Lotus Development Corp, AT&T Corp and Intel Corp have allied to integrate their various desktop videoconferencing systems and services. The move ties up the last loose ends in what is increasingly becoming a web of videoconferencing alliances and joint development pacts between the three. The initiative is intended to result in interoperability between AT&T WorldWorx Network Services (CI No 2,582), the AT&T Network Notes venture between AT&T and Lotus (CI No 2,589), Intel ProShare Personal (CI No 2,624), Lotus Notes, and Lotus Video Notes, the ongoing joint development deal between Lotus and Intel. Through the new plan, the companies hope to draw together their existing videoconferencing initiatives, enabling local area, wide area, ISDN and analogue telephon e line-based point-to-point and point-to-multipoint videoconferencing. AT&T intends to add integrated Notes, database and messaging capabilities to WorldWorx, and to connect it to Network Notes, using Lotus Video Notes to record and play back video files; Lotus is contributing the forthcoming Intel ProShare-based videoconferencing facilities, which will be added to Notes; and Intel is providing video messaging capabilities to ProShare, as well as a facility that will enable meetings to be recorded and played back. Trials of the new applications are scheduled for later this year, with integrated products targeted for delivery next year, say the three companies.
