To make this happen, GTT exploited a combination of advanced telephony and multimedia technologies. The company also brought to bear documented experience and knowledge of SIP protocol and related standards. With the cooperation of video device maker Leadtek Research Inc. and their extensive experience in video signal handling and compression as well as hardware manufacturing, the final challenges were resolved.
 
"Video telephony is emerging as the next big thing in communications and the Internet,"
said Vladimir Smelyansky, CTO of GTT. "'Our solution is not strictly revolutionary, but is nevertheless an important VoIP milestone for 3 reasons. Firstly it truly works, unlike previous offerings, it is truly plug and play, and it is the first time that the previously disparate worlds of video telephony hardware and SIP software function come together in one solution."
 
"A key driving force to move videophones into the mainstream market is its simplicity of use," explained Hon Sit, VP of Business Development at Leadtek, "a user should just plug the videophone in and start making video calls, much like using a conventional telephone.  GlobalTouch and Leadtek worked hard together to make this a reality. We are excited about the results."
 
In keeping with GTT's R&D strategy, the company was able to successfully create user friendly video telephony technology that provides superior quality and can be delivered to end user with low price tag and acceptable cost for service provider at the same time.
 
There are currently two ways to conduct a video call on the GlobalTouch VoIP platform.
 GTT supports the Leadtek desktop video telephone. The standalone videophone is designed for video over IP. A winner in the CES Telephone category, the unit has a built- in 5" TFT LCD screen and CCD camera that can be rotated and tilted.
 
Callers also can use the GTT video Softphone that comes bundled with the company's VoIP service. This is integrated with MS Outlook contacts. By clicking on an Outlook contact in they can instantly initiate a video call with another similarly outfitted user, or with user that has a desktop video telephone. If a user on either end of the call does not have a multimedia device, the call reverts to a normal voice only call by default.
 
GTT recent initiated a limited field test. A wider release of the product is planned for late
Q2 to early Q3 of this year.
 
"The demands of globalization, cost reduction and productivity acceleration are exerting increasing pressure on enterprises large and small," said Gregory O. Welch, CEO of GTT, "video telephony is therefore becoming a really important application. For our customers, video over VoIP means a very attractive new feature and revenue streams."
 
"We feel that Video over VoIP is not just a cool feature, but a window into VoIP's future, where VoIP communications offers remote interactive communications from any location on any device," commented Cliff Rees, COO of GTT. "And by designing our VoIP platform with open standards to support a broader range of devices, we offer our ASP customers to offer their subscribers lots of value added, plug and play options like video telephony."

Source: Telephony World