PHOENIX, Nov. 24, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- SunnComm International, Inc. (Pink Sheets:SCMI), the U.S. leader in digital content security and enhancement for optical media, announced today that it has signed an agreement with ViaStar Music Group (OTCBB:VISHE) for use of its MediaMax(tm) suite of technologies.
The ViaStar Music Group consists of several record labels that include, but are not limited to, ViaStar Records, Quadra Records and Light of The Spirit Records.
ViaStar Records, the music group's flagship label, boasts a bevy of artists including music icon Peter Cetera, guitarist Robbie Nevil, Canadian rock group Hadley and international star Peter Murphy, former lead singer of the trend setting UK group, Bauhaus.
Quadra Records, which made its mark with hit British metal rock group Erotic Liquid Culture (ELC), recently signed contemporary-Flamenco sensation Mosaic to its slate of international artists. Light of the Spirit Records, a relatively new record label, is currently the home of the spiritually based Music From God series. The series, a musical production of compositions mathematically derived from the original Hebrew text of the Bible, is brought to life through the collaboration of Uri Harel with well-known composer Gardner Cole, violinist J'Anna Jacoby and guitarist Gal Drimmer, among others.
"MediaMax's proven success in the U.S. marketplace with both major and independent labels is what prompted us to take a closer look at the product," said Richard Spector of ViaStar. "We feel confident that the enhancement features offered by MediaMax will meet the varying needs of our labels and artists along with providing extra value to the consumer. In addition, SunnComm offers us the ability to develop, design and produce MediaMax enhanced CDs in real time from our offices through the use of their proprietary web-based second-session builder tool. In our opinion, SunnComm offers us a one-stop all encompassing solution which is invaluable."
"From the beginning, SunnComm set out to develop a product that meets the multiple requirements of both the music industry and consumer markets," said Peter Jacobs, CEO and president of SunnComm. "We are thrilled to see that MediaMax is becoming the one solution that record labels and artists across the board are embracing. Our MediaMax suite of products provides superior music management and enhancement features that can be configured to meet the artist's or label's specifications on a per project basis."
SunnComm's MediaMax suite of products delivers security for digital CD audio along with an enhanced consumer experience that provides additional bonus content and value-added features available in a user-friendly multi-media session. MediaMax is mastered directly on the audio CD and accessible using a personal computer. Bonus features include on-board press kits, artist-related promotions, videos, song lyrics, artist bio page, photo gallery, web links and tune-sharing capability through SunnComm's MusicMail(tm) functionality. MusicMail or TuneShare is an interface for the legal authorized sharing of selected song tracks with friends and family for a pre-determined number of days or plays. CD buyers can share music legitimately without illegal file sharing networks and without tying up their email system with huge files. This is a powerful word-of-mouth marketing tool for the record labels. Metrics associated with forwarded MusicMail files are available to SunnComm's record label customers on a 24/7/365 basis.
ABOUT VIASTAR:
ViaStar Media Corporation is engaged in development, production and distribution of entertainment related media for film, television, music and publishing interests. The Company's portfolio currently includes ownership of ViaStar Distribution Group, A.V.O. Studios, Moving Pictures International, ViaStar Records, Quadra Records, Light of the Spirit Records, and ViaStar Classical, ViaStar Artist Management group and Masterdisk Corporation.
ABOUT SUNNCOMM
SunnComm International Inc. (OTC: SCMI) copy management and protection technology was first commercially released by Nashville's Music City records in 2001. The album, "Charley Pride - A Tribute to Jim Reeves," became the first commercial dual-session, copy-managed CD in America. SunnComm also became the first company to commercially release a content-protected audio CD utilizing an early version of the Windows Media Data Session Toolkit. (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/jan03/01-20SessionToolkitPR.asp)
In just four years, SunnComm has become the leader in digital content enhancement and security technology for audio compact disc media with its MediaMax suite of products. MediaMax has been successfully implemented on some of today's best selling music including Velvet Revolver, which reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart in addition to other gold and platinum best-selling releases. MediaMax has been used by 25 record labels on more than 60 commercial releases generating over 6,000,000 copy managed CDs.
SunnComm's MediaMax suite of digital content enhancement technologies are created by integrating the Company's own proprietary technology with the Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) Windows Media 9 Series media player, but still operates on both Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL) and Microsoft Windows-based systems. For more detailed information about the company, its vision or philosophy, personnel, partners, and customers, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.sunncomm.com, or call the Company directly at (602) 267-7500. For additional information or investor relations please contact:
Company contact: Investor contact: Peter H. Jacobs Investor Communications Consulting 602-267-7500 602-231-0681 peter@sunncomm.com SCMI@investorcc.com
MediaMax Digital Content Cloaking Technology, DC2, PromoPlay, TuneShare, MusicMail, Secure-Burn and SunnComm are registered and/or trademarks of SunnComm International, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
We caution the reader that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Unknown risk, uncertainties as well as other uncontrollable or unknown factors could cause actual results to materially differ from the results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
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