[General Magic Chooses Qwest as Backbone Provider for Portico Virtual Assistant]
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 1998--General Magic, Inc., a leading developer of integrated voice and data applications, today announced it will utilize Qwest Communication's fiber optic network as part of the underlying infrastructure for its forthcoming Portico service. Under the terms of the three-year agreement, Qwest will provide its native Internet Protocol (IP) backbone for General Magic's upcoming integrated voice and data network service named Portico, a second generation virtual assistant that allows users to access and act upon voice mail, e-mail, address book, calendar, and content available on the Internet such as news and stock information, all via any telephone or popular Web browser. In addition, General Magic will become QwestLinked SM, a term used to let customers know their services are linked to the Qwest Macro CapacitySM Fiber Network, the world's most advanced native IP network.
"General Magic believes Portico will become a valuable tool in simplifying the way people access and control information. By choosing Qwest as the backbone provider, we believe users can be confident that Portico is using the most advanced information transmission service available on the market today," said Steve Markman, chairman, president and CEO at General Magic. "With this partnership, Portico will be able to ultimately utilize a complete IP telephony interface and network backbone nationwide using Internet Protocols and routers with much greater capacity. The end result should allow our customers to realize greater call processing efficiency, higher reliability and cost savings."
About Portico
Portico is expected to be commercially available nationwide on July 30th and is designed to allow subscribers to keep in touch with the people and information important to them at any time, from any location. The service integrates voice mail, email, faxes, address book and calendar. It also provides access to content available on the Internet, such as news and stock quotes, and can send faxes or pages based on users' needs. As a second generation virtual assistant, Portico will be accessed through a voice user interface called magicTalk(tm) that uses natural language and will synchronize with a desktop or notebook computer, as well as with handheld PDA devices.
"Qwest is extremely pleased to be working with General Magic and to have them select the Qwest native IP fiber optic network as their backbone provider," said Lew Wilks, president of Business Markets at Qwest. "Portico was created for those who travel frequently and need to access vital information any time, anywhere. The speed, reliability and integrity of the Qwest Macro Capacity Fiber Network will ensure the fastest and most secure information transmission for Portico."
About General Magic
General Magic, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMGC) offers products and services that integrate voice and data technologies making communications and access to information easy and convenient for people, no matter where they are. The Company's development efforts are founded on its patented agent technology, innovative user-interface and communications-centric designs to provide simple, yet effective ways for people to keep in touch with the information they need to be successful. The Company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information on General Magic and Portico, please visit the company's Web site at generalmagic.com. |
