SET-TOP BOXES, ETC: Iomega Unleashes Its Popular Zip Drive Into the Burgeoning "Beyond-PC" Market
ROY, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 1998--
Iomega's New Beyond-PC Applications Group Dedicated
to Expanding Zip Solutions Into Non-PC Markets
Iomega Corporation (NYSE:IOM) today announced a series of initiatives that will expand the Zip(R) drive's presence into several new markets beyond the PC.
Zip drives are now being built or designed into, or made externally compatible with, printers, scanners, set-top boxes, projection systems, music and audio devices, and medical devices.
"Additional markets that can take significant advantage of a Zip drive are game systems, digital photography, navigation systems -- basically any product that needs high-capacity, high performance, affordable, removable storage," said Mike Lynch, director of beyond-PC applications at Iomega. "The sole focus of the beyond-PC applications group is to move the Zip drive beyond the PC, providing not only new revenue opportunities for Iomega, but significant new brand awareness for Zip drives and disks beyond the customary PC market."
"We are seeing a major switch in consumer electronics from analog to digital," said Sean Kaldor, Vice President, Consumer Device Research, International Data Corporation. "As consumers demand lower cost and easier-to-use solutions, digital technologies will open the door to a much wider range of new functions. At the heart of these new digital devices, there will be low-cost interchangeable components in which, in most cases, storage will play a key role."
"There are numerous products being marketed and developed whose functionality could be significantly enhanced or expanded by the inclusion of Zip drives," said Lynch. "The broad familiarity of Zip drives with consumers, our value-priced drives and disks, large installed base and time-tested quality make Zip SuperFloppy the perfect removable storage solution for beyond-PC products."
Following last month's announcement of the Lexmark Photo Jetprinter 5770, which introduced the industry's first stand-alone digital photoprinter with Zip(R) drive support, Iomega today announced that the Zip drive is, or will soon be, available with digital devices across a number of markets, including:
Set-Top Boxes -- Customers using a set-top box to access the Internet will benefit from a place to save e-mail and Web content for future reference and use. In a separate release, also issued today, Iomega announced that WebSurfer Inc. would deliver the industry's first Internet TV set-top box with external Zip(R) drive compatibility and plans to develop future set-top models with Zip(R) Built-In(tm).
Scanners -- A new category of PC-free scanners will enable multi-user work groups to establish "scan-on-demand" stations to more efficiently meet scanning needs. Also today, Microtek Lab, Inc., announced that its new ImageDeck scanning appliance will have Zip(R) Built-In(tm). The ImageDeck is designed as the first stand-alone digital imaging device to enable consumers to scan documents, graphics and photos directly to a 100MB Zip(R) disk. They can use Zip disks to create everything from digital photo albums and image catalogs to graphics libraries and document archives.
Printers -- With the addition of high capacity, removable storage, next generation printers will offer consumers the ability to print documents, photos and other digital content without connecting to a PC. These stand-alone devices provide simplistic, high-quality printing and content storage without requiring the cost and complexity of a PC. This new category of printers makes possible document printing directly from Zip(R) disks -- ideal for the business traveler without a PC or local network access. In addition, these non-networked printers will permit users to bypass clogged local area networks to print important business documents.
Two leading printer manufacturers, NEC and Lexmark, have already announced external compatibility with Zip(R) drives, enabling consumers to easily print their digital content directly from Zip drives connected to the printers. Lexmark has also announced plans to add a built-in Zip drive into a future digital photoprinter.
Music and Audio Devices -- The music and audio industries have shown strong demand for high performance, high capacity, removable storage that allows users to save and quickly access large digital files on an inexpensive, convenient storage medium such as Zip(R) disks.
Industry pioneer, Roland Corporation, offers Zip(R) Built-In(tm) as a standard feature in its popular VS-840 Digital Studio Workstation, SP-808 Groove Sampler and the G-1000 Intelligent Arranger Workstation. With the Zip(R) drive built into these musical instruments, musicians have the ability to record and instantly access multi-track songs and samples stored on Zip disks. Iomega's Zip drive is also built into 360 Systems' DigiCart II/Plus, enabling broadcasters to record, playback and archive audio clips such as commercials, announcements, sound effects and interviews.
Projection Systems -- With onboard removable storage, projectors and presentation viewers can better meet the corporate demand for easy and dependable transportability and for easy display of corporate presentations and information.
The InFocus LiteShow Pro Presentation Player with Zip(R) Built-In(tm) allows users to transport presentation files from their desktop computers to the LiteShow Pro Player using Zip(R) disks. Even laptop users can trade the weight of their machines for a slim 3.5 inch Zip disk to dependably transport and deliver business presentations using the LiteShow Pro Player.
Medical Devices -- Iomega's Zip(R) drive has also gained a foothold in the medical device arena. Stryker Endoscopy's Digital Capture System enables surgeons and medical professionals to quickly and easily save high resolution surgical images directly to a Zip(R) Built-In(tm) drive. The images on the Zip disk can then be transferred to a PC for further analysis, annotation or printing. Archiving images is seamless since they are already saved to inexpensive, reliable Zip disks.
Iomega's parallel port Zip(R) drives are available at major retail stores for an estimated retail price of $119.95 (U.S.) and Zip disks are available for an estimated retail price of $9.95 (U.S.) each when purchased in a 10-pack.
Iomega genuine 100MB Zip(R) disks provide 70 times the capacity of traditional floppy disks, giving consumers virtually unlimited storage capacity, increased flexibility and a built-in back-up system for critical files. Iomega's Zip tools software, also included with the drive, makes it easy for users to manage and save their digital content. Iomega Zip drives and disks are available worldwide through retailers, OEMs, VARs, system integrators and distributors.
About Iomega
Iomega Corporation (NYSE:IOM), manufactures and markets the award-winning Zip(R), Jaz(R) and Ditto(R) drives and disks that help people to organize, manage, create, exchange and share their important information. Used in homes, businesses, government or education, and by creative professionals, Iomega storage solutions are the enabling technologies preferred by millions. The Company can be reached at 1-800-MY-STUFF (800/697-8833), or on the Web at iomega.com.
Special note: The statements contained in this release relating to expanding the market for Iomega's Zip drive, providing new revenue opportunities for Iomega and new brand awareness for Zip disks and drives, and the availability and compatibility of Iomega's Zip drive with the WebSurfer set-top box, Microtek Scanning Appliance, Lexmark Photo Jetprinter 5770 and NEC SuperScript color laser printer, and future versions of printers, scanners and other products with Zip Built-In and Iomega's intent to have Zip technology built or designed into future digital devices are forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, market acceptance of, and demand for, the non-PC products listed above and Iomega's Zip drives and removable disks, manufacturing, development and distribution issues, product pricing, competition, intellectual property rights and other risks described in Iomega's Annual Report to Stockholders for 1997 on Form 10-K, filed March 31, 1998 and its most recent quarterly reports filed with the SEC.
Note to Editors: Iomega, Zip, Jaz, Ditto, and the stylized "i" logo are registered trademarks of, and Zip Built-In is a trademark of, Iomega Corporation. All other products and brand names are the property of their respective owners. For maximum reliability, use only genuine Zip 100 disks featuring the genuine Zip 100 symbol in your Zip drive.
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CONTACT:
Iomega Corporation
Janet Kacskos, 801/332-4736
kacskos@iomega.com
Tyler Thatcher, 801/332-4362,(Analyst and Investors)
thatcher@iomega.com
or
Copithorne & Bellows
Charaighn Foss, 415/975-2284
charaighn.foss@cbpr.com
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