Welcome to the thread Paul.
The switch to Nasdaq is scheduled for early in the new year with an accompanying name change. That is as definite as it is for the moment.
Here is a news release from this morning with some great news concerning the market size of DVD drives - of which MGI is FIRST to market with a cost effective alternative.
MGI Software Fujitsu Siemens deal
December 14, 1999 07:53 AM
(Full text of press release from Canada NewsWire)
MGI Software Scores Pan-European "Design Win" for SoftDVD MAX(TM) Fujitsu Siemens Computers Selects MGI's Software-Only DVD Player for Siemens Xpert PCs
TORONTO, Dec. 14 /CNW/ - MGI Software Corp. (TSE:MGI), the leader in Internet imaging and digital video solutions, today announced a major design win for its software-only DVD player with Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Europe's leading IT company. MGI SoftDVD MAX, which replaces hardware chips that are required to decode DVD movies for viewing on a personal computer, is now included on all Siemens Xpert PCs, one of Fujitsu Siemens Computers lines of multimedia systems designed for the consumer market.
"As the basic cost of a DVD drive without a hardware decoder nears the price of a CD drive, computer manufacturers are more inclined to offer consumers a standard system with DVD rather than CD," said Anthony DeCristofaro, president and CEO, MGI Software. "In the European market, PC vendors must have a flexible solution that can meet a myriad of requirements. MGI SoftDVD MAX meets this need, giving vendors the flexibility to offer their customers a tailor-made PC that includes the latest DVD technology."
"Xpert PCs sell in a dozen European countries," said Rolf Kleinwachter, Director Marketing PC, Fujitsu Siemens Computers. "MGI Software has made it very easy for us to implement and manage the numerous permutations associated with this cosmopolitan landscape."
Software-only DVD players, like MGI SoftDVD MAX, replace expensive hardware chips that are required to decode DVD movies and content for viewing on a personal computer. Since hardware DVD movie decoders typically cost a PC manufacturer about US$50 per system, MGI SoftDVD MAX offers manufacturers a more flexible, cost-effective alternative. According to Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst, Multimedia, Cahners In-Stat Group, shipments of drives with DVD-ROM read capability will increase from six million in 1998 to 150 million in 2003, all needing DVD decoding capability and MGI SoftDVD MAX offers a cost- effective solution for DVD decoding on the PC.
MGI SoftDVD MAX is a robust software-only DVD decoder that runs on a broad range of Pentium(R) II and Pentium III-class multimedia computers (300Mhz or faster), with support for most of the leading graphics cards, including hardware motion compensation, and audio controllers.
Beneath its sleek and intuitive VCR-type interface, MGI SoftDVD MAX supports all of the components of the DVD standard in software, including full DVD player navigation, MPEG-2, video decryption, Dolby(R) Digital (AC-3) decoding and 5.1 surround, 3D audio, and more. These capabilities provide users with smooth, laser-sharp video and crystal-clear audio without any skips or clicks. With immediate support for Microsoft(R) DirectShow(TM), Windows 95, 98 and NT-based architectures, and twenty-four languages (including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese), MGI SoftDVD MAX provides manufacturers with the flexibility to rollout systems, with various hardware configurations, to a worldwide audience. In addition, MGI SoftDVD MAX is the only DVD playback solution on the market that is Web-enabled. This exclusive feature extends the DVD experience beyond the PC to the Internet, bringing DVD movie enthusiasts together to a hosted online community.
About Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Fujitsu Siemens Computers, the leading European IT company, was formed through a joint venture between Fujitsu Computers (Europe) Limited and Siemens Computer Systems, and commenced operations on 1st October 1999. The company is jointly owned by Fujitsu Limited and Siemens AG, and has its headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. With extensive European manufacturing facilities, customer-focused companies in 25 European countries, and more than 9,000 experienced employees, Fujitsu Siemens Computers is aiming to be the number one computer company in its home market, Europe, by the year 2001.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers provides the world's most complete portfolio of best-in-the-class IT products. From the smallest notebooks to the most powerful data centre solutions, its world-leading technology creates solutions to business problems and enhances individual's lifestyle. Developed and manufactured in Europe for Europe, the product portfolio benefits from the technologies and worldwide sourcing networks of the parent companies.
In addition to an enviable customer base which includes most of the top 1,000 largest enterprises in the Europe, the company's assets include: relationships with more than 2,000 of the leading VARs, distributors and retailers with over 100,000 outlets serving millions of customers; a sales organisation with more than 2,500 sales professionals; and the combined strengths of the parent companies -- with a global network of service and integration partners as well as more than 80,000 specialists dedicated to the product portfolio. Fujitsu Siemens Computers is the new IT force in Europe.
About MGI Software
Founded in 1995, MGI Software is one of the world's leading digital media companies. The Company's early focus on delivering digital media editing technology to the mass market has led to leadership in digital imaging and video editing worldwide. MGI Software recently broadened its market to business and online users of photography and expanded its technological leadership to encompass digital entertainment media. Through its ever-growing network of partnerships with major consumer electronics manufacturers, computer hardware and software vendors, photo retailers and the entertainment industry, MGI Software is uniquely positioned to benefit from the digital revolution shaping our lifestyles. MGI Software employs over 200 people with offices in North America, Europe, Pacific Rim, and Japan. MGI Software is publicly traded on The Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information visit mgisoft.com.
(c) MGI Software Corp., 1999. MGI, MGI PhotoSuite, MGI VideoWave, SoftDVD MAX, Pure DIVA, Zoom Server and Live Picture are trademarks or registered trademarks of MGI Software Corp. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
/For further information: For OEM inquiries contact Sean Budnik, Director, OEM Sales, at 905-707-4712 or seanb(at)mgisoft.com/
REUTERS
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