I follow HEAR, own HEAR,& love today's news re HEAR/AOL.
Thursday January 20, 7:16 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
HearMe Offers AOL ICQ
Users A Live Voice Solution
-- 50 Million ICQ Users Can Now Easily Talk For Free
Through Access to HearMe Voice Services --
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2000-- Extending
live voice capabilities to millions of potential new consumers, HearMe
(Nasdaq:HEAR - news) today announced its first live voice product
specifically targeting personal communications on the Internet. Part of
HearMe's expanding VoicePresence(TM) product offerings, the new
software solution makes live voice services instantly available to users
on ICQ, AOL's popular instant communications service. Developed
independently, HearMe's first personal communications product was
designed to allow ICQ's 50 million plus users(a) to automatically
participate in live voice conversations with friends and family using
their computer microphone and speakers. By extending its technology
beyond Web page-focused chat forums to ICQ's direct, personal
communications environment, HearMe is again delivering on its vision to
empower all Web users, Web sites, and Web applications with live voice.
The product is available today as a FREE download at CNET's
Download.com (www.download.com).
``We created this product to introduce, in a quick and efficient manner,
millions of consumers to live voice for personal communications via the
Internet. This product represents the next step in HearMe's ongoing
efforts to bring live voice to people wherever they are on the Internet,
whenever they want it,' explained Jeremy Verba, COO and president of
HearMe. ``Our solution for ICQ extends our technology to support a new
model for online voice interaction. Now, millions of users can initiate
one-to-one and group voice conversations without leaving their
communications application.
``While this product was developed independently from AOL, it
demonstrates clearly the versatility of AOL's ICQ messaging solutions,'
added Verba. ``We are excited about extending the ICQ platform with
live voice. Further, ICQ's international popularity, coupled with the ease
of live voice (versus using a keyboard) for non-English speakers, makes
it a very exciting addition for global Web users.'
With easy accessibility from within the ICQ application, HearMe's voice
services can enhance private and direct online communications by
building upon ICQ's existing feature set. HearMe's vision is to continue
to expand its product offering to support additional person-to-person
voice functionality.
HearMe's ICQ solution makes it simple to bring live voice capabilities to
the ICQ environment. ICQ users simply download and install a small
program that automatically embeds a HearMe voice chat window onto a
user's ICQ home page, making it easily accessible by others from within
the ICQ application or a standard Web browser. When a person visits the
ICQ home page with HearMe technology, a HearMe(TM) VoicePresence
window pops-up to enable voice communication. As each visitor
accesses the page, the ICQ user who owns the page is automatically
alerted by ICQ's audio notification feature. People can both talk and
type to each other using their PC microphone and keyboard, and
additional users can join the chat for group discussions.
HearMe's technology makes it easy for ICQ members to add live voice
capabilities to the mix, adding new forms of communication that are
personal and ``human.' HearMe technology and live voice enable
real-time communications that add emotion or personality to an online
conversation. With VoicePresence on their Web pages, ICQ users can
save time by talking instead of typing and even save money on long
distance phone charges.
Specifications
The product supports both Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer
Web browsers (v4.x and higher) running on Windows 95/98 or Windows
NT systems. Users can download the free product at CNET's
Download.com (www.download.com). The product will also be available
through the HearMe Web site at www.hearme.com. The installation
requires a few simple mouse-clicks and no formal programming
experience.
About HearMe VoicePresence
HearMe VoicePresence offers simple implementation to allow home
page creators to ``drop' live voice features onto their Web pages in
minutes. VoicePresence requires only a few lines of Web code (HTML) to
implement so anyone who has built a Web site can add it to their site
without additional programming experience. Once installed,
VoicePresence is easy for Web page visitors to use - it requires a
minimal download and automatically installs. Users with a computer
microphone and speakers can participate in live voice conversations
quickly and easily. VoicePresence supports both Netscape and
Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browsers (v4.x and higher) running on
Windows 95/98 or Windows NT systems. The product is free and is
immediately available at www.hearme.com/company/products/vp.
Since its availability in November 1999, tens of thousands of Web sites
have registered for and received the VoicePresence product and there
have been more than 1.4 million consumer downloads of the HearMe
VoicePresence plug-in by consumers. In addition, leading consumer
sites including theglobe.com, Talk City, and FortuneCity.com have
teamed with HearMe to make VoicePresence available to their many
Web site creators.
About HearMe
HearMe is dedicated to reshaping today's Internet applications into
real-time interactive experiences through which large groups of people
can interact and communicate using text, voice and video. The
Company develops, operates and licenses technology that enables
real-time Internet communication and communities where people can
gather to share affinities, interests, or ideas. Communication tools such
as text chat applications and instant messengers are already
incorporating HearMe technology to enable real-time voice interaction
among multiple people.
The Company operates its own real-time consumer Internet
communities, HearMe.com(TM) and Mplayer.com(TM). Through HearMe
Technology Products, the Company provides software products and
services for leading third-party site operators building their own
branded real-time experiences. HearMe technologies can enhance a
wide range of Internet applications including e-commerce, live customer
support, business-to-business collaboration, distance learning,
entertainment and consumer communities. Companies working with
HearMe technology and services include MTV Online Networks,
Macromedia, theglobe.com, StarMedia Network, GTECH Corporation, LG
InterNet and CSK Sega. Founded in early 1995, Mpath Interactive, Inc.,
dba HearMe, is located in Mountain View, Calif. The Company can be
found on the Internet at www.hearme.com or reached at 650/429-3900.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters
discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential
risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company's
dependence on its ability to significantly increase its membership base,
user minutes, advertising revenue and revenue from HearMe Technology
Products customers; to launch new products, to maintain and develop
strategic relationships with media, Internet and technology companies;
and to compete effectively. These and other risk factors are described
in detail in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, the
Company's report on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 1999,
June 30, 1999, and September 30, 1999 and in the Company's other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
HearMe, VoicePresence, HearMe.com, and Mplayer.com are trademarks
of Mpath Interactive, Inc., dba HearMe. All other product or service
names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
(a) AOL ICQ user data based on public release figures issued by AOL. |
