Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA hosted the formal launch of Hermann Hauser’s latest charge, Advanced Telecommunications Modules Ltd, the company spun out from Olivetti Research Ltd’s Cambridge laboratory but was rather sparing with the invitations, so we have to rely on the report from the Reuters reporter on the spot. The company, as reported (CI Nos 2,425, 2495), is developing and will manufacture and sell low-cost Asynchronous Transfer Mode-based products for multimedia applications, with first products at the beginning of next year. They will include workgroup switches, personal computer network interface boards and a multimedia server, and will be priced in line with switched Ethernet prices. The Online Media division of Acorn Computer Group Plc announced in July that it would be among the company’s first customers: the company was formed to design interactive multimedia products, and has started by developing set-top boxes for use in interactive television and video-on-demand services, and uses Advanced Telecommunications Asynchronous Mode technology in the boxes (CI No 2,481). With a consortium of companies including Anglia Television Plc, Online Media will be offering video-on-demand services in the Cambridge area in trials due to start this month. In May, as reported, Advanced Telecommunications granted a technology licence to Ralph Ungermann’s First Virtual Corp, Santa Clara, which has been formed to specialise in desktop multimedia networking, and also has a joint product development agreement with the Californian. Our goal is to let people adopt Asynchronous Transfer Mode without having to abruptly junk their existing network cable and hardware, Ungermann said yesterday. Advanced Telecommunications Modules has focused on ATM-enabling personal computers currently connected to a workgroup local network, and through a combination of low cost, use of customers’ existing wiring and co-existence with Ethernet networks, the company will bring Asynchronous Transfer into direct competition with Switched Ethernet Alternatives, Olivetti said.
