ULTR ... News :
(COMTEX) B: ULTRADATA SYSTEMS FORMS E-COMMERCE COMPANY WITH LEADING I
B: ULTRADATA SYSTEMS FORMS E-COMMERCE COMPANY WITH LEADING INTERNET MARKETER TO
Accelerate Sales and Distribution of Data Via Internet
ST. LOUIS, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultradata Systems, Inc. (ULTR) --
the leader in handheld direction, location and information products
powered by its patented data compression technology and proprietary
database -- today announced its joint ownership of Influence Data, LLC.
Influence Data is a joint venture formed between Ultradata and
Influence Content, LLC, a wholly owned business unit of Influence, LLC
(www.global-influence.net), a leading privately held Internet
development and marketing company headquartered in St. Louis with
offices currently in New York and Portland, Ore. Craig M. Kaminer, the
founder and CEO of Influence, LLC, will act as president of Influence
Data, LLC.
The purpose of the joint venture is to accelerate sales, marketing and
product development of Ultradata products, data and patented technology
on the Internet. Ultradata will own 33.3% of the new company. Under
the terms of the agreement, Influence Data will provide the following
services:
-- Creation of a vertical interest portal Website for the more than
100 million people who travel by car, truck or RV in the United States.
-- Development of a comprehensive e-commerce business channel for
Ultradata to reach consumers who prefer to shop on-line. In addition
to selling Ultradata products, Influence will develop: partnership
agreements to sell other leading travel products; affiliate
relationships with other travel sites; and original content.
-- Development of partnerships with companies to sell access to the
Ultradata database via the Internet.
-- Development of technologies to efficiently deliver Ultradata's database
via other handheld and palm computing devices.
-- Sell promotion and advertising space to leading travel and hospitality
companies featured on Ultradata products.
"This is an important partnership for Ultradata as we look to
increase sales of our products and new uses of our technologies on the
Internet," said Ultradata CEO, Monte Ross. "Influence not only has
demonstrated its ability to build comprehensive e-business and
e-commerce solutions, but also to market them aggressively to targeted
audiences. We hope through this venture to not only sell our products,
but create long-lasting, one-to-one relationships with our customers by
bringing together the community who travel America's roadways for
business and pleasure. With our recently introduced AAA TripWizard(TM)
and our new venture with Influence, we believe we will have a very
unique, compelling and valuable offering to travelers and our
shareholders."
In the United States, according to AAA:
-- there are more than 200 million vehicles registered
-- there were 1.26 billion personal trips of over 100 miles taken
-- travel-related expenditures has increased 44% between 1990 and 1997,
and are expected to increase to $509 billion in the United States in
1999
-- thirty six million Americans now use the Internet to make travel plans
or reservations, up 1000% in two years.
According to Craig M. Kaminer, "We think Ultradata's patented
technology and products are a natural for the Web and see enormous
opportunity to expand not only sales, but also the applications using
the Ultradata database. Ultradata has been able to build the most
comprehensive database of its kind, make it portable and provide it to
consumers at a very low price. As people begin to rely on databases in
every facet of their lives, Ultradata is well positioned to be the
category leader in portable databases. When combined with the power of
the Internet, we believe Ultradata can be among the leading travel,
data and content Internet companies. We are investing our capital and
expect to benefit from the increased value of Ultradata as the joint
venture's e-commerce site becomes operational."
Influence specializes in e-business strategy & development,
e-marketing, e-communications and design, and serves market leaders
(Fortune 1000) and potential market leaders (high-growth companies) who
want to build market- and mind-share of their companies in the New
Economy. Influence operates five strategic business units:
Influence.Internet, Influence.Marketing, Influence.Communications,
Influence.Design, and Influence.Content. Some of Influence's clients
are today's market leaders who are developing new game skills to
stimulate thought leadership, coaching a workforce of knowledge workers
and adopting e-commerce as new channel of distribution such as Express
Scripts (ESRX), Edward Jones, Solutia (SOI), Compaq (CPQ) and Ralston
Purina (RAL). Others are the up-and-comers who are challenging the
industry leaders and are more willing and flexible to take advantage of
new opportunities such as WorkNet Communications, iLine, LLC, and
Haystack Toys.
Ultradata Systems, Inc. is the leading supplier of handheld portable
databases for travel and has sold over 2,000,000 handheld travel
computers through a variety of channels including QVC, retail (The
Sharper Image, Brookstone, Office Max, etc.), catalogs and mass
merchants such as Kmart. Its products utilize its patents and its
proprietary databases. Its latest product is the AAA TripWizard,
containing AAA information and Ultradata Systems proprietary data,
including turn-by-turn directions to AAA lodging and restaurants. It
is the winner of several Consumer Electronics Show Innovations Awards
for its products, which include in 1999, the portable TravelStar 24 GPS
Driver Navigation System, and owns 25% of a leading Global Positioning
System (GPS) receiver company, Talon Research and Development, Ltd. of
New Zealand, with Fortune 1000 clients.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of applicable federal securities laws. The company undertakes
no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or
other changes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements. Risk factors include but are not
limited to consumer acceptance of new products; the ability to secure
contracts for travel-related products discussed in this release;
consumer acceptance and use of automotive aftermarket navigation
products using global positioning satellite technology and the ability
to successfully promote the Website; the overall retail and economic
climate; the long-term financial performance of the Influence Data, LLC
members, the company's ability to find channels for its key products,
long-term relationships with suppliers and favorable pricing and
materials contracts with outside manufacturers. Additional information
relating to historical financial and operational performance, the
company's strategies, competitive risks, and market conditions are
available in Ultradata's reports for Form 10K and 10Q on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Ultradata Systems, Inc.
-0- 05/12/99 /CONTACT: David Biernbaum of
Ultradata Systems, Inc., 314-997-2250, ext. 40/
/Web site: global-influence.net
CO: Ultradata Systems, Inc.; Influence Data, LLC ST: Missouri IN:
CPR AUT MLM SU: JVN
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