Jump to content

Polycom Enables Acceleration of HD Voice Adoption By Offering Royalty-Free Codec

Industry Visionary Polycom Again Influences the Future of Voice Communications

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Aug 05, 2008 : In a move to demonstrate its continued leadership and commitment to open standards, Polycom, Inc. [Nasdaq: PLCM], the global leader in telepresence, video and voice communications solutions, today announced the royalty-free availability of its wideband Siren™  7 codec (ITU-T G.722.1), enabling businesses worldwide to benefit from Polycom HD Voice® with no licensing fee. Polycom HD Voice helps improve comprehension and productivity by providing natural, free-flowing conversations with vibrant, lifelike quality – making it possible to hear all the nuances of human speech.

Long known for its leadership in voice communications, commitment to open standards and innovative technology, Polycom is extending royalty-free licensing from its Siren™ 14 (ITU-T G.722.1 Annex C) codec to Siren 7. Polycom is offering this popular 7 kHz codec in an effort to help accelerate the adoption of HD Voice, making it easier for businesses around the globe to communicate more effectively and efficiently.

"Polycom is leading the industry in efforts to help customers communicate as clearly as possible," said Jeff Rodman, Polycom co-founder and CTO of the company's Voice Communications Solutions division. "Our HD Voice enables companies large and small to improve their speed of business. In fact, Polycom HD Voice offers more than twice the clarity of regular telephone conversations, and whether we're working with colleagues overseas or down the street, this means much better intelligibility during those conversations."

Many industry followers agree that the proliferation of HD Voice has already begun, and the advantages are undisputed. Consumers already benefit from HD television and radio with its dramatic improvements including sharp, vivid images and extremely high quality audio, but few realize that HD technology can deliver these striking benefits in telephony too. By standardizing on wideband audio, businesses large and small are discovering how this dramatic clarity can transform their voice communications.

Siren 7 has long been a preferred codec for wideband audio because it provides excellent quality audio communications at the half bit rate, or lower, than traditional wideband codecs such as G.722 and L256. Committed to delivering best-in-class, open standards-based technologies in the areas of voice and video conferencing, Polycom now offers Siren 7 via a royalty-free licensing agreement.

To learn more about HD Voice, visit the HD Voice global online community at http://hdvoice.tmcnet.com/.  Detailed Siren 7 information is available at www.siren7.com.

About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM) is the global leader in telepresence, video, and voice solutions and a visionary in communications that empower people to connect and collaborate everywhere. Please visit www.polycom.com for more information.

Polycom reserves the right to modify future product plans at any time. Products and/or related specifications referenced in this press release are not guaranteed, and will be delivered on a when and if available basis.

Polycom and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks, and Siren is a trademark of Polycom in the U.S. and various countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2008, Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contacts

www.polycom.com provides product specific information for telepresence, voice and video conferencing customers in the North America region.

4750 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588-2708, USA. Sales inquiries: 1 800 POLYCOM

© Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.