AVISTAR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION 
By The new patents are part of the 10 foreign and domestic Avistar patents covering real-time communications that have been issued since early September. These 10 new patents nearly double Avistar's existing 13 patents in the real-time communications area, adding valuable new coverage involving text IM, VoIP, desktop video conferencing, as well as wireless communications, mobile devices, directories and servers used to provide these services. The resulting 23 patents share priority dates of 1993 and cover a vast array of essential aspects of real-time communications.
All of these recent patents have been explicitly allowed over the prior
art and arguments submitted to the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) by Microsoft
Corporation in its re-examination challenge of Avistar's entire U.S. patent
portfolio, initiated in
Additionally, Avistar's recently granted real-time communications European
patent applications have subsequently been nationalized in the U.K.,
Three other foreign and domestic patent applications have been allowed and will be issued in the next several months; these will cover additional aspects of real-time communications as well as software, systems and applications relating to popular and enterprise on-line recorded video services.
"These new patents, which apply to service offerings and products
involving two or more real-time communications services, continue to expand
Avistar's intellectual property coverage. Since the early 1990s, Avistar has
been a pioneer in unified communications, and the latest patents involve
real-time communications, an area that will continue to grow in importance for
the industry. We believe that our current portfolio represents the world's
most comprehensive and deepest IP holdings in this rapidly growing commercial
area. From a product perspective, our commitment to research and development
means that our customers continue to get the latest technology, allowing us to
set the pace for the industry," said
Avistar makes its intellectual property available to potential partners
and licensees through an active licensing program. Inquiries for licensing
these or any other Avistar patents may be directed to
About Avistar Communications Corporation
Avistar (Nasdaq: AVSR) creates technology that provides the missing critical element in unified communications: bringing people in organizations face-to-face, through enhanced communications, for true collaboration anytime, anyplace. Its latest product, Avistar C3, draws on more than a decade of market experience to deliver a single-click desktop videoconferencing and collaboration experience that moves business communications into a new era. Available as a stand-alone solution, or integrated with existing unified communications software from other vendors, Avistar C3 provides users instant messaging-style ability to initiate video communications across and outside the enterprise. Patent protected dynamic bandwidth management enables thousands of users to access desktop videoconferencing, VoIP and streaming media, without requiring substantial new network investment or impairing network performance.
Avistar's desktop videoconferencing and collaboration installations are among the world's largest, including commitments of more than 100,000 desktop seats to be deployed in over 40 countries in the coming years. Clients report as much as a 20 percent reduction in travel expense and carbon emissions, increases in productivity and immeasurably improved relationship building within their organizations, as well as with suppliers and customers. Avistar holds a portfolio of 92 patents for inventions in video and network technology and licenses IP to videoconferencing, rich-media services, public networking and related industries. Current licensees include IBM Corporation, Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), Polycom, Inc., Tandberg ASA, Radvision Ltd., LifeSize Communications, Inc. and Emblaze-VCON.
For more information, visit http://www.avistar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this news release that are not purely historical, including but not limited to the statement regarding the issuance of three allowed European patent applications over the next several months, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including such factors, among others, as the technical, administrative and financial challenges associated with obtaining, defending and monetizing Avistar's intellectual property rights. As a result of these and other factors, Avistar expects to experience significant fluctuations in revenue and operating results, and there can be no assurance that Avistar will become or remain profitable in the future, or that its future results will meet expectations.
These and other risk factors are discussed in Avistar's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Avistar disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Avistar Communications Corporation
