GMST strikes deal for German EPG Services:
Wednesday August 25, 8:59 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Gemstar and Axel Springer Co-Operate to Broadcast EPG Services in Germany
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1999--Gemstar International Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:GMST - news) announced today that it signed an agreement with Axel Springer Verlags AG (Hamburg) to collaborate over broadcasts of subscription free electronic program guide (EPG) services to consumers.
The broadcasts, to be carried by Axel Springer Interactive in the analog Sat1 channel, will commence next year and will be receivable by Gemstar-licensed set-top-box and television receivers in cable, satellite and terrestrial television homes throughout Germany.
''We are extremely pleased at this co-operation with Axel Springer Interactive and Sat1, which represents the first application of our electronic program guide technologies in Europe,'' said Dr. Henry Yuen, CEO and chairman of Gemstar. ''We could not have wished for a better partner in Germany with whom to launch our EPG services in the consumer electronics sector.''
''We are delighted to be working with Gemstar on the launch of its EPG services in Germany,'' said Karina Tietje, head of Multimedia, Axel Springer Publishing, Hamburg. ''Gemstar's EPG fits very well with our own broadcast strategy and services to the advertising industry. It is free, consumer-oriented and responsive. Most importantly, it allows accurate targeting of advertisements to just those who most need to see them.''
Axel Springer Interactive (ASVI) has been Germany's leading provider of multimedia services on all available platforms for more than 10 years. ASVI currently markets 8 teletext services and 26 online sites including T-Online (Germany's largest internet service provider with 3.3 million subscribers), the Axel Springer titles and Infoseek (Germany). Combined, the online sites reach more than 100 million page impressions per month.
Gemstar develops, markets and licenses proprietary technologies and systems aimed at making technology user-friendly for consumers.
Gemstar's technology and intellectual property are licensed to major companies in the consumer electronics, satellite, cable and personal computer industries, including Aiwa, Akai, America Online (AOL), Americast, Cox, Daewoo, Funai, GTE, Hitachi, Hughes Network Systems, JVC, LG Electronics (Goldstar), Matsushita (Panasonic, Quasar), Microsoft Corporation, Mitsubishi, Orion, Philips (Magnavox, Philips), Quadravision, Samsung, Sanyo, Scientific-Atlanta, Sharp, Shintom, Sony, Southern New England Telephone, Thomson multimedia (GE, PROSCAN, RCA, Thomson), Time Warner, Toshiba, U.S. West, Uniden and Zenith.
Gemstar has more than 75 issued U.S. patents in the general area of audio-visual technologies containing more than 1,500 claims and 70 foreign patents containing more than 1,000 claims. The company continues to pursue a worldwide patent prosecution program and has more than 130 pending U.S. patent applications and more than 160 pending foreign patent applications.
Gemstar is a leading provider of electronic program guide services, which allow a user to view a television program guide on screen, obtain details about a show, sort shows by themes or categories, and select shows for tuning or recording, all through the remote control.
In the United States, data for Gemstar's electronic program guide services are carried on the ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, UPN and PBS networks and by hundreds of over-the-air broadcast stations and on a number of cable networks. Gemstar's electronic program guide has been built into a number of models of new televisions, VCRs and TV/VCR combination units.
Gemstar's electronic program guide is also licensed to cable, telco and MMDS service providers, and has been integrated into direct broadcast satellite receivers, digital and advanced analog cable set-top boxes, PCTV and other Internet devices and computer operating systems such as Windows 98.
Gemstar's VCR Plus+® instant programming system is a world standard for VCR programming. Known as VIDEO Plus (R) in the United Kingdom and as ShowView® in Europe, the VCR Plus+ system allows a user to record a television show simply by entering a number -- the PlusCode® number -- printed in television program guides. The PlusCode numbers are published by more than 1,800 newspapers and television program guides worldwide, with a combined circulation of more than 330 million.
The VCR Plus+ system has been licensed to virtually every major television and VCR manufacturer and is now available in 40 countries and 6 continents, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa.
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the timely availability and acceptance of new products; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the management of growth; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 1999.
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