FireWire (IEEE 1394) support and patent pool...........
apple.com
Apple, Compaq, Matsushita (Panasonic), Philips, Sony and Toshiba nounce Support For IEEE1394 and Plans To Form Patent Pool
TOKYO, EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, CUPERTINO, California— Feb. 17,
1999—Apple Computer, Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Sony Corporation and
Toshiba Corporation today announced their support of the high-speed IEEE1394
digital interface and their intention to form a patent pool to efficiently license patents
required to implement the standard. The six companies will work together to create a
joint licensing program and promote the industry-wide adoption of IEEE1394.
“IEEE1394 is poised to become the most widely used industry standard to
interconnect consumer electronics and personal computer devices,” said Steve Jobs,
Apple's interim CEO. “We want to pave the way for both the consumer electronics
and the personal computer industries to adopt this powerful digital interface.”
IEEE1394 was invented by Apple and was adopted by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as an industry standard in 1995. Offering data transfer
rates up to 400 megabits per second, IEEE1394 has become the standard for
transferring digital video, and over three million digital camcorders with built-in
IEEE1394 have been sold to date. IEEE1394 is being incorporated into an
ever-increasing array of consumer multimedia devices, such as set-top boxes and
digital VCRs, and is poised to become the next generation industry-standard for
connecting personal computers to high-speed peripherals such as printers, scanners
and disk drives.
“Compaq supports the wide adoption of IEEE 1394 technologies and the efforts of
the 1394 patent consortium. We believe that this alliance will ensure acceptance of
this standard throughout the personal computer and consumer electronics industries
by making the licensing of the key technologies easy and affordable,” said Jerry
Meerkatz, vice president of Compaq Corporation's Commercial Desktop Division.
“The world is evolving into a digital-based workplace and these technologies will
allow for broader connections between digital consumer electronics equipment and
personal computers, making it easier to use products.”
“We believe that this agreement will accelerate the networking of digital audio/video
and computer related products along with the wide spread of IEEE1394 technology,
bringing greater benefits to consumers,” said Dr. Yoshitomi Nagaoka, vice president
of Matsushita Electric Industrial's Divisional AVC Company.
“IEEE1394 offers a simple standard connection for consumers so that they can easily
connect all kinds of consumer electronics and PC products. Its high speed makes it
the viable digital interface for advanced real-time multimedia applications in the home
network environment,” said Eddy Odijk, general manager, Systems Architectures, at
Philips Consumer Electronics. “We are confident that licensing initiatives will fuel rapid
adoption of IEEE1394 throughout the CE and PC industries.”
“Sony leads the industry in the implementation of the IEEE1394 technology under the
familiar i.LINK name and logo,” said Kunitake Ando, president of Sony
Corporation's Divisional Information Technology Company. “Today's agreement
solidifies IEEE1394's position as the industry standard digital interface connection for
PCs, computer peripherals and digital AV products.”
“Toshiba expects this patent pool to provide the whole multimedia industry with
excellent opportunities for growth and diversification in the high-speed IEEE 1394
digital interface standard technologies for personal computers and consumer
electronics,” said Tetsuya Mizoguchi, senior vice-president of Toshiba Corporation.
“We are pleased to join and promote this useful patent pool in close cooperation with
the other member companies.”
About Apple Computer, Inc.
Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the
Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Apple is now recommitted to its original mission—to bring the best personal
computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists,
engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.
About Compaq Computer Corporation
Compaq Computer Corporation is a Fortune Global 100 company. Compaq is the
second largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of
computing systems. Compaq develops and markets hardware, software, solutions,
and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant
business-critical solutions, networking and communication products, commercial
desktop and portable products and consumer PCs. The company is an industry
leader in environmentally friendly programs and business practices. Compaq products
are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized
Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and
its products are available at compaq.com.
About Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) is one of the world's leading
developer and producers of digital electronic products for the home, the office, and in
between. Based in Osaka, Japan, it recorded annual sales of $59.8 billion in the last
fiscal year. Best known for the Panasonic brand name, the company also sells
products under the Technics, Quasar, and National brands around the world. For
information on Panasonic and Matsushita visit our Web site at www.panasonic.com.
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics
companies and Europe's largest, with sales of US$ 33.9 billion in 1998. It is a global
leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for
television and monitors, and one-chip TV products. Its 233,700 employees in more
than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic
appliances, components, semiconductors, medical systems, business electronics, and
IT services (Origin). Philips is quoted on the NYSE, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam
and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com.
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and
information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its
music, pictures and computer entertainment operations make Sony one of the most
comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony recorded consolidated
annual sales of over $51 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1998, and it
employs 173,000 people worldwide. Sony's home page URL: sony.co.jp
About Toshiba Corporation
Based in Tokyo, Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in electronic technology.
With over 187,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over $40 billion,
Toshiba is an integrated manufacturer of products spanning information and
communications systems, information media and consumer products, electronic
components, and power systems and industrial equipment.
Press Contacts:
Apple Computer, Inc.
Russell Brady
Tel: 1-408-974-6877
Fax: 1-408-974-6412
E-mail: brady2@Apple.com.
Compaq Computer Corporation
Hedy Baker
Tel: 1-281-514-0484
E-mail: hedy.baker@compaq.com.
Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial)
Jim Reilly
Tel: 1-201-392-6067
Fax: 1-201-348-7579
E-mail: reillyj@panasonic.com
Philips Electronics
Marty Gordon
Tel: 1-408-570-5694
Fax: 1-408-570-5894
E-mail: Marty.Gordon@na.km.philips.com
Sony Electronics Inc.
Mack Araki
Tel: 1-408-955-5673
Fax: 1-408-955-5111
E-mail: Mack_Araki@ccmail.sel.sony.com
Toshiba Corporation
Kenichi Sugiyama
Tel: +81-3-3457-2105
Fax: +81-3-3456-4776
E-Mail: Kenichi.Sugiyama@toshiba.co.jp
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