The first public demonstration of new voice and vision technology for the internet will take place in Hove tomorrow.
Talk 'n' view provides a real-time link between a potential purchaser looking at sales information on a company web site and a customer service representative.
The system, developed by Centacom of Hove, will be shown at an information technology workshop organised by Southwick-based e-advantage solutions at the Sussex Yacht Club, Shoreham Harbour.
Chairman of Centacom Mike Ayers said interest in the technology had been rising rapidly, both locally and globally.
He added: "The e-advantage workshop is our first public step into the local arena but we are currently in negotiation with several large companies, ranging from Australasia and China to America and, naturally, the UK.
"Predictions within the telephony industry envisage the number of internet protocol phones will exceed the number of analogue or digital voice phones by 2004.
"Some of the large international companies we are talking to are considering incorporating our technology into new solutions and applications to prepare themselves for this new revolution."
Members of the workshop audience will be able to experiment with the system, using web sites linked to the Centacom customer service centre live at the event. They will be able to pretend to buy cars, houses, holidays and finance while chatting with sales advisers about the products.
Director of e-advantage Cliff Jenkins said: "The aim is to inform local managing directors how the latest software can improve their businesses in ways never before possible. This is where Centacom's talk 'n' view solution comes in. They are a local company producing technology that will change the way companies do business over the internet."
Sussex County Cricket Club, one of the first ventures to sign up for talk 'n' view, uses the technology to promote membership and corporate hospitality facilities.
To book a place at the free workshop contact Peter Jenkins, of e-advantage. email: peter. jenkins@e-adv.co.uk or telephone 01273 708433.
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