January 27, 1995
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
InSoft, Inc. is first to market with the only
collaborative and desktop conferencing application
development environment that enables 3rd-party and
corporate application developers to write interoperable
collaborative and conferencing functionality directly
into their software solutions.
Called OpenDVE, the new application development
toolkit is a robust suite of application programming
interfaces (APIs), libraries and management functions,
packaged with comprehensive documentation, support and
marketing programs. OpenDVE is based on the InSoft Digital Video Everywhere
(DVE) software architecture that enables true
interoperability between supported Windows and UNIX
desktops, video boards and networks such as Ethernet,
ATM, FDDI, Frame Relay, SMDS and ISDN.
According to Daniel L. Harple, Jr., Chairman & CEO
of InSoft, OpenDVE represents a significant step toward
accelerating mainstream deployment of collaborative
computing and desktop conferencing applications within
diverse enterprise environments by licensing the InSoft
environment to the application development community.
"There is no question that over the next few
years native collaborative functionality within all
networked applications will be mainstream," Harple
said. "However, no other development platform
enables collaboration and conferencing across
heterogeneous desktops and networks, while maintaining
the 'openness' to incorporate emerging technologies and
standards such as native ATM functionality or consortium
initiatives.
"These are the key-value propositions for
developers who write to OpenDVE. In addition to platform
and network interoperability, OpenDVE eliminates
'obsolescence risks' associated with rapidly changing
technologies and standards that impact desktop
collaboration and conferencing. Application developers
can protect their own programming investment, while
leveraging their customers' existing infrastructure
investment and providing a seamless upgrade path as new
infrastructures, such as, broadband networks get put in
place," Harple said.
OpenDVE developers can also write and market custom
modules, or Plugins, for their applications or InSoft Communique!
licensed users. Plugins provide enhanced functionality to
the developer's OpenDVE-enabled collaborative and
conferencing application, and can be integrated into
installed Communique! conference users.
Examples of OpenDVE-based Plugins include enhanced
image capture and viewing modules for telemedicine and
CAD applications, automated Help modules for customer
support applications, speed dial
"Hoot-n-Holler" modules for trading and
financial applications, and remote camera control for
executive conferencing environments.
OpenDVE Overview, Productization and Pricing
Key Programming Advantages
Before the release of the OpenDVE, a developer of
business applications would have to master the low-level
functions of the operating system, network interfaces,
and audio and video subsystems.
This daunting task of developing collaborative
applications is complicated considerably if the developer
is also required to write an application to interoperate
across several hardware and software platforms.
The OpenDVE programming interfaces provide the
programmer with a platform- and subsystem-independent set
of system services that provide collaborative
functionality in an interoperable manner.
OpenDVE interfaces are straightforward and intuitive.
With a relatively short learning curve, the application
programmer can add collaborative features to existing
applications or create totally new collaborative or
conferencing applications.
Using the OpenDVE interfaces, the programmer is
protected from the complexity of:
- Managing bandwidth utilization
- Establishing conferences and managing membership
- Handling data and event distribution
- Providing whiteboard functionality
- Integrating diverse networks
- Integrating diverse industry standard video and
audio components
The programmer focuses on the value-add of the
specific application, not on recreating the basic
functionality of collaborative computing.
Productization
All of InSoft's applications, such as Communique!
4.1, are examples of OpenDVE-enabled solutions. As a
result, the Communique! 4.1 collaborative and
conferencing modules, such as, shared White Board, the
Chat Tool, Audio Tool and Video Tool are packaged as
separate Plugins and are available for licensing by the
developer with their OpenDVE-developed application. An
application can support several Plugins.
Supported Platforms
- 486 or Pentium-class PCs running Windows 3.1 or
above
- Sun Microsystems SPARC and compatibles running
Solaris 1.1 and above
- HP 9000 Series 700s running HP-UX
- IBM RS/6000 RISC and PowerPC-based systems/AIX
- Digital Alpha AXP running OSF/1
Pricing and Programs
Commercial OpenDVE Developer Licenses begin at $12995
and include:
- Developer's Reference Guide
- User Manual
- Sample Code
- Telephone support
- A 3-day training course for 1 programmer.
InSoft Collaboration Engine and Plugin licensing costs
vary according to platform and volume. Corporate
Developer and Educational Developer programs are also
available.
As part of the OpenDVE Developer Program, InSoft has
cooperative marketing programs that allow developers to:
- license their applications to InSoft for resale
- leverage additional cross-licensing opportunities
with other OpenDVE applications and InSoft Communique!
users
- utilize InSoft marketing communications and
strategic selling programs.
InSoft is a worldwide leader in the technology and
sales of collaborative computing development tools, and
desktop conferencing and distributed digital video
applications. Its products are marketed directly to
commercial and government end-users, through leading
systems manufacturers and value-added resellers, for
applications such as financial services, computer-aided
design, engineering and exploration, telemedicine/health
care, entertainment, legal, telecommunications, and a
myriad of other information technology applications.
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