FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2000
Division of Financial Services, Inc.
Contact: Charlie Taylor
703-409-3559
info@vidnet.org
__________________________________________________________________
WHITE PINE’S MEETINGPOINT SELECTED BY GTE GOVERNMENT
SYSTEMS FOR MAJOR ARMY CONTRACT
Multipoint Videoconferencing Server Chosen for Superior
Performance, Support and Scalability
NASHUA, New Hampshire - White Pine Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: WPNE), a
leading provider of multimedia conferencing applications for the Internet and
intranets, announced that its MeetingPoint server was selected by GTE
Government Systems Corporation (GSC) as the multipoint conference server of
choice to fulfill a government contract for IP-based group videoconferencing.
GTE GSC purchased 35 MeetingPoint servers as part of a contract for the First
Digitized Division (FDD) of the U.S. Army. MeetingPoint was selected for
purchase by GTE GSC after the extensive testing of three server candidates.
During the evaluation period, GTE GSC worked with both White Pine and reseller
partner 2C Communications in Burlington, MA. In addition to overall performance
and support, White Pine’s MeetingPoint was chosen for its continuous presence
feature (the ability to show multiple video windows simultaneously), its lip
sync quality, and the flexibility to easily cascade or link multiple servers
together for network growth.
"Of the products we evaluated, MeetingPoint was the only one to provide
the superior stability, performance and scalability that we needed for this
project," said Kevin Braz, systems analyst for GTE. "White Pine
showed us not only that they had a better product, but that their support was unparalleled.
We look forward to a great relationship with White Pine as we proceed forth on
this contract."
The deployment of MeetingPoint is part of a program that will upgrade the
Army’s current conferencing system, which is primarily voice and data now.
MeetingPoint will extend videoconferencing and high-speed data collaboration
capabilities to the entire FDD division. According to officials,
videoconferencing will allow tactical commanders to effectively disseminate
orders, clearly convey their intent, and collaboratively plan and wargame
courses of action with subordinate commanders and key staff elements.
Multimedia collaboration capabilities are necessary to provide the commander
with access to accurate, timely, situational information that depicts a clear
picture of the battlefield. IP-based videoconferencing will also assist the
commander in coordinating and interacting with different echelons and adjacent
units.
"The GTE Government purchase represents the growing trend for the broad
deployment of IP-based videoconferencing solutions, providing cost-effective
conferencing support for distance learning and Federal Government
programs," said Gary McGuire, director of sales for White Pine Software.
"The flexibility and scalability of MeetingPoint makes it ideal for the
large-scale implementation of conferencing and collaboration solutions in
corporate, education and government scenarios such as this one."
About MeetingPoint
MeetingPoint was the industry’s first H.323 standards-based conference server, and
is the only server available for both Windows NT, Sun Solaris and Linux operating
systems. It is a software-based solution that enables multipoint group
conferences and full interoperability between users of standard H.323 clients
including Microsoft NetMeeting, Intel ProShare, PictureTel LiveLAN, White Pine
CU-SeeMe Pro and others. MeetingPoint includes advanced features for audio
mixing, video switching, conference scheduling, security, and bandwidth
management. MeetingPoint has received multiple awards, including recognition as
a "1998 Product of the Year" by both Internet Telephony and CTI
magazines.
About GTE
Government Systems
Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts, the GTE Government Systems
organization is a leader in the advancement of command, control,
communications, and intelligence systems; electronic defense systems; systems
integration; tactical and strategic communication systems; communication
switching; and information systems for defense, government, and industry in the
United States and abroad.
About White Pine
Software
White Pine Software develops, markets and supports multi-platform browser-based
internetworking software that facilitates worldwide video and audio
communication and data collaboration across the Internet, intranets, extranets
and other networks that use the Internet Protocol. White Pine's
videoconferencing software products, CU-SeeMe Pro and MeetingPoint, create a
client-server solution that allows users to participate in real-time,
multi-point video, audio and data conferences over the Internet and intranets.
White Pine’s ClassPoint provides a complete solution for corporate training and
distance learning.
About WWW.VIDNET.ORG
WWW.VIDNET.ORG, a division of Financial Services, Inc. is a
distributor of White Pine Software, Inc.'s interactive video conferencing communications
products, including the MeetingPoint conference server and CU-SeeMe Pro
user/client software, and associated color digital PC cameras and related hardware.
All trademarks are
recognized.
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