IRVINE, Calif., June 9, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) - (www.ibchannel.com) -- A $27 million investment from Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen's private investment company sent shares of FVC.com (Nasdaq:FVCX) skyrocketing. As a result of the investment, Allen's company, Vulcan Ventures, owns about 16% of the Internet-based video-conferencing provider. FVC.com, Inc. provides video networking solutions that integrate video with voice and data over existing network infrastructures. The Company's video server products provide a range of critical video services such as multicasting, recording, storage and translation across the Internet and corporate Intranets. The Company's broad product line enables it to deliver end-to-end solutions for enterprise video applications such as distance learning, telemedicine, video marketing and video manufacturing.
Other IP News
VoIP Telecom, Inc. (OTCBB:VOPT) and VoIPIndustry.com, Inc. will launch the worlds first VoIP Portal and VoIP Industry Consortium. VoIP Telecom, Inc.'s strategic plan is to utilize VoIPIndustry.com to build a leading global consortium of Voice over Internet Protocol industry leaders. VoIP Industry.com, "The VoIP Industry Connection", is a virtual Community that offers a broad array of Voice over Internet portal products and services. The VoIP Portal will feature:
-- Telecom Exchange Trading Systems similar to Ratexchange.com (OTCBB:RATX) and Min-X.com to provide the telecommunications industry with reduced time and cost of selling, buying and delivering bandwidth and long distance.
-- Telecom procurement systems similar to Commerce One's Trading Community
-- A broad array of portal services including the VoIP Industry Consortium, hardware, software, research, news, and stock analysis.
-- VoIP Industry Consortium - An international VoIP advocacy group
The VoIP Industry Consortium is similar to other successful industry consortiums such as ASPIndustry.com, whose founders include ASP industry leaders FutureLink and Cisco Systems. The ASP Industry Consortium was launched in May 1999 as an international advocacy group of 25 companies who came together to promote the application service provider industry by sponsoring research and educating the marketplace. The consortium recently marked its first anniversary with nearly 500 member companies. Since the launch, ASP Industry Consortium spokespersons have been quoted in hundreds of stories around the world, reaching an estimated billion-plus readers and viewers. . In addition, the International Telecommunications Union has invited the ASP Industry Consortium to become a member and help educate the telecommunications community worldwide, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, about the benefits of the ASP model. The VoIP Industry Consortium welcomes involvement by a broad spectrum of participants. Any organization that has an interest in furthering the awareness and growth of the VoIP industry is eligible to join the Consortium. VoIP Industry Consortium members will set the direction of the VoIP industry and create business opportunities together. Members will have access to research sponsored by the consortium and access to the consortium's framework of best practices for delivering VoIP solutions.
Just Say No To Internet Taxes
eVoice, Inc., the leading provider of Internet-enabled voice services to consumers, has joined the fight against HR 1291, a bill that allows the FCC to regulate Internet telephony, by co-sponsoring the Internet Freedom Rally in Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2000. Others sponsoring the rally to help draw attention to telecom lobby efforts that threaten new taxes on the Internet include pulver.com, Dialpad.com, Net2phone (Nasdaq:NTOP), I-Link, Firetalk Communications and VocalTec Communications. The rally is a response to recent actions by the US Telephone Association to lobby for a last minute amendment to HR 1291 that specifically allows the FCC to regulate Internet telephony. The result represented a complete reversal of the bill's original goal of banning telephone access fees through ISP's.
"As a voice portal with over one million subscribers, eVoice knows that Internet telephony is a powerful and affordable communication tool that has thrived without excessive regulation," said Bruce Crair, president and COO at eVoice. "We will do everything we can to ensure that every American continues to have free and unfettered access to opportunities provided by Void. Taxing and regulating Internet telephony is not only bad for consumers, it stifles competitiveness and endangers the continued development of a vital and growing industry."
eVoice, Inc., based in Menlo Park, CA, is the leading provider of free home voicemail and Internet-enabled voice services for consumers. Launched on May 2, 2000, eVoice is the first and only service available nationwide that can answer home and small business phones. eVoice's nationwide distributed network is built on the firm's patent-pending network technology and is designed to be feature-rich and highly scalable. eVoice's mission is to provide voice communications, content and commerce to consumers worldwide. Founded in 1998, eVoice has raised more than $50 million in venture funding from idealab!, Nokia Venture Partners, Worldview Technology Partners and Oak Investment Partners. Please visit our disclaimer at www.ibchannel.com