Radvision Gateway Upgrade Steps Up Video, Audio Support

Version 2.0 of Radvision's viaIP videoconferencing gateway supports video modes such as H.263 , H.263++, 4CIF and 16CIF, along with the new wideband G.722.1 audio codec for improved video resolution and voice quality, said David Sokolic, vice president of marketing at Radvision, based here. The new version is available as a stand-alone product under the viaIP 100 name or as a blade that can be plugged into Radvision systems.

"For the channel, the core message is that we're improving this product significantly and keeping it at basically the same price point," Sokolic said. "So they'll have a richer product that's more competitive and should be easier to sell, and we hope that will translate into more success for them."

The viaIP videoconferencing gateway converts protocols so traffic can travel between ISDN and IP-based networks. "That's important functionality to have as we move to IP-based videoconferencing, because there's still a large installed base of ISDN systems out there," he said. "The majority of calls are still placed over ISDN."

With Radvision's gateway, users no longer have to choose between the ISDN or the IP network, said Dean Gonteski, vice president of solutions at York Telecom, a voice, video and data integrator based in Eatontown, N.J. "They're putting the smarts into the network so videoconferencing systems become easier to use," Gonteski said.

Customers' wider adoption of voice-over-IP solutions is boosting interest in video-over-IP solutions, he said. "Small and midsize companies are now implementing voice-over-IP and adding video as a complement. They're taking advantage of the infrastructure that they're already putting in place," Gonteski said.

Version 2.0 of the ViaIP gateway also adds load balancing, improved interoperability with third-party SNMP-based management software and automatic failover from IP to ISDN if IP bandwidth levels aren't high enough to support call setup. The gateway, available now, is priced at $40,000.