HOUSTON, December 18, 1995 -- New low-cost videoconferencing capabilities should be available in PCs soon, thanks to development agreements announced today by Texas Instruments, Precision Digital Images, Inc. and IAT AG. The three companies will supply the hardware and software technology necessary for offering low-cost videoconferencing solutions based on digital signal processing to manufacturers of PCs and PC equipment.
At the heart of each product design will be TI TMS320C8x digital signal processors (DSPs), which are designed specifically for the demands of videoconferencing and other multimedia applications. 'C8x DSPs provide the high-performance processing needed for handling data, video, and voice and other audio simultaneously. Included in the 'C8x family is the TMS320C82, the industry's first low cost single-chip videoconferencing solution announced by TI earlier this year.
"TI's 'C8x family brought affordable single-chip processing to multimedia applications for the first time," said Julie Gallagher, TI's TMS320C8x Marketing Manager. "Now we have relationships with the right companies to develop low-cost, highly integrated solutions for PC original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). With the right products and agreements in place, TI is building momentum in the videoconferencing market. This is just the first of many developments we plan for bringing affordable videoconferencing to the desktop."
Each of the companies brings unique leadership technology to the alliance. Along with its 'C8x products, TI will provide its industry-leading DSP design support capabilities. PDI will use its expertise in creating video subsystems for PCI Bus platforms to develop videoconferencing hardware suited to the requirements of Windows 95. IAT will bring parts of H.320, design knowledge in Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) and Windows 95 applications to product development and testing to the alliance, as well as design knowledge in hardware structure on the board level.
Products that result from the agreements will be used by OEMs to support a variety of applications, including desktop videoconferencing compliant with the H.320 and H.324 standards, business and consumer video phones, and collaborative software such as interactive whiteboards, spreadsheets and word processors. In addition to working together on products, the companies will be able to individually add value to the technology and proliferate it toward specialized markets such as telemedicine and security.
"PDI is excited about this development relationship because we see the great potential for low-cost videoconferencing in joining our technology with TI's 'C8x products and DSP expertise," said Wayne Smith, President of PDI. "We're matching our strength with TI's to create the next generation of PC videoconferencing products."
"ISDN is a huge new force in the videoconferencing marketplace. By working together with TI and PDI, IAT expects to deliver superior videoconferencing products with higher quality multimedia applications than we have seen to date-and at prices users can afford," said Franz Müller, IAT's Vice President, Engineering.
The videoconferencing agreements reflect TI's strategy of providing comprehensive DSP solutions that include the hardware and software OEMs need to supply products for their markets quickly and cost-effectively. TI is the world's leading supplier of DSPs and DSP solutions.
New hardware and software products resulting from the alliance will be announced as they become available. Release dates are planned to begin in early 1996.
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