Xybernaut Announces Customer Advisory Board
Experts Unite as Industry Leaders to Guide Development of Wearable and Wireless Computing Technologies
FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2001--Xybernaut® Corporation (Nasdaq:XYBR - news), the leader in mobile and wearable computing technologies, today announced that it had formed a Customer Advisory Board (CAB).
The Xybernaut CAB, which initially consists of executives from seven prominent international companies, has been assembled to foster continued success in development of mobile wearable and wireless computing technologies to meet the common and unique needs of various industry sectors.
The first phase of the CAB began with a recent meeting of all participating company representatives. Based on discussions during that meeting, the CAB determined that the following wearable computing topics warranted the most immediate attention: enterprise implementation, user safety, ergonomics, packaging-transportability, hygiene, product availability/quality and training.
On an ongoing basis, the CAB will identify and prioritize the most critical technical and strategic business issues related to wearable computing. As a result, the CAB addresses both immediate and long-term issues.
CAB participants, as embodied by both individuals and their organizations, are recognized industry leaders. Each individual is a senior management decision maker responsible for applying innovative computing technologies to increase productivity, strengthen customer service and promote greater employee satisfaction within large enterprise organizations. Each organization participating in the CAB currently employs Xybernaut wearable computers for a variety of business applications.
Some of the prominent organizations that are actively participating on the Xybernaut Customer Advisory Board as charter members are:
American TransAir (NYSE: AMTR - news)
Bell Canada (NYSE: BCE - news)
Boeing Company (NYSE: BA - news)
FedEx Express (NYSE: FDX - news)
General Electric (NYSE: GE - news)
International Truck and Engine Corporation (NYSE: NAV - news)
NTT Communications Corporation (NYSE: NTT - news)
The CAB will expand as additional leaders are identified and invited to participate.
``I am honored to serve as the initial chairman and a charter member of the Xybernaut CAB,'' said Brad Chitty, general manager, Mobile Communications Centre, Bell Canada. ``As a concept, the CAB embodies responsible development of a world-critical technology -- wearable computers and communications. In reality, the CAB has already begun to identify, prioritize, and address efforts that will shape the future of enterprise computing.''
Though many informal organizations exist to promote collaboration within the technology industries, the Xybernaut CAB strives to formalize the leadership experiences of its members by concentrating on real-life applicability of mobile and wearable computing technologies.
Effective use of wearable computing technologies empowers businesses and individuals to gain access to the information they need, anywhere they need it - at home, on the road or on the job.
``Fedex Express is pleased to have been serving on the Xybernaut CAB along with other industry leaders. FedEx Express views this as a strategic investment as well as an opportunity to demonstrate and capture immediate productivity and cost savings in our very competitive markets,'' stated Russ Young, manager, Aircraft Maintenance Projects for FedEx Express. ``FedEx Express is proud to be associated with an initiative that strives to produce the next generation of mobile computers and communication tools that will enable us to lead the airline industry into a new and exciting era.''
``Providing a structured environment for feedback related to Xybernaut products was an initial objective, however, the Xybernaut CAB has facilitated the exchange of ideas and know-how, cultivated industry standards, and promoted a greater understanding of the strategic benefits of wearable computing in corporate settings,'' stated Edward Newman, chairman, president and CEO of Xybernaut Corporation. ``On an ongoing basis, the CAB will concentrate on identifying and addressing the challenges and opportunities inherent in applying these technologies for business productivity and overall competitiveness.''
Industry analysts agree that the potential market for wearable and transportable computing technologies is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decade. In fact, Gartner Group analysts recently included wearable computers as one of four key emerging technology trends for the next decade.
According to the April 17, 2001 Gartner Group Research Note, Wearing it Out: The Growth of the Wireless, Wearable World, ``By 2007, more than 60 percent of the European Union and U.S. populations aged 15 and 50 will carry or wear a wireless computing and communications device at least six hours a day.'' The report also emphasizes a dramatic increase to 75 percent of these populations by 2010.
About Xybernaut Corporation
Xybernaut Corporation is the leading provider of wearable computing hardware, software and services, bringing communications and full-function computing power in a hands-free design to people when and where they need it. The Mobile Assistant® V (MA® V), Xybernaut®'s patented wearable PC, runs all major PC operating systems, including Windows® 98/2000/NT, Linux and SCO Unix.
With the MA V, customers can realize immediate savings in maintenance, repair, diagnosis, inspection, inventory control and data collection in a broad spectrum of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, utilities, government and transportation.
Xybernaut also provides hyper linking, multimedia authoring tools, project management, asset management and speech software toolkits. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, Xybernaut has offices and subsidiaries in Europe (Germany) and Asia (Japan). Visit Xybernaut's web site at www.xybernaut.com.
MS-DOS, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
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Contact:
Xybernaut Corp.
Michael Binko, 703/654-3637
mbinko@xybernaut.com
or
Hill Communications
Chad Hill, 925/945-7910
hillcomm@earthlink.net
or
The Wall Street Group
Ron Stabiner, 212/888-4848
rstabiner@thewallstreetgroup.com |
