Monday August 25 8:04 AM EDT
Company Press Release
Source: WavePhore, Inc.
E-Commerce Merchants Go Wireless with WaveTop's Home PC
Broadcast Service; BarnesandNoble.com, NECX and N2K Join WaveTop
Service
PHOENIX, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- WaveTop, a division of WavePhore, Inc. (Nasdaq:WAVO) today announced that
BarnesandNoble.com, NECX and N2K have signed agreements to partner with its VBI data broadcast service. WaveTop is
expected to be the first FREE wireless service to push an aggregated Internet based entertainment and information service to
the Home PC consumer market.
These agreements emphasize the benefits of being able to toggle between the WaveTop wireless service and the Internet from
a single interface. Each of these partners represents a new revenue opportunity for WaveTop by providing not only content,
but transaction based e-commerce. WaveTop will earn a percentage of merchandise sales initiated through the WaveTop
service. WaveTop's service is unique in that instead of just wirelessly receiving sales alerts, consumers will have in-depth
multimedia information about the merchandise automatically cached to their hard drive.
``WaveTop is proud to be working with these leading merchandise partners. Our e-commerce areas will enable users to
'window shop' and take their time evaluating potential purchases with out the pressure of being online,'' said Sandy Goldman,
vice president, WaveTop.
BarnesandNoble.com will join WaveTop by providing book reviews, best seller lists and original content from various featured
subject areas to consumers who would like to review this information at their leisure, without having to tie up phone lines.
When a consumer decides to make a purchase decision or access BarnesandNoble.com's interactive community, there will be
a back channel button on the interface that will take them directly to the BarnesandNoble.com Web site.
``BarnesandNoble.com is committed to providing consumers with a convenient, enjoyable book-browsing and book-buying
experience,'' noted Steve Riggio, chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. ``We see services such as the one WaveTop
is providing as an excellent way for mass consumers to experience commerce on the Internet, and we plan to continue to be at
the forefront of these types of technologies.''
NECX, the pioneer in on-line computer product sales, will join WaveTop by providing its comprehensive Home and Office
Computer Center of over 30,000 computer products from 1,000 manufacturers to WaveTop's customers. ``The partnership
gives WaveTop users access to comprehensive product information, the ability to compare products side-by-side, competitive
pricing and secure on-line order capabilities,'' said Brian Marley, general manager of NECX On- line. ``And it gives WaveTop
a turn-key electronic-commerce solution that is managed by an experienced organization with a commitment to the highest
level of service.'' NECX is the world's leading, interactive open market Exchange for the buying and selling of electronic
components, computers and connectivity products. NECX is located on the World Wide Web at www.necx.com.
N2K will provide WaveTop users with up-to-the minute music news, in-depth artist information, interviews, new album
release information, sound samples and the ability to review products prior to purchase. As in the other commerce areas,
consumers will have a convenient back-link to N2K's online music superstore Music Boulevard (www.musicblvd.com) from
WaveTop in order to complete their purchases.
Previously announced content partners for WaveTop include CBS SportsLine, PBS ONLINE, Quote.com, The Weather
Channel and publications from Time Inc. New Media's Pathfinder site, including Time, People, Money, Entertainment Weekly,
Fortune and Sports Illustrated for Kids.
With its expected launch in the fourth quarter of 1997, WaveTop will represent the first free advertising-supported nationwide
data broadcast medium to deliver streaming multimedia content -- audio, video, software and real-time data -- to the home via
broadcast-ready PCs. To receive the WaveTop service, users will need to obtain the free WaveTop software and use a
computer with a TV tuner already built-in or purchase a low-cost TV tuner add- on card. The Yankee Group -- a leading
technology forecasting organization -- projects that broadcast PC technology will reside in more than 18 million home
computers by the year 2000.
WaveTop works by embedding data streams into existing broadcast television signals, using the Vertical Blanking Interval
(VBI) -- the electronic space between visible picture frames. WaveTop will leverage WavePhore's partnership with PBS
National Datacast, Inc. by broadcasting data over the broadcast signals of its 264 PBS member stations, reaching more than
99% of television households in the U.S.
WavePhore, Inc., the industry leader in data broadcasting, is comprised of three divisions: WavePhore Networks, WavePhore
Newscast, and WaveTop. WavePhore Networks provides flexible, high speed data delivery to more than 60,000 sites
worldwide. WavePhore Newscast delivers real-time, custom- filtered business news to more than 122,000 subscription-based
business users across the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Additional information on WavePhore is available via the Internet at wavephore.com, wavetop.net, and
newscast.com.
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.
More news for referenced ticker symbols: WAVO, and related industries: computer. |
