SAN FRANCISCO and KISTA, Sweden, March 13, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- i3 Micro Technology, a leading provider of systems for multimedia services over IP based networks, and Global IP Sound, Inc. (GIPS), the premier VoIP sound processing company, today announced that the GIPS SoundWare(tm) voice processing software suite will be offered as an optional enhancement to i3's family of residential gateway devices, providing a proven path to improved voice and audio quality for telephony over packet networks.
GIPS SoundWare products, including GIPS Enhanced G.711, NetEQ(tm), and iLBC(tm), will be integrated into i3's Vood (Voice Options on Demand) residential gateway system to provide high-quality voice communications even under low bandwidth or poor network transmission conditions. The improved voice and audio quality provided by GIPS' embedded software extends the reach of the Vood product line to all types of IP-based networks. For the first time, network operators will have the option to deploy GIPS SoundWare as a solution on residential gateways for IP networks, utilizing i3's cutting edge technology and design.
"At i3, we are committed to offering our customers cutting edge products with equal to or better than PSTN speech quality," said Peter Galyas, general manager for VoIP products at i3. "GIPS' suite of SoundWare products has several unique components to complete our present solutions. We can now take an important step in broadening our product offerings into IP networks that lack stringent requirements for end-to-end QoS, without reducing our high standards for voice quality."
Paolo Spada, president and CEO of Global IP Sound, said, "This agreement combines a best-in-class residential gateway system and GIPS' sound processing technologies to create voice communications solutions that far exceed the capability of PSTN. Together, we are implementing systems to deliver exceptional voice quality, for all types of IP-based networks. This is an essential step in the successful deployment of VoIP to residential markets."
The GIPS SoundWare suite includes a range of embedded sound processing software designed for interactive audio over packet networks. Integrated into the software stack of IP network edge devices, such as i3 micro's Vood gateways, GIPS SoundWare operates as a complement to earlier codecs, which were designed specifically for circuit-switched (PSTN) network conditions. By employing a multi-descriptive approach and combined jitter buffer and error concealment technologies, the software reduces the effects of packet loss and delay, providing significant measured improvements in fidelity under all operating conditions. The enhanced audio quality is achieved without significant increase in demands on the IP network, including bandwidth requirements.
About i3 Micro Technology
i3 Micro Technology (i3), founded in 1997, is a leading provider of cutting edge technology, products and solutions for high quality multimedia services over IP based networks, i.e. TV, video-on-demand, music, telephony and Internet, to broadband service providers, OEM, VAR and re-sellers. i3 has two product lines, Mood (media options on demand) for IP-TV, VoD, music and Internet access via the normal TV-set through a set-top-box, and Vood (voice options on demand) for voice over IP, using regular analog phones through a Vood Residential Gateway, VRG. Both product lines enable complete turn-key system offerings. For further information about i3, see www.i3micro.com
About Global IP Sound
Global IP Sound (GIPS), founded in 1999, has a team of world leading speech processing and IP telephony experts developing speech and audio processing software for real-time communications over packet networks. GIPS' enhanced standard implementations and new speech processing technology are specifically designed for voice over IP. They provide dramatically increased robustness to degraded network conditions, as well as better-than-PSTN sound quality and fidelity in end-to-end IP communications. More information on GIPS is available at www.globalipsound.com.
Global IP Sound, GIPS, SoundWare, NetEQ, iLBC, and associated design marks and logos are trademarks owned or used under license by Global IP Sound, Inc., and may be registered in the United States and other countries.