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NAT Conferencing Solution AnnouncedSorenson Vision introduces Sorenson GlassesTM, software that enables desktop video conferencing for users without a public IP address |  |
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, September 11, 2000 -- Today, Sorenson Vision Inc. announced Sorenson Glasses, a breakthrough software product that enables full-featured Internet desktop conferencing for users behind a network address translation (NAT) device. Glasses' patent-pending technology solves a problem long felt by users and system administrators alike. NAT technology alters the addressing of data packets as they move between the Internet and a user's private network. Internet video conferencing from behind a NAT is problematic because the NAT effectively blocks all incoming calls. "This new product was conceived to help two groups of users," says Ray Brooksby, Sorenson Vision's chief operating officer, "those who can't conference because their NAT devices prevent it, and those who want to install a NAT but haven't because it would cripple their existing conferencing capabilities." With Glasses, Brooksby says, people can have their NAT and conference too. The H.323 standard, approved in 1996 by the International Telecommunications Union, forms an architecture of interoperability for Internet-based conferencing products such as Sorenson's EnVisionTM and Microsoft's NetMeeting. A computer behind a NAT doesn't have a public address, and is essentially invisible to the Internet. Sorenson Glasses uses proxy and port forwarding technology to work with a NAT, allowing conferencing data to get to the intended recipient. The roots of the problem go back almost thirty years, to when the creators of TCP/IP chose 32-bit addressing to route information in what eventually would become the Internet. Back then, 4.3 billion possible addresses seemed like more than enough. Today, with about half of those addresses already taken and the pace of new connections rapidly escalating, experts predict that the well of 32-bit addresses will dry up within the decade. Network address translation was conceived to put off this day of reckoning, which some consider the computer industry's "next Y2K." With a NAT, private users connect to the Internet through a proxy machine. Besides minimizing the need for IP addresses, which are getting more and more expensive, a NAT also helps protect internal data from prying eyes outside. Glasses was developed primarily for users of EnVision, Sorenson Vision's award-winning desktop conferencing system, but its enabling technology will impact the entire PC-conferencing industry. "As personal conferencing gained more and more momentum, it became clear that the NAT problem needed an immediate, effective solution," says Brooksby. The "NAT problem" is not Sorenson-specific. According to Brooksby, people using H.323 conferencing products from companies like PictureTel, VTEL, VCON, and Microsoft all face the same challenge. "Our users asked us to address the problem, but everybody benefits from the solution," Brooksby says. Sorenson Vision expects Glasses to ship during the fourth quarter of 2000. Glasses will be bundled with Sorenson EnVision, sold as a standalone solution, and packaged with third-party server products. About Sorenson EnVisionSorenson EnVision is a full-featured desktop collaboration system which allows people to see and hear each other as they work together over any IP or modem connection. More than a mere video telephone, EnVision also boasts integrated document sharing and file transfer capabilities, as well as a built-in white board and chat box. EnVision is compliant with international standards for both IP (H.323) and modem-to-modem (H.324) conferencing, interoperating with other compliant products. The product operates on Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000, and can be installed on computers from Pentium 90 and faster. About Sorenson Vision Inc.Sorenson Vision Inc. is a privately held company based in Logan, Utah. The firm was founded by noted businessman James L. Sorenson, who holds dozens of patents in a variety of fields from medicine to multimedia. In the computer industry, Sorenson is well known as the name behind the Sorenson Video QuickTime codec, generally accepted as the best video compression technology for the Internet. Among Sorenson's other companies are Sorenson Media, Sorex Medical, and DataChem Laboratories. More information about Sorenson Vision and Glasses can be found on the company's website at All products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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