Tandberg bridges ISDN and IP conferencing

Tandberg is adding more options to its array of videoconferencing products with the release of a gateway tool designed to bridge the world of IP and ISDN-based conferencing.

The Tandberg Gateway comes in two models – 2M bit/sec and 4M bit/sec – that support up to eight simultaneous point-to-point video calls, depending on the bandwidth being used in each call.

The tool is based on the same software that powers its multi-point conferencing unit (MCU) and endpoints. It supports all of the major features found in the Tandberg endpoint such as DuoVideo, which allows content on PC to be shared in a videoconference, says Mike Walker, the company’s director of emerging technologies.

The gateway is not limited to use with Tandberg endpoints and will work with endpoints from rivals Polycom, VCON and Sony.

Polycom Inc. is the recognized leader in the videoconferencing space and has used its acquisition of Accord and PictureTel to bolster its line of network and video endpoints. Tandberg initially sold only endpoints, but has slowly begun adding more network elements to keep up with the competition.

Tandberg’s Gateway is priced at US$32,000 for the 4M-bit/sec model and $22,000 for the 2M-bit/sec model. Tandberg is offering the 4M-bit/sec model at the same priced as the 2M-bit/sec edition through the end of October.

Also on Monday, Tandberg released a software update for all its endpoints that adds H.264 video compression. “H.264 – which is the same as mpeg4 part 10 – gives the same quality (video) as if you doubled the bandwidth you’re using today,” Walker says.

Tandberg and the rest of the videoconferencing industry hope the adoption of H.264 will help spur videoconferencing use by providing better quality without requiring more bandwidth.

“One barrier to adoption is quality of video: People see TV and want that quality, but they need bandwidth for that and (bandwidth is) expensive,” Walker says. “(H.264) will help overcome some subjective objections to (videoconferencing).”

Tandberg will add H.264 support to its new Gateway and existing MCU line in the fourth quarter of this year. Until then, Tandberg users can only make point-to-point calls using H.264.

Finally, the company announced that has added support for Microsoft Exchange and Outlook to its Tandberg Management System (TMS), allowing end users to schedule videoconferencing meetings directly from Outlook. Previously, a Web-based interface was the only option for scheduling.