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When you think of collaborative
technologies, what kinds of solutions enter your mind?
Video conferencing. Application sharing. Data
collaboration. But have you considered instant
messaging? What about file-swapping? Peer-to-peer
(P2P) networking could very well be the latest,
greatest technology. Consider the typical
collaboration solution used today within an
enterprise. Then think about how those technologies
could be integrated with the technology behind
ever-controversial Napster. The result could be the
answer to overcoming the barriers of traditional,
closed collaboration systems.
What makes me think that something so
consumer-oriented may spill into the enterprise space?
Well, let's list some other technologies that were
once mostly for "consumers," and are now being used in
the enterprise: Internet access, IP telephony, PDAs,
and instant messaging. Peer-to-peer techniques might
be next on the list.
Who is doing this right now? 1stWorks
Corporation recently announced the deployment of
the 1stWorks Peer Network, which manages P2P
connections through the Virtual Network Server (VNS),
which is specifically designed to monitor and manage
the dynamically allocated IP addresses (or port
numbers for NAT-protected users) issued by access
providers or corporations when users connect to the
Internet.
The VNS enables these connections by
relating the dynamic IP address, which changes every
time the user connects to the Internet, to the user's
e-mail address, which is relatively constant. Only
management of the current location of registered users
requires a central server. The desktop software
handles everything else, including contact
availability status. Since there is no central server
managing data flow, there is no single point of
failure or gateway for unauthorized access. Security
is further insured through the use of a streaming
cipher of all session data encrypted with a unique key
based on the specific combination of the particular
session and the individual participants.
Another company is Imprint
Systems, who provides its clients with a set of
recommendations for meeting the automation needs and
requirements of an organization. It offers an
interactive multimedia collaboration platform that
offers multiple P2P streams, including full-duplex
voice, video, and data content that supports almost
any collaborative integration.
Right now it appears that peer-to-peer
techniques are mentioned most often with respect to
text and voice, but video is being incorporated, and I
imagine that the video component will become an
important part of these solutions.
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Corporate
Solutions News
New
Developments Benefit Video Conferencing SPs
According to Frost & Sullivan, new developments in
video conferencing offer a more powerful collaboration
tool that reduces costs for meetings, training, and
other enterprise communications, while improving the
quality and efficiency of B2B interactions. New
analysis from Frost & Sullivan's report, "U.S.
Videoconferencing Services Market," reveals that
service providers generated $1.48 billion in 2000 and
projects revenues could reach $5 billion by 2007. The
steady migration from circuit-switched networks to
packet-switched networks, and the emergence of
comprehensive browser-based video services will
continue to be the market's key drivers.
www.conferencing.frost.com;
210-348-1000
Latitude
Extends MeetingPlace e-Conferencing
Latitude Communications released MeetingPlace
for Outlook v2001, the fourth generation of the
MeetingPlace integration with Microsoft Outlook.
MeetingPlace for Outlook v2001 includes a fully
customizable interface, the ability to join
voice and Web conferences directly from an
Outlook appointment, and automated MeetingPlace
form upgrades for easier roll-out and
management. The customizable interface allows
companies to add fields such as billing codes
and added security parameters to the
MeetingPlace for Outlook scheduling form.
Enterprises can now align their voice and Web
conferencing environment with their internal
business processes and security policies to a
degree not possible with other conferencing
services and systems.
www.latitude.com;
800-999-7440
Logica
and MatrixOne Form Strategic Alliance
MatrixOne and Logica have announced a global alliance
to offer Collaborative Product Commerce (CPC)
solutions to a variety of industries and major
companies in the United Kingdom and other worldwide
locations where Logica is present. Through this
alliance, the companies will jointly pursue large,
multinational companies with global supply chains who
produce, change, and launch a high volume of new
complex products and services. The agreement will
bring a new level of capability to the fast-growing
CPC market sector by combining the strengths of Logica,
a leading IT global solutions company providing
management and IT consultancy, systems integration,
products, services and support, with that of MatrixOne,
a company whose collaborative software and services
products are used by many of the world's major
corporations to support CPC for the life cycle of
products.
www.matrixone.com;
978-322-2000
www.us.logica.com;
617-476-8000
TeamStream
Launches TeamDrive 3.0
TeamStream has announced that it is releasing
the newest version of its flagship product,
TeamDrive. The first in a suite of solutions
that allow virtual teams to collaborate quickly,
easily, and securely over the Internet,
TeamDrive offers proprietary technologies that
turn the Internet into a virtual hard-drive. In
Version, 3.0, TeamDrive has been expanded to
address the needs of mobile users, providing
easy and secure access to their files, either at
work or while traveling. The offline work
capability allows users to continue working on
their files when flying or traveling and when no
Internet connection is available. The next time
users connect to the Internet all changes are
automatically synchronized to the central
server. SSL secure connections ensure that
regardless of a user's log-in location, his or
her data will be completely secure as it travels
across the Internet.
