Apple Computer Inc is opening its GeoPort interface, which connects the Mac’s modem and other internal signal processing functions to the outside world, to the telephony in the hope of establishing a standard that will enable Mac and Windows personal computers and telephones to be interconnected to enable desktop media cmmunications from any computing device, running any operating system, to any analogue or digital telephone line. First partners on the initiative are two Massachusetts companies, Aox Inc of Waltham and Analog Devices Inc of Norwood. Apple has been shipping GeoPort for Macintosh since August and will include the technology in future PowerPC Macs. Aox is taking a licence to it and will then provide cross-system GeoPort designs, development tools and certification services to personal computer, PABX and chip manufacturers, supporting initial GeoPort implementations on signal processors from Analog Devices and for the PowerPC. Subsequent implementations will support other signal processors and host processors such as iAPX-86; environments such as Windows and OS/2, will also be supported; no dates given.
