Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Tue, November 3, 2009 Vivox Uses Polycom HD Voice to Power the World of Online Chat
PLEASANTON, CA and NATICK, MA--(Marketwire - November 3, 2009) - VoiceCon San Francisco -- Vivox Inc., the market leader in voice services for developers of online games, virtual worlds and the social web, delivers voice chat to over 16 million users and supports billions of minutes of chat per month. Having doubled its number of users in the past year, the company expects to see exponential growth in the next 12 months thanks to a growing customer base and its recent launch of the [ Vivox Voice on Facebook ] application. One of Vivox's key differentiators is its high quality voice, which is powered by Polycom, Inc. (
Since launching in 2005, Vivox has become the clear choice for developers and publishers that require a complete communications solution for its community, and the best for its brand. Recognizing the demand for the clearest communications among the gaming community, Vivox chose the Polycom Siren 14 codec for all of its online voice channels. Vivox HD voice chat brings the deepest level of connection and immersion to any experience where a user is engaged with a community. In a world where the stories within games and virtual worlds rival those of cinema and novels, voice renders emotion and imparts power. Quality voice chat is a game changer for players and developers alike who make these worlds and communities come alive, and Vivox is changing that game.
The move to HD Voice is inevitable
Consumer multimedia relies on state-of-the-art technologies to deliver the best end-user experience, and HD Voice is no exception. With the broadcast industry already standardized on HD technology for radio and television as well as the HD experience of MP3 players, iPods, etc., the next essential need for HD is the human voice. Carriers in Europe have already made strides in deliver HD voice over their networks, as stated in the New York Times article, [ Sound of Mobile Calls Gets an Upgrade ].
Polycom, which first introduced HD Voice in its video conferencing systems more than 15 years ago, is also a visionary in delivering HD for voice communications. Polycom introduced its first HD phone in 2003 and is now delivering its entire lineup of [ SoundPoint® IP ] desktop, [ SoundStation IP® ] conference and [ VVX 1500 ] business media phones with built-in support for [ Polycom HD Voice ] and other high definition codecs. Others telephone manufacturers are following suit; business-class phones that don't support HD Voice are rapidly disappearing, and the move to HD Voice across all communications modes is rapidly accelerating.
Highlights / Key Features of the Vivox Solution:
-- Based in Natick, Mass and founded in 2005 -- The leading provider of voice chat services for online games, virtual worlds and the social Web -- Vivox Network is the world's largest voice network for gamers, supporting more than 16 million users in more than 180 countries and delivering over two billion minutes of voice chat a month -- Available on multiple platforms - PC, Mac, Web-based and for the PlayStation®3 console. -- Vivox customers include online game and virtual world developers and publishers such as CCP Games, Electronic Arts, Gaia Online, Icarus Studios, Linden Lab, NCsoft, Realtime Worlds, Sony Online Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast.
Highlights / Key Features of Polycom's royalty-free Siren 14 (G.722.1C) codec:
-- Delivers four times the fidelity of a conventional voice connection for lifelike, vibrant conversations and effects -- Is a low computing power solution ideal for battery powered devices -- Siren 14 requires less than 11 WMOPS (Weighted Million Operations Per Second) for encoder + decoder operation, compared to 100 to 200 WMOPS for competing algorithms -- Polycom Siren 14 can be used with lower-cost processors that consume less battery power such as PDAs, cell phones, or even wristwatches, and saving computing resources for improving video performance -- Low latency results in more natural, spontaneous conversations -- Siren 14 offers 40 millisecond algorithmic delay, using 20 millisecond frame lengths the lowest latency of any super-wideband codec, which means that conversations are more natural and spontaneous -- Handles speech, music and natural sounds with ease -- Polycom Siren 14 handles speech, music, and natural sounds with equal ease - other codecs break up when presented with natural sounds or music -- Low bandwidth requirements enable better video quality -- Operates at low bit rates: 24, 32, and 48 kbps rates leave more data bandwidth available for improved system performance -- Is the only state-of-the-art audio compression with royalty-free license terms -- All other royalty-free audio codecs use techniques from expired patents. Their quality and compression performance is poor compared to current standards.
Quotes:
Jim Toga, Vivox Co-Founder and Vice President of Engineering
"Providing the best online voice experience is our core focus at Vivox. We realize there is absolutely no comparison between standard definition voice and HD Voice, and so it became a matter of choosing the right technology. Polycom Siren 14 allows us to provide the best voice quality on the Web at a low bit rate so that we're not compromising other multimedia components of our clients' products. We looked at a number of HD codecs, and for our purposes, Polycom's Siren technology is the best alternative out there."
Jeff Rodman, Polycom Co-founder and CTO
"I've been promoting HD Voice for more than five years, so I'm very excited to see it gaining traction in the gaming industry. There are a number of codecs available, and Vivox took all of this into consideration in making their selection. Vivox's use of Siren 14 to host their millions of voice channels is fresh validation of the importance of HD Voice in human communication."
Media Opportunities:
-- Come see Polycom HD Voice in action at [ VoiceCon San Francisco ]
-- To learn more about HD Voice, attend the "HD Voice: Hype or Reality?" panel at VoiceCon San Francisco featuring Polycom Co-founder and CTO Jeff Rodman
Moscone Center, Room 120, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2 - 3 p.m.
Useful Links:
-- [ Polycom HD Voice Overview ]
-- [ White Paper - VoIP to 20 kHz: Codec Choices for High Definition Voice Telephony ]
-- [ Hear the Difference ]
-- [ Sound of Mobile Calls Gets an Upgrade ]
Videos / Images:
-- [ Vivox Voice Chat Application for Facebook Tutorial ]
Tags / Keywords:
Polycom, Vivox, HD Voice, Gaming, Facebook, PlayStation3, Second Life, Electronic Arts (EA), Voice Chat, EVE Online, Football Superstars, Everquest, Star Wars Galaxies, Gaia Online
About Vivox, Inc.
Vivox is the leading provider of community-building voice services for online games, virtual worlds and the social web. Supporting over 16 million users in more than 180 countries, and over 2 billion minutes of voice chat per month, the Vivox Network is the world's largest voice network for gamers. Vivox customers include game and virtual world developers and publishers such as CCP Games (EVE Online), EA, Gaia Online, Icarus Studios, Linden Lab (Second Life), NCsoft, Sony Online Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast. For more information on Vivox and the power of voice, visit [ www.vivox.com ].
Follow Vivox news and updates:
Twitter: [ http://www.twitter.com/Vivox_Inc ]
Facebook: [ http://www.facebook.com/vivox ]
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. (
© 2009 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM®, the Polycom "Triangles" logo and the names and marks associated with Polycom's products are trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc. and are registered and/or common law marks in the United States and various other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
