NEW YORK, June 27, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Iomega Corporation (NYSE:IOM), a global leader in data management solutions, announced today at PC Expo several new products and solutions in the areas of digital audio and digital imaging, data protection, Internet-based solutions and software, expanding the company's presence into consumer electronics.
"Iomega has evolved from a world-class removable storage company to a leader in data sharing and information management," said Bruce Albertson, president and CEO, Iomega Corporation. "We believe Iomega is strategically positioned to play an even more significant role in consumers' digital lives, from the office to the living room to the playground and beyond. The products and solutions we announced today are evidence that Iomega is committed to expanding into these new markets."
Digital Audio
Iomega made a significant announcement in the area of digital audio with news that the first Clik!(TM)-based MP3 audio player co-developed by Iomega and Sensory Science will begin shipping next month. The RaveMP 2300 audio player with a built-in Clik! drive, gives music enthusiasts unlimited, affordable access to their music libraries away from their computers. Most existing MP3 players limit storage space to as few as 32MB or a maximum of 128MB. Iomega Clik!(TM) disks are available at an estimated street price of $9.99 (U.S.) each, when purchased in a 10-pack. Each, round two-inch Clik! disk holds 40MB - roughly a 40-minute play list of about 12 songs.
"One of the barriers to MP3 players becoming more widely accepted by mainstream consumers has been the high cost of removable flash storage with 32MB cards priced at approximately $100," said Mark Lucas, executive vice president of global marketing and product management, Iomega Corporation. "Iomega's Clik! technology offers consumers a more affordable removable storage solution with 40MB disks priced as low as $9.99 each, a mere 10 percent of the cost for additional flash storage. And with additional Clik!-enabled MP3 players planned for later this year, including one of our own, we believe the format will become the consumers' choice for years to come."
Iomega also unveiled plans for its next generation external ZipCD(R) CD-RW drive, with a smaller form factor and sleeker design. Available later this year, the drive will have USB and FireWire connectivity as well as PC and Mac(R) compatibility. This drive is ideal for those consumers who wish to create, record, share and store original music, favorite photos and other valuable digital files.
"Compared to the existing CD-RW 'boxes' on the market today, this new Iomega CD-RW product will be dramatically different and the definition of cool," said Michael Johnson, director of worldwide optical product development, Iomega Corporation.
Iomega also announced today in the area of digital rights management that Microsoft's(R) new Windows Media(TM) Player is now compatible with the more than 35 million Iomega drives in the marketplace today, facilitating secure downloads of digital rights management enabled content. Iomega expects to make additional announcements related to these fields later this year.
Digital Imaging
Iomega will introduce this fall an exciting new consumer electronics product called the FotoShow(TM) digital image center. Developed with digital photography enthusiasts in mind, this new digital image center will allow images created with digital equipment to be viewed on televisions, and will make the sharing of digital photos possible without the need for a personal computer.
"We believe the FotoShow image center is the missing link in sharing digital photography," said Albertson. "This is the first of many Iomega consumer electronics products that will help bring the family out of the computer room and back into the family room."
With Iomega's new FotoShow(TM) image center, consumers will be able to view digital images saved onto digital camera memory cards by inserting them into the FotoShow(TM) image center, which transfers the images from the memory card to a Zip(R) 250MB or 100MB disk, thus creating a portable "digital photo album." The images can be edited for "red eye," cropped and rotated on-screen, and can be viewed full screen or in a thumbnail format on any television.
Data Sharing and Protection
Iomega also announced the launch of its new commercial software product, Iomega Quik Sync 2 software, which automatically saves designated files from local and network drives, providing an effortless way to manage and secure files, helping to keep them safe and protected from viruses, computer crashes and other data threats. Iomega Quik Sync 2 software is available for download today at www.iomegadirect.com for an estimated street price of $19.95 (U.S.). The product will also be available at retailers and distributors in the fall.
Iomega announced today availability of its new internal Zip(R) 250MB bay tray drive as an option for the new line of ThinkPad(R) by IBM, and Dell's Latitute(TM) and Inspirion(TM) notebooks.
Internet-Based Solutions
Iomega introduced a new external Zip(R) 100MB USB drive that combines functionality and style as an entry-level primary storage device for Internet appliances and gaming consoles, many of which have no external storage capability. The drive offers simple plug-and-play connectivity and faster transfer rates than traditional parallel port devices, and can plug into most available USB ports while the computer is on.
Iomega also announced it is working with Neon Technology to offer Zip(R) 100MB drives as the primary external storage device for next-generation Neon set-top boxes.
"Our new Zip(R) 100MB USB drive is the perfect complement to the coming generations of Web appliances, making it easy for consumers to store and share things like photos, e-mails, recipes and more," said Lucas.
Consumers will not only be able to use the versatile Zip(R) 100MB USB drive as an accessory for new Internet devices, but also as a traditional data storage peripheral on PCs running Windows(R) 95/98, 2000, ME, NT(R) 4.0, or Macintosh(R) computers running Mac OS 8.5.1-9.x. The new external Zip 100MB USB drive is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Iomega also unveiled a new agreement in the area of global data access with SkyDesk that will focus on offering Iomega customers new online storage opportunities.
Software
The company also announced its intention to provide Linux(R) support for the company's popular Zip(R), Jaz(R) and Clik!(TM) drives in its next version of IomegaWare, which is due to ship later this year.
Medical, Education and Enterprise Markets
Iomega also announced that it is working to build acceptance for Zip(R) technology within the medical community to allow consumers to keep a copy of their medical records on Zip disks for added security and protection in the event of a medical issue or emergency. Another potential application in the medical field is capturing video-style ultrasounds on Iomega disks for viewing outside the doctor's office or hospital.
Iomega will also continue to penetrate and expand its presence in the education and enterprise markets by positioning its current and future product lines as removable storage devices for the classroom and the office.
About Iomega
Iomega Corporation (NYSE:IOM) manufactures and markets the award-winning Zip(R), Jaz(R) and Clik!(TM) drives and disks and markets the ZipCD(TM) CD-RW drives and discs. Iomega's products help people to save, share, manage and create important information such as spreadsheets, slides, Internet downloads, audio files and personal photographs, while helping protect that content from viruses and hackers. Used in homes, businesses, government and educational facilities and by creative professionals everywhere, Iomega storage solutions are the enabling technologies preferred by millions. The Company can be reached at 1-800-MY-STUFF (800-697-8833), or on the Web at www.iomega.com.
Special note: Statements contained in this release relating to Iomega's plans to develop and ship the new products and related agreements in the categories of digital audio, digital imaging, data protection, Internet-based solutions and software and the expected availability and functionality of these new products and agreements are forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including market acceptance of, and demand for, Iomega's plans to develop and ship the new products and related agreements in the categories of digital audio, digital imaging, data protection, Internet-based solutions and software, manufacturing issues, including component availability and pricing, development and distribution issues, product pricing and conformity to specifications, competition, intellectual property rights and other risks as identified in Iomega's Annual Report to Stockholders for 1999 on Form 10-K, and its most recent quarterly reports filed with the SEC.
Copyright (C) 2000 Iomega Corporation. Iomega, Zip, Jaz, Clik! and ZipCD are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Iomega Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Certain other product names, brand names and company names may be trademarks or designations of their respective owners.