used to in the telephone world into the video world. We call it VOIP Plus; it's what VOIP will be when it grows up."
The service is available as a free one-click software download at Sony's IVE Web site. In terms of features, it offers "All You Can See and Say" unlimited video and voice calling between users, with no per-call or long-distance charges. Each user is also given a 10-digit personal video number.
"We give out real telephone numbers to all subscribers, so users can make voice calls to a friend's cell phone from their computer," said Trachtenberg. "Not only going from video to voice, but also completely off of the video network, a user can place a call from a cell phone to a video number and have a VOIP call."
Sony is offering off-network access (i.e., calling a cell phone or communicating with video users on other conference-based systems) via IVE pay-for purchase options. The premium service is available to consumers for $9.95, and a service for office professional goes for $19.95.
Additional IVE service features include multiperson calling, video call mailboxes, live video operators, and online user and video portals.
"IVE is all bundled under the Sony brand, which is important from a distribution aspect because we're now able to use the solution to get into new channels and partnerships," said Trachtenberg. "Sony has already preloaded IVE on its new line of VAIO notebooks, so it's also opening up doors from a retail perspective."
"It's a great way to bring network, content, branding and distribution into one partnership," said Murphy. "The way Vonage did with the VOIP market, we will do with the video VOIP market."
Looking toward the future at advanced video VOIP technology, calls may come through your television or even your PlayStation Portable, according to Michael Brandofino, chief technology officer and executive vice president of GlowPoint.
"A video-enabled community is what we're driving for," he said. "And this service is the start of it."
Source
posted by Reşit @ Sony Offers Instant Video Everywhere: 12:20 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home