August 18, 1999 09:31
Softlink Enters New Market With Toshiba Bundle
Agreement for Its eMail VOICELink Software
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 1999--
eMail VOICELink Included With Toshiba School Program Through Chumbo.com
and Toshiba Co-Branded Site www.educhoice.com
In the latest of a series of bundling deals involving major computer
manufacturers, Softlink, Inc. (OTC BB:SFLK) today announced that eMail
VOICELink(TM), which adds the impact of voice, template-style graphics, and
photos to email messages, will be bundled with other selected software and
offered to new Toshiba computers owners through www.educhoice.com.
This program is tailored for the U.S. educational market.
The Toshiba School Program, announced by Toshiba on July 26, 1999,
(www.toshiba.com), offers a new Toshiba Satellite series notebook sold through
schools participating in the Notebooks for Schools (NFS) program.
A co-branded web site with Chumbo.com, www.educhoice.com, supports the
distribution of value-oriented software offering such as eMail VOICELink to
Toshiba's school affiliated customers.
"The co-branded Website helps ensure that teachers and students have access
to innovative software such as Softlink's eMail VOICELink," said Jeff Hemenway,
senior vice president of Sales & Marketing for Chumbo.com. "The program
enables participants to tailor their notebook PCs, giving them a greater
technological experience in their formative years."
Softlink's products have found a receptive customer group among the education
community because the products enhance on-line communication. Teachers
and students alike can broaden the educational experience beyond the
classroom with email messages full of intonation and personality that only the
voice can provide.
Visual aids in the form of template graphics and the ability to include
photographs make email composed with VOICELink a complete multimedia
experience.
William Yuan, Softlink's president, described the significance of the deal in this
way: "Toshiba is a major player in the computer market as the world's leading
vendor of portable computers. This bundle deal represents an important
milestone in Softlink's entry into this market.
"We are delighted that Toshiba has recognized that eMail VOICELink brings
both useful and interesting functionality and real value to students and teachers
who communicate on-line."
eMail VOICELink is attractive for bundling because it literally gives the
multimedia capability of voice to computer users' email communication.
Users prefer VOICELink because unlike conventional text-only email,
VOICELink enables them to send voice messages along with template-style
greeting cards and photos over the Internet -- which is fun, fast, and easy -- in
addition to enhancing the effectiveness of their communication, and saving the
expense of long-distance telephone calls.
About Chumbo.com
Chumbo.com provides a channel of distribution for independent software vendors
(ISVs), an optional distribution method for PC OEMs and is a 24-hour resource
for consumers and corporate clients to purchase software, DVDs and
computer-related books. Chumbo Holdings Corp., an Internet commerce
company, is the parent of Point Group Corp. and Chumbo.com.
Zomax Optical Media (Nasdaq:ZOMX) holds an equity interest in Chumbo
Holdings Corp. Chumbo.com can be found on the World Wide Web at
www.chumbo.com.
About Softlink, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Softlink, Inc. is an innovator in multimedia-based Internet
communications. Using proprietary compression and composition technology,
Softlink's eMail inChorus and eMail VOICELink products revolutionize
conventional text-based email with voice, graphics, pictures, animation, and live
annotation.
The company is publicly traded, (OTC BB:SFLK), and maintains headquarters in
Santa Clara. For more information, visit the company web site at
www.inChorus.com. For Investor Relations, please contact Gerard Damaro at
561/367-0363.
Note to Editors: eMail inChorus and eMail VOICELink are trademarks of
Softlink, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and
are acknowledged.
CONTACT: Softlink, Inc., Santa Clara
Lauren deVries, 408/496-6668 or 831/662-0669
ldevries@inChorus.com |
