Stockholm, December 19, 2001 - Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Net Insight, (SX: NETI B), a leading provider of real-time broadband infrastructure technology, today announce their new partnership and introduction of a new system for high quality video conferencing. In a joint project, the two have developed a solution enabling e-meetings with perfect quality video and audio.
"Those who have doubted that video conferencing will ever be able to replace personal meetings will have to think again after experiencing this," says Gunnar Sahlin, Head of Partner Relations at HP in Sweden.
"HP´s strategy is to keep a frontline position through cooperation with new and interesting partners. By combining Net Insight´s knowledge and experience with our own gives us a very competitive standing and we can offer each other new business opportunities," says Gunnar Sahlin.
HP in Sweden and Net Insight plan to launch a commercial solution for video conferencing via uncompressed video signal. Since last week, the world´s first demo network for virtual meetings over 270 Mbps raw video has been up and running in Stockholm. The network connects HP´s office in Kista with the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm City, and Net Insight in Västberga.
Under HP´s leadership, the two companies will start off by demonstrating to Swedish companies that video conferencing now has reached a level where it constitutes a serious and cost-efficient alternative to business travel. As a natural next step, a connection across the Atlantic Ocean will be added to the network.
"Since there is no need to compress the video signal, there is virtually no delay. For example, video conferencing with someone in Los Angeles would feel as natural as sitting right next to them," says Lars Gauffin, Senior Advisor and co-founder of Net Insight.
The solution is built around Net Insight´s media network platform. HP provides integration, software and complementary equipment. Besides the comfort of being able to have a natural conversation, the integrated solution includes the possibility to view PC supported presentations and exchange files and documents.
"E-meetings can save large amounts within both industry and public administration. With perfect video and audio quality without delay, the last obstacles are removed. This is what HP and Net Insight want to show prospective customers," Gunnar Sahlin at HP continues.
The cost of providing high quality video conferencing will stay at the same level as the traditional solutions that are offered on the market today; in spite of the fact that uncompressed video consumes 270 Mbps.
"We are now heading towards a major paradigm shift. The market development, with ever-lower prices for bandwidth, has made it more cost-efficient to transport video without compressing it," says Lars Gauffin at Net Insight.
For more information, please contact:
Net Insight:
Lars Gauffin, Senior Advisor and co-founder, Net Insight AB.
Tel. + 46 8 685 04 44, e-mail: lars.gauffin@netinsight.net
Carolen Ytander, VP Corporate Communications, Net Insight AB
Tel. + 46 8 685 04 50, e-mail: carolen.ytander@netinsight.net
HP:
Gunnar Sahlin, Head of Partner Relations, Hewlett-Packard in Sverige AB.
Tel. + 46 8 444 22 97, e-mail: gunnar_sahlin@hp.com
About HP
Hewlett-Packard Company - a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services - is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to all. HP had total revenue of $45.2 billion in its 2001 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found o the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.
About Net Insight
Net Insight develops and markets network switches for fiber-optic broadband networks. Using Net Insight solutions, operators can offer everything from new advanced real-time services such as studio-quality video and Internet communication to traditional telephony and data. These services can be supplied simply and cost-effectively across one and the same infrastructure. Net Insight has around 140 employees in Sweden and the USA. The company is listed on the O-list of the OM Stockholm Exchange. For more information, please see www.netinsight.net