www.teamstream.com;
408-260-2600
Wire
One And Telseon In Co-Marketing Agreement
Wire One Technologies announced that it has entered
into a co-marketing agreement with metropolitan
optical network provider, Telseon. The agreement is
designed primarily to help Wire One expand the
national reach of its Glowpoint IP video
communications network without any associated capital
expenditure. Under the agreement, Wire One will
Glowpoint-enable Telseon's Gigabit Ethernet network,
giving Telseon's network customers access to all
Glowpoint endpoints and applications, including
bridges for multi-point video calls, gateways for
calls to legacy ISDN systems, and remote call
management.
www.wireone.com;
800-924-8596
www.telseon.com;
720-554-7000
Forgent
and MVC Developing Next-Gen Video Network Software
Platform
Forgent Corporation and MVC Mobile Video
Communications AG, a leading European video conference
system integrator, have entered into a technology
partnership agreement to develop a software platform
and applications that will improve the quality and
simplify the management of corporate video networks.
Under the agreement, software developers at MVC AG and
Forgent will integrate MVC's Unified Conference
Manager software into Forgent's Video Network
Platform. The resulting software will automate many of
the processes involved in point-to-point and
multi-point video conferences, conducted in ISDN and
Internet Protocol (IP) visual networks comprised of
hardware from leading manufacturers, including Accord
Networks, PictureTel, Polycom, RADVision, Tandberg,
VTEL and Zydacron. It will simplify scheduling video
conferences, diagnosing equipment malfunctions and
maintaining complex video networks. The software will
also help companies cost-efficiently manage and
migrate their video communications from ISDN to IP
networks.
www.forgent.com;
512-437-2700
WebDialogs
Joins APPRISE Application And Content Syndicate
WebDialogs has joined Ellacoya Networks' APPRISE
Application and Content Syndicate. The APPRISE Program
fosters relationships between service providers and
application providers to accelerate adoption of
application services. Under the agreement, the
companies will work together to offer WebDialogs' Web
call back and collaboration capabilities to service
provider customers using the Ellacoya Networks'
Premium Services Delivery System. With WebDialogs'
technology, service providers can offer their
customers the benefit of immediate, live voice
connections to corporate representatives and extensive
collaboration capabilities to facilitate answering
questions, completing transactions, and finding
information online. "The intuitiveness of WebDialogs'
voice call back and collaboration technology make it
ideal for the APPRISE Application and Content
Syndicate," said Cathy Gadecki, vice president of
strategy at Ellacoya Networks. "The whole goal of our
program is to facilitate consumer adoption of
easy-to-use applications through service providers to
increase end-user satisfaction, and provide service
providers with competitive differentiation and
additional revenue opportunities. WebDialogs helps to
realize that goal."
www.webdialogs.com;
978-439-9600
www.ellacoya.com;
603-577-5544
Polycom
Partners With N2N Solutions
Polycom has announced that N2N Solutions, a
Cisco Systems Gold Certified Partner, will
leverage Polycom's interactive video
communications products as a key part of its
complete IP-based offerings, which are based
around the Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video
and Integrated Data (AVVID). Under the
agreement, N2N Solutions will include Polycom's
ViewStation group video conferencing system and
ViaVideo desktop video communications appliance,
along with Polycom's Global Management System,
as part of its value-added consulting services
that enable increased productivity and
competitive gains through the use of voice,
data, and video networking technology.
www.polycom.com;
408-526-9000
www.n2nsolutions.com;
888-N2N-6131
Ridgeway,
RADVISION Announce Integrated Solution
RADVISION and Ridgeway have announced an
interoperability agreement, bringing together the
Ridgeway VX Communication System and RADVISION's viaIP
multi-service platform for next-generation
communication networks. The interoperability provides
a Ridgeway-RADVISION solution that delivers secure
point-to-point and multipoint IP conferencing for
enterprises and service providers. "An enterprise or
service provider deploying a Ridgeway-enabled
RADVISION viaIP system can conduct point-to-point or
multipoint conferences in real-time, regardless of the
IP environment each endpoint occupies, while
maintaining the integrity of the network security,"
said Eli Doron, CTP of RADVISION.
