Another news release
Image Power & UBC to host ISO conference in 1999
Image Power Inc IPZ
Shares issued 17,405,812 Feb 20 close $0.23
Mon 23 Feb 98 News Release
Mr Stephen Swift reports,
Vancouver, B.C. - February 23, 1998 - Image Power, Inc. (VSE: IPZ), a
leading developer of still image compression applications, and the
University of British Columbia Center for Integrated Computer Systems
Research (CICSR), will host the July 1999 meetings of Working Groups WG1,
WG11 and WG12 of Subcommittee 29 (SC29) of the International
Standardization Organization (ISO). These invitation-only working meetings
are held regularly, in locations around the world, for the ongoing
development of new standards. Image Power and CICSR are the only two
Canadian organizations active at the ISO committee level for the
development of WG1 coded representation of images.
"Hosting these committee meetings, involved at the highest level of
standards development, is certainly a privilege," said Stephen Swift,
President of Image Power, Inc. "The work conducted at these meetings is
critical to the continued development of standards for the coded
representation of still images, video, multimedia and hypermedia
information." Mr. Swift went on to say that the development that Image
Power is currently undertaking with respect to still image compression is
considered critical to next generation products and is being integrated
into all Image Power products. This he says, "will help to create a window
of opportunity in the development of products compliant with the evolving
standards."
Subcommittee 29 is responsible for the Image Power international
standardization of the coded representation of images (WG1, or JBIG/JPEG),
moving pictures and audio (WG11 or MPEG), and multimedia and hypermedia
information (WG12 or MHEG). The three working groups are comprised of
leading international experts in the area of multimedia content
representation. Over four hundred invited delegates are expected to attend.
The International Standardization Organization was established in 1947 as a
worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 100 countries.
The mandate of ISO is to promote the development of standardization and
related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the
international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation
in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic
activity. ISO's work is conducted by appointed committees, and results in
international agreements which are published as International Standards.
The working group ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 29/WG1 is responsible for the development
of both the JPEG and JBIG standards. JPEG, short for the Joint Photographic
Experts Group, is a group of experts from major companies who developed the
well-known JPEG standard, and are now developing the evolving JPEG-2000
standard, both designed for the compression and coding of continuous-tone
still images. Similarly, JBIG, or the Joint Bi-Level Image Experts Group,
consists of experts who have produced the JBIG standard, and are currently
developing the evolving standard, both designed for the compression and
coding of bi-level still images. Image Power and UBC/CICSR are active
participants in the development of these two standards.
The Moving Picture Coding Experts Group, MPEG (officially known as ISO/JEC
JTC1/SC29/WG11), was established in January 1988 with the mandate to
develop standards for coded representation of moving pictures, audio and
their combination. Starting from its first meeting held in Ottawa, Ontario
in May 1988, when just 25 experts participated, MPEG has grown to an
unusually large working group, consisting of some 300 experts from some 200
companies and organizations from over 20 countries.
MHEG, or the Multimedia and Hypermedia Experts Gruop (officially known as
ISO/IEC TC1/SC29/WG12), is another group of experts and specialists which
was formed to create standards (such as MHEG-5) for storage, exchange and
display of multimedia presentations. The applications for MHEG are
expanding, as new multimedia applications are developed, including CD-ROM
based encyclopedias, interactive books for learning, video and news on
demand systems and interactive home shopping.
Not since the inaugural MPEG meeting in 1988 have these ISO working group
meetings been held in Canada. It is also unique that JBIG/JPEG, MPEG and
MHEG will hold their meetings concurrently at the same venue. "We are very
pleased with the opportunity to host all three working groups," says Dr.
Faouzi Kossentini, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering and Member of CICSR at the University of British Columbia. "We
very much feel that this will provide Canada with some profile in the
development of international multimedia standards, and hope that this will
lead to more interest in multimedia standards development by Canadian
companies," he said. Image Power and UBC/CICSR are currently the only
Canadian organizations involved in the development of JBIG/JPEG still image
compression and coding standards. Nortel and UBC/CICSR are currently the
only organizations involved in the development of MPEG standards.
Image Power, Inc. is a leading provider of powerful next generation
standards-compliant still image compression technology and products. For
additional information, visit the Company's web site at www.imagepower.com
or contact John Geisler at igeisler@imagepower.com or Astrid Levelt at
alevelt@imagepower.com.
On behalf of the Board
IMAGE POWER, INC.
Stephen Swift, President
IMAGE POWER, INC. Investor Relations:
100-1285 West Pender St. John Geisler
Vancouver, B.C. Corporate Communications:
Canada V6E 4B1 Astrid Levelt
Tel: (604) 662-3188 1-888-462-4336
Fax: (604) 662-3889 (604) 862-3188
mailroom@imagepower.com
www.imagepower.com
The Vancouver Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the contents
of this Press Release which was prepared solely at the discretion of
management. |
