Hermosa Beach, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2006 -- Accordent Technologies (http://www.accordent.com), a leading developer of software and hardware solutions for creating, managing and publishing online rich-media presentations announced today the availability of version 2.0 of the Accordent Capture Station.

The Accordent Capture Station is an all-in-one hardware and software capture device that enables presenters of any technical level to create compelling rich media presentations that can include live or on demand streaming media, as well as synchronized images captured from any VGA-enabled device, including document cameras, projectors, and electronic whiteboards.

The new version features upgraded hardware from IBM that improves processor speed and reliability and ships with a standard three year onsite warranty. Version 2.0 of the Capture Station software features an integrated RGB capture preview screen, support for the MPEG-4 codec, the ability to automatically start and stop the capture process as well as enhanced presentation editing capabilities.

IBM Hardware Benefits
The next generation Capture Station ships on hardware from IBM with an Intel 2.8 GHZ Dual Core Processor, 512 MB RAM, 80 Gigabyte Hard Drive, and a DVD-ROM / CD-RW drive. Should any of the IBM hardware fail or malfunction, the next generation Capture Station ships with a three-year onsite warranty from IBM, ensuring that it will be repaired or replaced at no cost. Accordent is also offering a mobile upgrade kit for the next generation Capture Station, which includes a 17-inch flat panel monitor and wheeled carrying case.

Capture Station v2.0 Benefits
In addition to a new hardware platform, Accordent released version 2.0 of the Accordent Capture Station software. In the new version, administrators have the ability to remotely provision resources such as classrooms and encoders as well as automatically stop and start the presentation capture process from a centralized location with Accordent’s Event Scheduling & Notification module.

Also for version 2.0, Accordent and vBrick have integrated the Accordent Capture Station and vBrick’s EtherneTV product line, allowing users to leverage the MPEG-4 video codec for their rich media presentations. Other feature upgrades include an integrated RGB preview window, allowing users to adjust the images captured via RGB input in order to optimize image quality before beginning their presentation.

PresenterPLUS v3.0 Benefits
A new version of the on-board presentation editing tool, PresenterPLUS version 3.0, is included and features a significant upgrade to the presentation editing workflow in order to meet the unique requirements of Capture Station users. A thumbnail editing view now allows editors to view, delete, edit and add synchronized assets, such as images captured via VGA input, by viewing and manipulating thumbnail-sized previews of each asset. This view simplifies the process of finding and editing relevant information, which can be challenging for presentations with hundreds or even thousands of synchronized assets.

“While version one of the Capture Station exceeded expectations on every level, from sales to customer satisfaction, version 2.0 is a much more powerful product,” said Jereme Pitts, Senior Vice President, Sales at Accordent Technologies. “The key hardware enhancements provide dramatically increased speed and reliability while the software enhancements, from content management and editing to resource provisioning, enable the Capture Station to play a vital role in the online communication strategies of organizations around the world, not only today, but for years to come.”

Launched in February of 2005, the Accordent Capture Station has been purchased by over 100 universities, corporations and government agencies. Universities and colleges, the largest market for the Capture Station, primarily use the Capture Station to capture lectures and make them available for on-demand viewing. Other rapidly growing market segments include the corporate and government sectors, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations, where rich media webcasts are being integrated with everyday essential communication tools such as videoconferencing in order to reduce costs and communicate more effectively.

“I install integrated smart rooms that use rich media webcasts for a wide variety of organizations,” says Lenny Ferreira of FullView Media. “It is great to have a device like the Capture Station that seamlessly integrates with other audio-visual products like video conferencing and projector units while providing the same high degree of reliability and value as the other established brands that I’ve been installing for years.”