PictureTel Offers to Coordinate Video Conferencing Support for Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Efforts

Yahoo! News, 9/12/01

Videoconferencing Vendor Invites Industry Partners and Customers to Provide Resources for Telemedicine, Disaster Relief Coordination, and Survivor Communication Efforts.

ANDOVER, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 12, 2001—Establishing Reference Site for Available Videoconference Locations.

PictureTel® Corporation (NASDAQ: PCTL - news), the world leader in integrated collaboration, today announced a series of measures to aid relief efforts related to yesterday's terrorist attacks.

To help families and businesses connect, PictureTel has invited its business partners and customers to contribute to a central reference site where individuals, organizations, and businesses can find information about locations where they can use existing video conferencing rooms.

The facilities may be utilized for communication with distant family members, or to aid in the business crisis planning process.

Any individual or organization interested in utilizing a conference room for humanitarian or victim relief purposes can review the full list of donated sites, which will be posted at www.picturetel.com under the tab “Video Relief.”

PictureTel is donating its own video conferencing facilities around the world for those affected. The company is also offering loaner video conferencing equipment, including wireless solutions and technical support personnel to emergency management organizations, hospitals, and humanitarian relief groups to support telemedicine and relief coordination.

“We urge our partners, our competitors, and our customers to open the doors of their video conference rooms so that individuals can use existing video conferencing capabilities to communicate with loved ones, and businesses can start the re-building process,” states Lew Jaffe, president and chief operating officer.

Organizations that wish to contribute use of their site(s) should complete an information form in the Video Relief section of www.picturetel.com, or e-mail site information including exact address, contact name, and telephone number to showcase@pictel.com, or send the same information by fax, 978-292-3327.

“Over the past day we have experienced a tremendous outpouring of support for this program,” adds Jaffe. “Colleagues from around the world and across the country have responded to our request - offering the use of conference rooms and video conferencing technology for anyone who might need assistance in communicating with loved ones or business partners.

“The global impact of this tragedy is shown by the offers of help coming from countries as diverse as Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Thailand, and Lithuania, as well as from all the countries represented in the European Union. We have begun work with local hospitals helping coordinate remote physician consultations via video conference and we will continue to focus on providing additional support in this area.”

About PictureTel

PictureTel Corporation (NASDAQ: PCTL - news) is the world leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a full range of visual- and audio- collaboration platforms.

PictureTel markets network conferencing servers in addition to the complete range of end-point products and delivers a global capability to service, support, and provide complete solutions for customers needing rich media communications. PictureTel is fundamentally in the business of eliminating the barrier of distance, enabling people to be Anywhere Now.™

This release includes projections and other forward-looking statements about the company's revenues, earnings, and other measures of economic performance.

Actual results could differ materially from forecasts due to many factors such as, for example, competitive pressures, changes in technology, the difficulty in forecasting in overseas markets and indirect channels, or changes in or failure to consummate our announced strategic transaction.

Additional information concerning risks that could cause actual results to differ is contained in the company's annual report on Form 10-K and its Form 10-Q as filed with the SEC. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PictureTel is a registered trademark of PictureTel Corporation. PictureTel 900 Series, PictureTel 550, PictureTel 600 Series, iPower Dual Images, ImageShare and Anywhere Now are trademarks of PictureTel Corporation. All other terms and products names may be trademark or registered trademarks of their respective owners.