Intel has a crack at computer telephony

Steve Grobman, an Intel director of business-client architecture said the next phase of PC telephony is not to lower communications costs but add new features.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Intel is working on ideas that will give broader access to online meetings with TiVo-style playback, instant captioning of conversations and translation into multiple languages.

It also wants to make improvements to the quality of calls and improve security and reliability. By 2008, Grobman expects to add an isolated layer of software called a "collaboration virtual appliance." Once installed, the crash of a PC's main operating system wouldn't interrupt a VOIP call or conference.

Other tools could include identification of the the current speaker during a conference call, or to mute a participant who is generating background noise. Grobman said that he would like to see automatic transcription or translation of conferences.

The technology could be coming out of last year's partnership with Voice over IP outfits such as Skype and Jajah.

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