For immediate release (Calgary, AB Canada)
January 25,  2000

Beijing, PRC (Jan. 25, 2000) — Zi Corporation (NASDAQ: ZICA) (TSE: ZIC) announced that eZiText™, its intuitive language processing software, has received approval from China's State Language Commission (SLC).  The SLC confirmed that eZiText™ conforms to the new national standard, GB13000.1.  China began to develop the new standard, which comprises 20,902 characters, in an effort to implement a common writing method for information and communication products.

“As the official writing standard sanctioned by the government, the GB13000.1 code defines how the Chinese language is taught in schools and is commonly written,” says Antoine Blondeau, senior vice president, Marketing and Sales, Zi Corporation. “Zi was the first company to receive SLC approval for the GB2312 code in 1998 and continues that tradition by receiving the first official approval under the new standard.” 

To date, the GB13000.1 is China's largest effort to define a stroke writing order for the Chinese language.   The standard builds upon the previous GB2312 code of simplified Chinese characters by adding traditional characters as well as Chinese characters used in Korean and Japanese.  “Zi works to keep our embedded software technology on the leading edge as part of our commitment to our partners and licensees,” says Blondeau.
The SLC is a government organization that regulates and enforces linguistic standards for Chinese.  The organization is part of the Chinese Ministry of Education.

Zi Corporation is a leading provider of embedded software technology and educational products.  The company’s eZiText™ input software is licensed in numerous languages for information and Internet appliances such as mobile phones, PDA’s and TV set-top boxes.  Zi’s common shares trade on both the Toronto Stock Exchange (ZIC) and the NASDAQ stock market (ZICA).  Zi markets its technology through strategic partnerships worldwide from offices in Calgary, Beijing, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Stockholm.

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The information in this press release is based on Zi Corporation’s current expectation and assumptions, and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated.  Such risks include, among others, general business and economic conditions and competitive actions as well as the risks and uncertainties referred to in Zi Corporation’s 20-F for the most recent calendar year.

For further information, please contact: 

Rod Mitton 
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (403) 233-8875 
Email: investor@zicorp.com
Web site: http://www.zicorp.com/