Aus - Regarding DataPlay:
Thursday October 19, 10:23 am Eastern Time
Press Release
e.Digital Developing
DataPlay-Enabled Portable Digital
Products to Meet OEMs' Next
Generation Needs
DataPlay's Low-Cost 500 MB Digital Media to Store Music, Voice, Text and
Video
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 2000-- e.Digital Corp. (OTC:EDIG - news)
Thursday announced that it is developing portable digital products incorporating DataPlay's
quarter-sized 500 MB digital media and micro-optical engine.
DataPlay's universal digital recording media is designed to record and permanently store digital
content whether downloaded, pre-recorded by content providers or consumer-created. e.Digital has
begun designing DataPlay's micro-optical engine into custom products specifically for OEM
customers ready to license the latest options in digital music players, voice/dictation recorders and
video players.
Fred Falk, president and CEO of e.Digital, said, ``Since being introduced to the DataPlay digital
media, we have been excited about uniting our product design expertise and MicroOS(TM)
technology with their inexpensive, large-capacity storage media. For those facing high costs for
removable flash memory, this is an especially appealing alternative. The flexibility of our
MicroOS-based product design allows us to incorporate this new media; it extends our music player
design platform and fills an important niche in the OEM products market.''
Steve Volk, CEO of DataPlay, added, ``We are excited that e.Digital is incorporating our DataPlay
digital media and micro-optical engine into products for their OEM customers. Products using the
DataPlay digital media technology will be on display at the DataPlay Pavilion at CES (Consumer
Electronics Show -- Las Vegas) in January. We are pleased that e.Digital will be a part of our
product launch.''
In addition to the DataPlay digital media and micro-optical engine, DataPlay has developed
ContentKey(TM), an e-commerce and promotional tool that allows consumers to activate additional
pre-recorded content on DataPlay digital media over the Internet without the need for
time-consuming downloads. This gives content publishers an extra measure of control over access to
pre-recorded, copyright-protected content. ContentKey also provides retailers with a way to extend
their sales reach into cyberspace. And it gives promotional marketeers the opportunity to strengthen
brands and learn more about their customers.
Falk concluded, ``In addition to specific development for some OEM customers in both portable
and home stereo digital music products, we are also in the process of incorporating DataPlay digital
media into pre-production level music players that will be marketed to others for licensing and
branding. Some OEM customers are looking to enhance existing lines with second-generation
products offering larger storage capacity, the ability to play pre-recorded or user-recorded material
and lower cost, while others may be seeking to enter new markets with these designs. We are able
to design new products of all types and redefine product categories for our OEM customers using
DataPlay as a storage option.''
Committed to making the DataPlay digital media a universal standard, DataPlay expects that media
containing pre-recorded content will be on sale in 2001, coinciding with the availability of
DataPlay-enabled consumer electronic devices and blank media. The DataPlay digital media is
designed to permanently store a vast amount of digital content, whether downloaded off the Internet,
prerecorded or created by consumers. A single DataPlay 500MB digital media is capable of holding
three hours of higher-than-CD-quality music, 11 hours of MP3 music, hundreds of photographs and
volumes of written information. Blank media will retail for between $5 and $12. Pre-recorded
DataPlay digital media will be comparable in price to current prices for content distributed on CDs.
DataPlay recently received $50 million in funding from a group of investors including Universal Music
Group (The Seagram Company Ltd.), Toshiba Corp., Samsung Electronics Ltd., S3 Inc. and
others.
About DataPlay Inc.
DataPlay Inc. is the developer of universal media solutions for the delivery and management of all
forms of digital content across all digital devices and platforms. The company's mission is to meet
consumer and industry needs by creating and championing simple and standardized media solutions
for all digital content people buy and create. Working in partnership with leading content providers
and consumer electronics manufacturers, DataPlay anticipates digital media containing pre-recorded
content to be on sale in 2001, coinciding with the availability of blank media and a wide range of
DataPlay-enabled consumer electronic devices supporting the music, computing, wireless, gaming,
eBook and imaging segments. Visit DataPlay on the Internet at www.dataplay.com.
About e.Digital
e.Digital Corp. offers an engineering partnership for the world's leading electronics companies to link
portable digital devices to PCs and the Internet. e.Digital develops and markets to consumer
electronics manufacturers complete end-to-end solutions for delivery and management of open and
secure digital media with a focus on music players/recorders and portable digital voice recorders.
Engineering services range from the licensing of e.Digital's patented MicroOS(TM) file management
system to custom software and hardware development, industrial design and manufacturing services.
For more information on the company, visit www.edig.com.
Safe Harbor statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform of 1995: This document
contains forward-looking statements relating to future performance, technology and product
development that may impact on future results and the future viability of the company. Actual results
could be affected or differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a
result of risk factors such as: future products and results; technological shifts; potential technical
difficulties that could delay new products; competition; general economic conditions in the markets in
which the company operates; the ability of the company, its customers, and suppliers to solve latent
Year 2000 compliance issues; pricing pressures; and the uncertainty of market acceptance of new
products by OEM's and end-user customers.
Note: e.Digital and MicroOS are trademarks of e.Digital Corp. All other company, product, and
service names are the property of their respective owners.
Contact:
e.Digital Corp.
Robert Putnam, 858/679-1504
robert@edig.com
or
The MWW Group (for e.Digital)
Matt Messinger, Public Relations, 201/964-2377
mmessing@mww.com
or
DataPlay Inc.
Michele Pointek, 303/527-5852
mpointek@dataplay.com
or
Alexander Ogilvy (for DataPlay)
Megan Castle, 303/634-2634 |
