First of today'r releases follows:
> > >(BSNS WIRE) Actiontec to Deploy Wave Systems' EMBASSY E-commerce Technology in Home Networking and Modem Cards; Products Enable New Digital Content Purchasing Models for Consumers
Business Editors & High-tech Writers
SUNNYVALE and SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1999--
Wave Systems Corp. (OTC BB:WAVX)(http://www.wave.com) a provider of
electronic commerce, content distribution and security services, and
Actiontec Electronics, Inc. (http://www.actiontec.com), a leading
manufacturer of data communications, today announced the first
deployment by a major data communications company of the Wave
E-commerce System.
Under the agreement, Actiontec will incorporate Wave's EMBASSY
chips into select modem and home networking cards, providing users a
unique built-in e-commerce functionality that offers the ability to
meter and buy digital content in the consumers' device. The new
Actiontec products are expected to ship in Q-4 of 1999.
Wave's EMBASSY technology is an open, standards-based
programmable hardware and software device that can execute a multitude
of applications, including transactional security and metering of
digital content. By locating the EMBASSY in the PC or peripheral
device, content may now be distributed by virtually any method or
media, including CD and DVDs, broadcast networks such as CATV,
satellite, or multicast, as well as interactive data networks
including the Internet.
Under the agreement, select Actiontec modem and home networking
cards will include a Wave Systems' CD-ROM bundle of software titles
from leading publishers of entertainment and educational software.
Users will be able to purchase or rent any of the bundled titles
securely by using Wave's e-commerce service. The e-commerce
functionality allows consumers to take advantage of a convenient,
flexible and secure way to buy software at their desktop using various
purchasing models such as pay-per-use, rent-to-own or a conventional
purchase. The agreement expands the adoption of Wave's secure, turnkey
software distribution solution by peripheral manufacturers.
Initially, the software bundle will be included with select Call
Waiting Modems and ActionLink(TM) Home Networking products. The Call
Waiting Modems offer a unique call-waiting feature to ensure that
phone calls are not missed. Users are permitted to screen incoming
telephone calls without interrupting their on-line connection while
they are surfing the Web or checking e-mail. ActionLink is an
easy-to-use, Plug and Play, 1Mbit/second home networking solution that
gives families and small offices the ability to play multi-player
games, share files, peripherals and simultaneous Internet access using
one Internet Service Provider (ISP) account, one telephone line and
one modem. ActionLink features the revolutionary DynaNAT(TM)
technology that enables any PC on the network to act as the designated
gateway to the Internet.
Dataquest projects that the total number of multiple-PC
households in the US will reach 17.4 million by the end of 1999 and
grow to 24 million by 2002.(1) One of the most exciting features of
home networking is multi-player gaming. As a result of this agreement
Actiontec consumers can have access to a variety of games to let users
take full advantage of gaming among multiple PCs in the house.
"We believe our home networking card and modem customers will
find great value in the additional functionality and software access
that Wave Systems' provides," said Dean Chang, president of Actiontec
Electronics, Inc. "The addition of Wave's bundled content and EMBASSY
e-commerce technology to our modems will allow our customers to take
advantage of innovative purchasing scenarios like try-before-you-buy
and pay-per-use."
Steven Sprague, president of Wave Systems Corp., commented, "The
adoption of our e-commerce and software distribution approach by
Actiontec represents another important step for our company as we move
toward mass deployment of the EMBASSY technology. This combination of
Actiontec's product and Wave's service offering gives the consumer a
broad range of choices and capabilities that we believe represents the
future of software access and consumption."
The deployment of the Wave E-commerce System opens exciting new
content distribution possibilities that will benefit OEMs and content
providers as well as consumers. The OEM community will gain product
differentiation with this exciting new feature as well as participate
in revenue from the sale of content through their hardware. The PC
software community can benefit from flexible pricing models as well as
the persistent protection of their intellectual property provided by
Wave's security hardware device. Consumers receive the flexibility of
paying for information based upon their actual usage, while publishers
benefit from significantly reduced marketing and distribution expenses
and the ability to reach a much broader base of end-user target
markets.
About Wave Systems Corp:
Founded in 1988, the mission of Wave Systems Corporation is to
create content distribution and secure services based on a new
distributed trust model for e-commerce. Wave's core EMBASSY technology
is based on an open, standards-based hardware and software device that
enables secure transaction processing and distributed information
metering in users' PCs. Embedded in PC hardware and peripherals,
set-top boxes and other devices, EMBASSY is the foundation for
client-based security applications and a new distribution and
purchasing model for content and services. This low-cost, secure
"system within a system" will enable the personal computer to assume
an important new role in the evolving digital economy. By moving
secure transactions to the desktop, Wave provides intrinsic value to
the electronic commerce process, benefiting PC users, application
developers, and hardware manufacturers. For more information, please
visit Wave's corporate web site at wave.com
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the statements of historical fact, the information
presented herein constitutes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of the company to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include
general economic and business conditions, the ability to fund
operations, the loss of market share, changes in consumer buying
habits and other factors over which Wave Systems Corp. has little or
no control.
About Actiontec
Actiontec Electronics, Inc. is a significant global player in the
data communications marketplace. The company's product line includes a
complete line of Home Networking products, Mobile and Desktop
Fax/Modems, and Ethernet cards, as well as Internal and External PC
Card Read/Write Drives for SmartMedia, CompactFlash and ATA Flash PC
Cards. Actiontec products have been recognized with a Best of Show
award at Retail Xchange, the Editors Choice award from CNET's
computer.com, and an Editors Choice award from Computer Retail Week.
Actiontec products are available through national distribution and
retail outlets as well as through private label and OEM relationships.
The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, and maintains branch
offices in Philadelphia, Government Sales in Arlington, Va., and
International Sales in Irvine, Calif. Actiontec products are available
through national distribution and retail outlets as well as through
private label and OEM relationships. Actiontec can be reached via the
Internet at actiontec.com, by phone at 408/752-7700 or fax
408/541-9003.
Note (1): Gartner Group's Dataquest, "The New World of Home
Networking," January, 1999
--30--gdr/sf*
CONTACT: Wave Systems Corp.
Kent W. Kappen, 408/261-9510
kkappen@wavesys.com
or
Fleishman-Hillard for Wave Systems
Aaron Feigin, 415/356-1033 (Media)
feigina@fleishman.com
or
Jaffoni & Collins for Wave Systems
David Collins/Kathy Holmes, 212/835-8500 (Investors)
WAVX@jcir.com
or
Actiontec Electronics, Inc.
Lesley Kirchman, 408/548-4739
lesleyk@sspr.com
or
S&S Public Relations for Actiontec Electronics, Inc.
Lauren Tascan, 212/772-3900 (Media)
lauren@sspr.com < < <
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Anothe release will follow on next post.
Steve |
