Monday June 15, 8:59 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
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.''
The Qwest Macro Capacity Fiber Network
Qwest's planned domestic 18,449 mile network will serve more than 130 cities, which represent approximately 80 percent of the data and voice traffic originating
in the United States, upon its scheduled completion in the second quarter of 1999. To date, more than 8,500 miles are activated, including the transcontinental
segment that extends from Los Angeles to Sacramento and across to New York. The Qwest Macro Capacity Fiber network is designed with a highly reliable and
secure bi-directional, line switching OC-192 SONET ring architecture. Upon completion, the network will offer a self-healing system that provides ultimate
security and reliability by allowing instantaneous rerouting in the event of a fiber cut.
In accordance with U.S. securities law, General Magic notes that this press release contains forward-looking statements. There are risks that may cause actual
results to vary materially. These risks include, but are not limited to, the challenges inherent in the development and delivery of complex technologies; the market
acceptance of the Company's Portico service; the Company's ability to respond to competitive pressures; the Company's dependence on establishing distribution
relationships; the Company's limited financial resources; and the Company's reliance on attracting, retaining and motivating key technical, marketing and
management personnel. These and other risk factors are detailed in General Magic's 1997 Form 10-K, and first quarter 1998 Form 10-Q filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
About Qwest
Qwest Communications International Inc. (NASDAQ:QWST - news) is a multimedia communications company building a high-capacity, fiber optic network for
the 21st century. With its cutting-edge technology, Qwest will deliver high-quality data, video and voice connectivity securely and reliably to businesses, consumers
and other communications service providers. Further information is available at qwest.net
About General Magic
General Magic, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMGC - news) 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.
The Qwest logo is a registered trademark of Qwest Communications International Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries.
General Magic, Portico and magicTalk are trademarks of General Magic, Inc.
Contact:
General Magic
Buck Krawczyk
(408) 774-4000
www.generalmagic.com
or
Access Communications
Sarah Bessette
(415) 904-7070 x218
sbessette@accesspr.com
or
Qwest Communications
Diane Reberger
(303) 291-1662
dreberge@qwest.net
Good luck
Tim |
