SUDBURY, Mass., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- FOCUS Enhancements, Inc.
(Nasdaq: FCSE, FCSEW; BSE: FCS, FCSW) announced today that Apple Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) will utilize FOCUS' PC-to-TV technology. FOCUS has designed a custom PC-to-TV converter for Apple to install internally in an undisclosed percentage of Macintosh CPUs. The agreement is valued at approximately $2 million for FOCUS fiscal '97.
In 1995, Apple marketed and sold over 100,000 of FOCUS Enhancements' earlier PC-to-TV designs called the L-TV Portable Pro. Today, new FOCUS Enhancements designs have reduced the cost significantly, while dramatically improving the benefits and features. In fiscal '96, Apple represented less than 3% of FOCUS' annual revenue. In fiscal '97 Apple is projected to represent less than 10% of annual revenue.
"We are delighted to resume our relationship with Apple," commented FOCUS President and CEO, Thomas L. Massie. "To have Apple utilize this technology, a key customer requirement, validates our belief that the PC-to-TV convergence is here. Apple has always preceded the rest of the market in integrating cutting edge multi-media functionality into their computers."
According to Gary Lieber, Marketing Manager of Apple Computer, "This agreement is representative of Apple's strategy to remain a step ahead in the integration of audio-visual capabilities with personal computers. We see PC- to-TV technology extending the multi-media revolution where Apple, along with FOCUS, is paving the way."
FOCUS is currently in the final design stages of its add-in board for Apple. A complete feature set for the Apple CPUs has not been disclosed. Sources say that the board will offer Apple users the option to integrate their computer with any television set, whether it is computer ready or not.
FOCUS also plans to market the add-in board through Apple resellers as a stand alone upgrade kit called the TView Classmate, part of the TView family of PC- to-TV products.
The multi-million dollar PC-to-TV technology agreements with Zenith Electronics Corporation and Apple Computer, Inc. represent the success FOCUS has had in targeting both ends of the PC-to-TV market, and reflects the Company's status as a technical leader in the area of PC-to-TV video conversion.
FOCUS Enhancements, Inc. is an industry leader in the development and marketing of proprietary multimedia video graphics and networking products for the rapidly converging, multi-billion dollar computer and television industries. The Company's products, which are sold through Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and resellers, merge PC's and TV's for a wide range of uses. |
