Israeli firms VDOnet and CheckPoint Software Technologies have announced they will adopt Microsoft’s Pegasus operating system environment for entertainment and multimedia applications. Pegasus, also called Windows CE, is based on an open-standards, allowing connectivity to users with portable terminals and other non-PC electronic devices.
Microsoft recently presented its network multimedia and entertainment distribution system, called NetShow, which allows transmission of similar applications over LAN networks.
VDOnet president Assaf Mor said that his company’s distribution services, and its proprietary Internet video-phone, will be integrated into the NetShow system. "We intend to take advantage of NetShow’s services," he said, adding that, in his opinion, the first LAN video applications will be employee tutorials, as marketing and sales aids, and in the personnel field.
At the same time, CheckPoint announced it has adapted its Firewall 1 product to the new NetShow service, beginning marketing in Q4 ’96. CheckPoint has adapted the heart of its product, proprietary software engine Inspect, allowing clients to implement the Microsoft’s new environment without the need for replacing existing firewalls.
CheckPoint has been able to keep up with the pace set by Microsoft’s Internet systems development. In recent months, the company has presented products suited to Microsoft environments such as Windows NT 4.0, NetMeeting video conferencing software and now the new multimedia environment.
A third Israeli company, Advanced Recognition Technologies (ART), announced it will integrate its SmARTspeak handwriting recognition product to the Windows CE environment.