Ittiam Systems Announces a Complete Solution for IP Video Phones

Enables Full Duplex Audio and Video Communication Over Broadband Networks Including Wireless LANs

Bangalore. July 28, 2004 - Ittiam Systems today announced the availability of a complete solution for IP video phones that offers high quality full-duplex voice and video communication over broadband networks including wireless LANs. This integrated software and hardware solution is targeted at OEM customers who are engaged in the manufacture of two way video communications systems. Ittiam is already in discussion with three companies in Asia and the Americas. >

Ittiam's IP video phone solution includes an embedded software framework along with a hardware demonstration and application development platform. The software sub-system is a modular package of audio and video processing functions, call control protocols and network protocols integrated with a common framework and running on a single digital signal processor. Video processing is designed to support industry leading video technologies. The current release is based on MPEG-4 simple profile capable of full motion video up-to 30fps at VGA resolution. It will be soon followed by a H.264 based solution. The voice and audio processing functions support a wide range of speech codecs for narrow and wide band voice, an acoustic echo canceller for hands free operation and associated telephony / signaling functions. An adaptive jitter buffer provides enhanced quality under adverse network conditions. The framework, modular architecture and application programming interface (API) support a wide range of video and audio standards catering to varying customer needs. This includes H.263, H.264 and WMV© for video and standards from ITU-T and ETSI for voice.

The hardware sub-system is a full-featured, flexible demonstration and development platform based on the TMS320DM642™ digital signal processor from Texas Instruments. It is available in a real-life-usage form factor with an alphanumeric keypad, on-board speaker, microphone, camera and 6.4" LCD display complete with Ethernet, wireless LAN, USB and IrDA interface. The platform supports a range of storage devices including hard disk drives and those with a CardBus interface. This platform is modular and configurable. It is designed to provide OEM customers the ability to rapidly integrate, explore and develop end solutions enabling a shorter time-to-market.

"Ittiam has successfully leveraged the high-performance capabilities of TI's DM642 digital media processor," said Pradeep Bardia, video marketing manager, TI. "They have developed a complete and flexible video phone platform for OEMs that should enable significant reduction in product development time", he noted.

Ittiam's IP video phone solution caters to multiple closely related applications for home and enterprise environments. These include stand-alone phones, PC add-on cards and IP set-top boxes for one-on-one communication and video conferencing.

"We believe that the advances in the media processing technology and the availability of bandwidth are going to take video communication out of high-cost conference rooms to desktops at home and at offices", said Mr. Srini Rajam, chairman and chief executive officer of Ittiam Systems. "We have the right combination of media and communication expertise to make that happen", he added.

Ittiam has already initiated development of a next generation solution based on H.264 video compression technology which is scheduled for 4Q04 release. The new solution will enable video communication over increasingly narrow channels including traditional telephone lines.

About Ittiam

Ittiam Systems Private Limited, headquartered in Bangalore, is a technology product company singularly focussed on digital signal processing systems in media and communication. The company operates through its network of offices and representatives around the world. Ittiam's customers include Fortune 100 companies and are distributed across U.S., Europe, Japan and Asia. For more details, visit www.ittiam.com.

Trademark

TMS320DM642 is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments Inc. WMV is copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders.