Clear-Com's Concert Version 2.6 Makes Debut at InfoComm 2011

Clear-Com is demonstrating its Clear-Com Concert Version 2.6 Intercom-over-IP Communications Solution at InfoComm 2011 (Booth 349). Concert, which provides professional voice conferencing and intercom capabilities over the Internet or a standard local area network, is enhanced with several new features to expand upon its compatibility, intelligibility, and ease of use.

Concert offers a communication solution for professional work groups, distant learning programs, virtual event organizations, and similar applications to conduct high-quality group or individual conferences from their personal computers. Users can simply scroll through their contact list and click on the appropriate name to connect with that individual via a call, chat box or both simultaneously. Moreover, a user can drag-and-drop multiple contacts into a group conference call. New to Version 2.6 is the option for users to purchase a server which is already pre-loaded with the Concert 2.6 software. This allows for an easy installation process with minimal IT knowledge.

Another first for Concert 2.6 is support for MAC and Windows 7 platforms, allowing more people in an organization to access the system. For improved communication, Concert now offers echo cancellation, which negates microphone feedback. This provides users with the option of utilizing a headset or a computer's built-in mic - a handy feature when calling in from the road. In addition, important messages can automatically interrupt an ongoing program feed that may be heard by many users.

"Concert has truly defined Intercom-over-IP with its ability to seamlessly integrate with traditional intercom systems and external audio interfaces over standard IP networks, making it at home in boardrooms as well as theaters and production spaces," says Patrick Menard, product manager of Concert at Clear-Com. "With Version 2.6, we continue to evolve this system, giving enterprise and similar users even more options for communicating, helping them focus on the subjects of their communications, not technology."

Also new for Concert 2.6 is the automatic client software update function which posts an alert directly on the Concert user interface every time a new version of the client software becomes available. The administrator has the option to designate where updates are downloaded from, whether it be the Clear-Com website or the user's local server.

Concert can easily interface with external audio systems, including party-line systems, paging systems, program feeds and other matrix systems using a four-wire interface over a standard IP network, providing a seamless communications network. The product informs users about their contacts' call availability, allowing users to invite others into already proceeding conferences and enabling ad-hoc parallel conferences. Modes of available communications include talk-and-listen, listen-only and text messaging.

Concert is based on Clear-Com's revolutionary I.V.Core technology, a suite of IP technologies at the heart of the system. I.V.Core delivers low latency through the use of an intelligent decision engine that routes only the audio packets containing needed voice information. The use of wideband CODECs is enabled by a highly optimized design that eliminates multiple encode/decode cycles to ensure superb audio quality, the company says. Encryption, noise-reduction, and error-recovery through proprietary algorithms have been optimized for human voice characteristics.

Current Concert users can download the Concert 2.6 updates from the company's website.