January 5, 1998 ITCA Press Release

The International Teleconferencing Association (ITCA) forecasts record growth for the domestic and worldwide teleconferencing industry in 1998 including audio, video, audiographic and data conferencing.

Speaking for ITCA, the world's largest association of users and providers of teleconferencing systems and software users, its president Henry Grove said "four significant trends point towards increased rapid growth for teleconferencing in the coming year, with technology playing an important role in daily communications for virtually all sectors.

"First," he said, "costs for virtually all types of telecommunications and computer hardware will continue to fall dramatically. Prices for group videoconferencing systems, desktop videoconferencing systems, add-on kits for PCs, audio and audiographic equipment are all being driven down," he said, "by increased competition, production volume, and technological advances."

"Second," Grove continued, "connectivity costs, traditionally two to three times more than teleconferencing hardware, are also falling, being driven down by competitive pressures between carriers." Grove also said that the deployment of fiber optics, ATM, gigabit Ethernet, and ISO Ethernet is "creating increased affordable bandwidth to corporations and consumers.

"Third, is ratification of three new standards by the world's standard- setting body, which Grove said, "will increase compatibility between multiple vendors and applications. The standard for moving of audio and video across a local area network (LAN), will support rapid expansion of desktop videoconferencing and the standard for transmitting audio and video over plain old telephone service (POTS), will provide low cost, albeit it lower quality, videoconferencing." Grove said this standard, popularly called Grandparent TV, "will stimulate major growth in consumer and small business teleconferencing, while the multipoint graphics standard, will enable a potential huge market in audio/graphic teleconferencing." Grove said that "with appropriate software, multiple remote sites will be able to simultaneously view and manipulate PC-based applications such as whiteboarding, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, word processing documents and other applications while engaging in an audio or video teleconferences.

"Fourth," he concluded, "is the fact that the teleconferencing industry has embraced ease-of-use as a critical part of designing and implementing teleconferencing solutions. In a teleconference, the technology needs to be as transparent and intuitive as possible for novice and expert users alike.

"The need to collaborate at a distance will also become an increasingly important force in propelling the growth of the teleconferencing market," Grove added. "In 1998, the worldwide teleconferencing industry is stepping up to the telecommunications plate as a major information and communications player."

ITCA is the world's largest organization of users and providers of teleconferencing systems and applications and is widely recognized as "the voice of collaborative communications." A not-for-profit association, it represents users, strategists and implementors of collaborative communications by linking members with information, applications and solutions. ITCA hosts an annual conference and exposition showcasing teleconferencing and collaborative communications products and solutions, ITCA '98, The Collaborative Communications Expo, March 24-26, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Visit the Web site at: http://www.itca.org/expo/ or call 800-800-5474 for information.

"The combination of these economic, technological, and ergonomic trends bode well for all facets of the teleconferencing industry in 1998," concluded Grove. "ITCA is looking forward to showcasing collaborative communications and the industry in March at our annual conference and trade show."