www.ridgeway-sys.com;
512-231-7300
www.radvision.com;
201-529-4300
WiredRed
Introduces e/pop 3.0 For The Enterprise
WiredRed Software has announced the availability of
e/pop 3.0, a comprehensive suite of real-time
communications applications that offers centralized
administration, enterprise-level security, application
sharing, and directory integration. "In today's 24/7,
non-stop business environment, organizations that are
able to adapt and address challenges faster than the
competition win the game -- every time," said Allen
Drennan, president and CEO at WiredRed Software. "e/pop
enables businesses to maximize the time and
effectiveness of their communications -- enhancing
relationships between employees, customers, partners,
and vendors. From the boardroom to the IT department,
from the help desk to the sales department, e/pop
enables faster response times to business critical
situations." e/pop 3.0 consists of a suite of products
including text-based chat conferencing, presence
management, application sharing, advanced encryption
for maximum security, voice over IP conferencing, and
Citrix and Terminal Server support.
www.wiredred.com;
858-715-0970
First
Virtual, CUseeMe Complete Merger
First Virtual Communications and CUseeMe Networks have
completed a merger between the two companies. The
combined company retains the name of First Virtual
Communications. "We're pleased to have completed the
merger process and we're eager to move full steam
ahead in executing on our combined strategy and
product roadmap," said Ralph Ungermann, chairman of
the board for the combined company. "We have worked
hard during the last several months to jointly assess
our competencies and resources in light of the current
market landscape. We are confident in our shared
vision for the company and our ability to move quickly
now that the merger is completed."
www.fvc.com;
408-567-7200
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CASE
STUDY: Intraspect Software Enables Quaker Chemical To
Work Smart
Quaker Chemical Corporation, a chemical products
company that develops and distributes chemicals to
automotive, aerospace, and steel manufacturers around
the world, has offices and partners in over 15
countries. With such a distributed workforce, Quaker
needed a way to allow its employees to work
autonomously by centrally storing valuable product and
customer information to make it instantaneously
accessible across the extended enterprise. Quaker
sought a knowledge-based collaboration system that
would place enterprise information at each user's
fingertips, allowing instant access to critical data,
uniting employees on global strategy and
responsibilities, and increasing individual
productivity.
CUSTOMIZABLE SYSTEM
To achieve these goals, Quaker worked with Intraspect
Software and the Intraspect 4 platform to develop
Quaker Business Intelligence (QBI), a secure,
customizable collaborative knowledge system. QBI
capitalizes on the company's vast body of knowledge by
allowing geographically scattered employees to
archive, search, and collaborate on unstructured data,
including e-mail, documents, presentations, etc. QBI
also enables employees to create workspaces to
exchange information and publish messages to groups
and teams. QBI creates a "group memory" that is
accessible via a Web browser, an e-mail client, or a
file folder system, allowing each user to work in the
manner they are most accustomed to working, giving
them the ability to be completely self-sufficient. QBI
provides immediate access to relevant information,
past work, and topical experts throughout the company.
Using Intraspect 4 as the basis for QBI, Quaker has
been able to completely open enterprise knowledge to
its employees. With this central aggregation of
intellectual capital, users can share e-mails and
documents that would have otherwise remained trapped
in individual e-mail accounts and on individual
desktops. With these resources and past project work
at their disposal, employees can independently access
the information they need, when they need it. By
allowing employees access to business-critical
information on sales, finance, and research, and by
enhancing collaboration around the globe, QBI has also
dramatically improved the manner in which Quaker
services its customers. Specifically, QBI enables
better decision-making, issue response time, and
international availability of information around the
clock, facilitating an overall improvement in the
efficiency and timeliness of business communications
and helping to speed product development.
ROI
Quaker's return on investment is strong. They report a
considerable benefit in relation to problem-solving
and business efficiency. Quaker saved hundreds of
thousands of dollars as a result of three instances
where groups within the company used QBI to search and
leverage previous work to find the answer to a
problem, rather than reinventing the wheel by engaging
in a whole new project to solve the problem. These
teams were able to access past knowledge autonomously,
without the assistance of the previous teams or IT,
and reuse it effectively. Similarly, the group memory
had captured knowledge from employees that had since
left, saving Quaker the cost of hiring a consultant to
fill the knowledge gap. In the future, Quaker expects
that QBI will help to get new employees up to speed 75
percent faster, as they will have instant access to
knowledge from day one, to save the company hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
Quaker Chemical's QBI system empowers employees to
work smarter rather than harder to be more productive,
ultimately improving product output, enhancing
customer relationships, and impacting the bottom line.
For more information, please visit Intraspect
Software's Web site: www.intraspect.com
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