Versit Initiative Issues First Specifications, Launches World-Wide Web Site
NEW YORK — May 23, 1995 — Versit(TM), a global initiative formed in November by Apple, AT&T, IBM and Siemens, today announced the open availability of its first specifications intended to promote interoperability among existing and emerging communications and information products. Now available are:
1) The Versit Personal Data Interchange Specification, a common format for exchanging information such as electronic business cards via wired or wireless connections; and
2) The Versit GeoPort(TM) Universal Network Port, a high-speed wired connection and communications architecture for computers, mobile devices and telephones.
These specifications are the first of several to be issued by Versit in the areas of personal data interchange, computer-telephony integration, and collaboration. They are openly available without license or royalty fees to help equipment manufacturers and software developers build computers, telephones and other communications and information devices, services and applications that make it easy for users to collaborate and exchange voice, data, images and video across a diversity of platforms. Through these specifications, software developers and equipment manufacturers can gain access to larger markets at reduced development cost.
Personal Data Interchange (PDI)
The Versit PDI specification provides a cross-platform solution for the exchange of personal information and defines an electronic business card called a Versitcard(TM). With Versitcards, users will be able to electronically exchange such information as name, address, phone number and electronic mail IDs, or even "URLs", the Universal Resource Locators that help people find specific areas on the Internet World Wide Web easily. Using products and applications that incorporate Versitcard, users could, for example, exchange electronic business cards at a meeting and store these Versitcards in their computer or PDA's address book without having to rekey the data. In an integrated computer-telephony environment, users might exchange their Versitcards on the electronic "table" at the start of a desktop video and data conference.
Versitcards will be carried in universal electronic "containers" called Bentograms, based on Bento(TM), an object-oriented technology that is the OpenDoc Standard Interchange Format for storage and exchange of data. Devices with more limited processing power such as as organizers, pagers and home answering machines could receive such information via containers called Simplegrams; developers could use them and Bentograms to create other types of applications as well, such as cards holding calendar information that could be exchanged electronically.
Device Connectivity and Computer-Telephony Integration
Also available today is the hardware specification for the Versit GeoPort computer-telephone connection, which provides up to 200 times the bandwidth of traditional serial ports. As a foundation technology for the integration of personal computers with telephone systems, it allows users access to the full digital capabilities of their PBX systems through their personal computer and provides a superior, dedicated, cross-platform solution for combining voice and real-time multimedia. The Versit GeoPort architecture, based on Apple's GeoPort technology, will allow users to dial phone calls, receive voice mail, access the Internet, transfer files or conduct voice/video/data conferences, using their desktop or mobile computers.
GeoPort currently ships on Apple's Power Macintosh systems. All four Versit founders; AOX Inc.; Crystal Semiconductor Corp.; Cypress Research Corp.; Motorola Inc.; SAT Groupe SAGEM and Zilog Inc., have announced support for GeoPort. The hardware volume of the specification is available now, and the software volume will be available this summer.
Specifications Available Via World Wide Web Site
Both specifications are available now through Versit's new World Wide Web home page on the Internet at http://www.versit.com. This home page will have links to the home pages of the Versit founders, will feature educational columns and answers to frequently asked questions about Versit, and will offer the industry a forum for discussion of interoperability issues.
The specifications and info@versit.com.
Through development and promotion of such open, cross-platform specifications, the Versit founders intend to accelerate availability of interoperable products and services from competing vendors. Versit's mission is to publish specifications to address computing and communications interoperability issues, and to make them widely available to the industry. (versit is a trademark of Apple, AT&T, IBM and Siemens. All other brand names mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.)
CONTACT:
AT&T GBCS
Jo Johnston, 908/953-7525
or
Press Contacts:
Apple Computer: Julie Karbo, 415/513-0974
AT&T: Kevin Compton, 408/452-3966
IBM: Glenn Rossman, 914/766-1711
Siemens: Alice Andors, 202/434-4820