WavePhore and ATI Sign Marketing Agreement to Promote WaveTop Software
And ATI All-In-Wonder Pro TV, Video and Graphics Board
WaveTop Available Through More Than 85 percent of TV Tuner Boards Shipped in
North America; Customers Now Get the "Best of The Web" Without a Modem
PHOENIX, Ariz., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The leader in data broadcasting, WavePhore (Nasdaq: WAVO), and ATI Technologies, Inc. (Toronto: ATY) the leading developer of 3D graphics and multimedia technology, today announced an agreement to promote WavePhore's WaveTop software with all retail ATI All-in-Wonder Pro add-on cards. The combination of WaveTop and an ATI All-In-Wonder Pro allows PC users to access, at no charge, a vast selection of the most popular content on the World Wide Web without tying up their telephone line or encountering bottlenecks on the Internet. Currently, 44% of WaveTop users are ATI All-in-Wonder Pro owners and the WaveTop software is available through ATI's All-in-Wonder Pro product promotion.
ATI is offering a Windows(R) 98 promotional offer that provides ATI customers an opportunity to receive up to a ninety-eight dollar rebate when purchasing the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 98 operating system and the ATI All-in- Wonder Pro. WaveTop is an integrated feature of the new Microsoft Windows(R) 98 operating system. The removable labels on the box of Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 98 and ATI's product are mailed together with receipts to obtain a rebate check from ATI.
With the new ATI relationship, WavePhore's WaveTop software is now available through more than 85 percent of all multimedia convergence cards and TV tuner cards shipped. The free WaveTop broadcast service is currently available to more than 85 percent of U.S. households. All that's required is a free copy of WaveTop software and a WaveTop-compatible multimedia convergence card or TV tuner card in a PC.
"The future of PC/TV convergence lies in offering consumers a new experience, not simply watching television on a personal computer," said Ed Grondahl, vice president of product marketing at ATI Technologies Inc. "WaveTop provides consumers fast, free and easy access to news, children's programming, entertainment, weather, technology reports, consumer product information, investment and business news and more. WaveTop provides another compelling reason to purchase an ATI All-In-Wonder Pro."
"Now even more home PC users can tap into the "Best of the Web" without going online," said David E. Deeds, Chairman, President and CEO of WavePhore, Inc. "This alliance with ATI, the industry's largest supplier of 3D graphics and multimedia technology, further expands the reach of WaveTop in the home PC market."
ATI ALL-IN-WONDER PRO THE FASTEST ALL-IN-ONE TV, VIDEO AND GRAPHICS UPGRADE
The ATI All-In-Wonder Pro is the 7-in-1 graphics, TV and multimedia solution for PCs, delivering 3D, 2D and video acceleration with an intelligent TV tuner, video capture and TV display. It is designed exclusively for Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95 and the Windows(R) 98 (Web TV) for Windows feature. Users can enjoy outstanding 3D performance while playing games or adding 3D elements to design or multimedia projects. Users also get excellent 2D performance, ultra-high resolution, full-motion video and the ability to play games or do presentations on a big screen TV. The TV tuner lets you zoom in on the action, capture video from your TV or camcorder, watch PC video clips while still offering fast graphics. "The ATI All-in-Wonder Pro will even watch TV for you, unattended," said Blair Birmingham, senior product manager, multimedia, ATI Technologies Inc.
HOW WAVETOP WORKS
WaveTop's PC data broadcast service works by embedding data streams into the unseen portion of existing broadcast television signals using the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI). WaveTop has partnered with PBS National Datacast to broadcast data over the television signals of its 264 PBS member stations. Using a simple browser interface and a broadcast ready PC (a standard PC with a built-in TV tuner or equipped with an add-on TV tuner card), users will interact with automatically downloaded information, entertainment and software. Computers equipped with TV tuners and WaveTop software transparently receive, decode and cache content without the bottleneck of the Internet or tying up a phone line.
WavePhore previously announced the launch of its free service for Windows(R) 95 on April 6, 1998. In addition, the WaveTop software is now available for Windows(R) 98 and is included in the Windows(R) 98 operating system. Users will be able to easily install the WaveTop software directly from Windows(R) 98.
SPEED MATTERS
According to a study just conducted by Arlen Communications, Inc. a Bethesda, Maryland research firm, WaveTop's data broadcasting service accesses selected Web sites an average of six to ten times faster than dial-up connections on the Internet, even when using a 56 kbps modem. Additionally, WaveTop's access to some sites was as much as 30 times faster than access via regional or national Internet Service Providers. "This study confirms that WaveTop offers a much faster route to selected Web content than the Internet," said Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications.
RICH CONTENT
WaveTop content providers are among the world's leading media companies, including Time Inc. New Media, which includes the on-line versions of People, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Money, Fortune and Sports Illustrated for Kids and ZDNet News, on-line versions of ComputerLife, Family PC and Yahoo Internet Life. Also providing content are USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, CBS SportsLine, PBS ONLINE, Warner Bros. Online, Bloomberg L.P., The Weather Channel, N2K's Music Boulevard, BarnesandNoble.com, Universal Press Syndicate - Comics, Women's Wire and Prevention's Healthy Ideas, ParentTime, Supermarkets Online, NECX, Astrology.Net, Dummies Daily and UltimateTV.
ABOUT WAVEPHORE
WavePhore, Inc., (Nasdaq: WAVO) is the global leader in connecting people with compelling information in the office and at home. The corporation is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ and composed of three business units: WavePhore Networks, WavePhore Newscast and WavePhore WaveTop. WavePhore Networks, the industry leader in data broadcasting, provides flexible, high-speed data delivery for information publishers, to more than 80,000 sites worldwide. WavePhore Newscast, is the Web's premier business infosource for enterprise- wide use. WavePhore WaveTop is the first free, advertising-supported, nationwide data broadcast system to deliver multimedia content to broadcast ready PC's in the home. Additional information on WavePhore is available via the Internet at wavephore.com, wavetop.net, wavo.com and newscast.com.
ABOUT ATI TECHNOLOGIES INC.
ATI Technologies Inc., the world's largest supplier of 3D graphics and multimedia technology, designs, manufacturers and markets innovative and award-winning multimedia solutions and graphics components for personal computers. An ISO 9002 company, ATI is one of the world's leading suppliers of video and 2D/3D graphics accelerators to OEM and retail customers. Founded in 1985, ATI employs more than 1,300 people at headquarters in Thornhill, Ontario and offices in the United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan and Malaysia. ATI is a public company whose shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Certain of the above statements regarding WavePhore constitute forward- looking statements, which may involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, technology changes, competitive developments, industry and market acceptance of new products and services, and risk factors listed from time to time in WavePhore's SEC filings.
SOURCE WavePhore, Inc.
-0- 07/27/98
/CONTACT: WaveTop: Bernadette Callahan of Neale-May & Partners 650-328-5555 X120, callahan@nealemay.com; Investor Relations: Jennifer Schreier of WavePhore, Inc., 602-952-5500 x239, jschreier@wavephore.com; or Brian Chadderton, 905-882-2600 x8350, bchadderton@atitech.ca, for ATI Technologies, Inc./
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com or fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 107524/
/Web site: wavetop.net
/Web site: wavo.com
/Web site: newscast.com
/Web site: wavephore.com
(WAVO ATY.)
CO: WavePhore, Inc.; ATI Technologies, Inc. ST: Arizona, Ontario IN: CPR SU: LIC
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