PictureTel Announces ‘Universidade De Sao Paulo’ Harnesses the PictureTel 900 Series Integrated Collaboration Platform for Distance Learning
PictureTel(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:PCTL), the world leader in integrated collaboration, announced today that The “Universidade de Sao Paulo” (USP), the largest institute of higher education and research in South America, and the third largest in Latin America, has deployed the PictureTel 900 SeriesINTO as part of the university’s distance learning program at “Escola Politecnica” (EPUSP), its engineering school.
Videoconferencing enables the University to expand research and learning opportunities to thousands of remotely located students. The PictureTel 900 Series utilizes the next-generation iPower( integrated collaboration architecture, developed jointly by PictureTel and Intel.
EPUSP purchased the systems for approximately $200,000USD, from PictureTel partner Siemens Brazil. Siemens is among the leading companies in Brazil’s electric and electronic sector, with business activities in the areas of energy, transportation, information and communications, industry, health care, automotive systems and lighting.
The “Universidade de Sao Paulo,” with six campuses in Sao Paulo, Bauru, Piracicaba, Pirassununga, Ribeirao Preto, and Sao Carlos, Brazil, maintains a core curriculum focused in the areas of education, science, technology, and the arts. Escola Politecnica was founded in 1893 and counts on 15 Teaching and Research Departments in nine buildings, 2,000 m2 of laboratory space, 16,500 m2 of classroom space and eight libraries.
496 professors, 420 of which are PhDs, teach 4,376 undergraduate students in 32 undergraduate courses, plus 16 Master Degree courses, 16 Doctorate courses, and continued education programs.
EPUSP is utilizing the PictureTel 900 Series to connect professors, students, and physicians from INCOR, the largest Latin America Hospital of the Heart, to conduct research and facilitate training for remotely located participants. The videoconferencing systems were deployed by EPUSP’s Laboratory of Computer and Architecture Network (LARC), as part of the Poli Virtual network, whose implementation was under LARC’s coordination.
LARC has also been responsible for several major projects in the network area, such as Internet 2. The Poli Virtual network is connected to the main fiber optics ring of Sao Paulo – the ring’s core of the Internet 2 backbone for the city – that connects others institutions, such as INCOR, to the University.
“As one of the most influential educational institutions in Latin America, it is imperative EPUSP continue to implement creative strategies to reach an increasingly diverse student body,” says Dr. Antonio de Aguirra Massola, Dean of the Escola Politecnica of Universidade de Sao Paulo. “Our evolution to an integrated collaboration learning environment was a natural extension of our new Poli Virtual network. The PictureTel 900 Series enables us to not only involve students, professors, and health and scientific professionals, but the system’s ability to integrate key material into the learning environment allows us to pull in critical on-going research into our classes. Our vast storehouse of material is now instantly accessible to students – and to scientists conducting powerful new research. The learning environment has been greatly enhanced and provides a critical advantage to our students.”
The iPower architecture, as embodied in the PictureTel 900 Series products, is a breakthrough technology that finally gives users as much power and flexibility to share information in a meeting with remote sites as most users enjoy in meetings at one location. Full resolution slides and PC information is simply provided at all sites with the touch of a button. Complete, full-resolution interaction with the user’s LAN or the Internet is a built in feature.
The systems feature the most powerful system management capabilities of any product in this class of communications equipment.
“PictureTel’s iPower solutions, including the PictureTel 900 Series, provide an ideal environment for data intensive classroom experiences,” says Dr. Norman Gaut, chairman and CEO at PictureTel Corporation. “High level research applications are easily accessed and results shared with remote class participants. But not only is this material a critical part of learning, but professors, students, and researchers benefit from the highest quality audio and video – providing a seamless, natural, effortless learning environment.”
About PictureTel
PictureTel Corporation (NASDAQ: PCTL) is the world leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a full range of visual- and audio- collaboration platforms. PictureTel markets network conferencing servers in addition to the complete range of end-point products and delivers a global capability to service, support, and provide complete solutions for customers needing rich media communications.
PictureTel is fundamentally in the business of eliminating the barrier of distance, enabling people to be Anywhere NowCorporation.
This release includes projections and other forward-looking statements about the company’s revenues, earnings, and other measures of economic performance. Actual results could differ materially from forecasts due to many factors such as, for example, competitive pressures, changes in technology, the difficulty in forecasting in overseas markets and indirect channels, or changes in or failure to consummate our announced strategic transaction.
Additional information concerning risks that could cause actual results to differ is contained in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K and its Form 10-Q as filed with the SEC. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
PictureTel is a registered trademark of PictureTel Corporation. PictureTel 900 Series, iPower, and Anywhere Now are trademarks of PictureTel Corporation.
All other terms and products names may be trademark or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
