World’s First Neutral, Cross-Vendor, Cross-Network Global Video Federation Attracts First Five Members

LONDON, June 21, 2011 – XConnect, the leader in next-generation interconnection and ENUM-directory services, today announced it has launched the global Video Interconnection Exchange (VIE) – the world’s first neutral federation for exchanging video calls across networks, operators, service providers, B2B exchanges and vendors.


XConnect LogoWith multiple applications, services and platforms, video communications is a thriving but fragmented community. VIE (pronounced “Vee”) will resolve interoperability and  interconnection challenges by enabling secure, scalable and multi-protocol interworking between disparate video communities, exchanges, networks and devices.

VIE will make video calling as easy as making a voice call – whether using a laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile phone – from anywhere in the world.

By connecting video “islands,” VIE will dramatically accelerate worldwide mass-market adoption of video calling and conferencing by service providers, enterprises and consumers.

VIE launches with five operators, based in the United States and EMEA. Members include telepresence providers, as well as fixed, mobile and Web 2.0 video service providers.

Through one connection to VIE, video-enabled operators will gain immediate multilateral interconnection to each other, with full configurability, control and policy.

Video-enabled operators will significantly boost their video reach globally, leading to an increase in end-user video usage. This increase will help drive revenue and margin growth, delivering competitive advantage and faster customer acquisition.

XConnect’s secure and scalable Interconnect 2.0 services enable next-generation interconnection that supports end-to-end IP sessions. The company uses its advanced ENUM registry technology and provides interworking and transcoding to assure preservation of video sessions. VIE will reduce the cost and operational overhead of interconnecting video services across networks, vendors and platforms.

“Whether users are at home, in the office or on the go with their smartphones or tablets, global demand for video calling is exploding,” said XConnect CEO Eli Katz. “However, today, video services are confined to separate islands, limiting video calling to users within an operator, vendor or platform video community.

“The lack of interconnection between video islands hinders mass adoption of video communications,” Katz added. “XConnect’s VIE is a scalable, secure and policy-based video-interconnection service from a proven, trusted and neutral interconnection partner.”

“Telio is very excited to be a member of XConnect’s Video Interconnection Exchange,” said Telio CTO Alan Duric. “Having already successfully launched video calling, back in 2007, we are now moving to the next level by joining VIE. This will enable us to offer global, cross-network video calling to our customers, by removing the technical burden and challenges of interworking with other video-enabled networks.”

“In our view, a technology-neutral platform for enabling high quality, secure cross-network communications services would go a long way toward encouraging usage of new IP services,” said Andrew Kitson, Senior ICT Research Analyst at Business Monitor International (BMI). “Removing the interconnection constraints of legacy networks will lead to greater and optimised availability and usage of value-added services, such as high-quality cross-network video calling.”

For further information, please visit www.xconnect.net/vie.

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