Compagnie des Machines Bull SA’s Zenith Data Systems Inc is bundling PictureTel Corp’s Live PCS 50 desktop videoconferencing system for Windows with its Pentium-based Z-Station GT 575 VC. This is the first output of its worldwide alliance with PictureTel announced at the end of June. In a separate announcement, PictureTel introduced a data conferencing option to its group systems. PictureTel feels the market is moving towards integrated video conferencing and personal computers and the agreement with Zenith was to take advantage of the opportunity to bundle its products with a computer rather than selling it as an add on product, said Carla Raffo, European marketing director. The PCS 50 is a set of boards with its own chip set so that it doesn’t use any of t he computer’s processing power. Details of pricing and availability were not available. IBM Corp also announced that it is bundling video conferencing capabilities onto its Power Series Thinkpad 850s due out on July 24. Group Share, the new data conferencing software, enables users to share and exchange applications or edit and send files in real time during a video call via ISDN or digital leased lines by plugging a personal computer into the PictureTel group videoconferencing system. The package is ready for the T.120 collaborative standard, which is due to be ratified in January. The standard will integrate with the H.320 videoconferencing standard and address the exchange of data and graphical images among personal computers and video conferencing system s. Group Share, at รบ330, is based on the firm’s Live Share Plus desktop data sharing package and will be compatible with Microsoft’s data conferencing products under a agreement between the firms in March.
