Lucent Technologies Inc got together with software development and integration firm Unixpros yesterday to announce a joint venture company that will market and sell software to enable people to conduct virtual meetings, conferences and lectures over the internet.
The new software server, called the BitRoom Collaboration System, is based on Lucent’s Bell Labs software that creates virtual environments linking networked users over the internet or corporate intranets. The software will be offered through a new venture company, called Persystant Technologies, based in Eatontown, New Jersey, which will be jointly owned by Lucent and Unixpros.
Other collaboration systems require that users all access the virtual environment via a PC. According to Tom Uhlman, president of Persystant, what’s different about this product is that users can gain access to the virtual room from multiple sources whether on a wired or wireless phone, a laptop or a multimedia PC. At the moment, Bitroom only offers two-way audio capabilities but the company is working on a version that will also let users have face to face contact.
As well as being sold through Persystant, the BitRoom Collaboration System will also be sold through Lucent Global Learning Solutions, which is part of the Lucent Business Communications Systems business unit. Target customers for the BitRoom system include corporations that want to integrate real- time collaboration capabilities into their network environments as well as carriers – both traditional service providers and ISPs – that want to offer hosted IP services and applications to business customers, Uhlman said. He added that as well as selling the software, Persystant will help companies customize the solution to suit their specific needs. For example, a financial services company might want to create an application that enables traders to share real-time market information in a secure collaborative environment. The environment might enable the use of shared applications, IP audio, and streamed media; all of which can be scaled to support users at the available bandwidth.
Several Fortune 1000 companies and carriers are currently conducting trials of the system and a suite of applications, including an interactive classroom and meeting environment, will be available during the summer of 1999. Additional applications, including an auditorium configuration for large groups, a help desk application and a virtual trade show environment, are scheduled for release in the third quarter of 1999. A software development kit (SDK) will be available for users to customize their own environments in the fourth quarter of 1999. The system, which is designed for Microsoft’s Windows NT platform will cost around $35,000 for a 50-user server license. Compatibility with Unix systems will be available in the fourth quarter.
