News release |
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Zi integrates eZiText™ onto QUALCOMM's BREW platform
Calgary, AB (February 12, 2002) - Zi Corporation (NASDAQ: ZICA) (TSE: ZIC), a leading provider of intelligent interface solutions, today announced that it has successfully integrated its eZiText™ predictive text input software onto QUALCOMM's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless™ (BREW™) platform. eZiText is a truly predictive input solution enabling the automatic completion of whole words without the need to input every letter of the word.
"The ability to successfully integrate our technology onto the BREW platform will provide a great advantage to handset manufacturers and ultimately to end users," said Michael E. Lobsinger, Chairman and CEO of Zi Corporation. "This will enable us to supplement our existing marketing efforts and make even greater inroads in the expanding wireless market."
The initial integration of Zi's eZiText predictive text input technology onto QUALCOMM's BREW platform includes both Chinese and Latin languages. Future implementations will allow adopters of this design to take advantage of the more than 32 languages currently offered by Zi.
"We are very pleased that Zi has successfully integrated its eZiText technology onto the BREW platform," said Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "Through Zi's technology, BREW-enabled handset users can benefit from an easy to learn and use text input process. It's a great example of the enhanced functionality the BREW platform can bring to handsets."
"Well-known for its first-to-market technologies, QUALCOMM's choice of Zi is a strong vote of confidence in both the ability of our software and the future need for predictive text input software," said Gary Kovacs, President of Zi Corporation. "With the enhanced applications capability delivered through the BREW architecture, this integration enables eZiText to be implemented by OEMs on a wide range of mobile devices, from low-tier handsets to high-tier smart handsets."
About BREW
QUALCOMM's BREW platform is a thin application execution environment that provides an open, standard platform for wireless devices. The BREW platform is part of a complete, end-to-end solution for wireless applications development, device configuration, application distribution, and billing and payment. The complete BREW solution includes the BREW Software Development Kit (SDK™) for developers, the BREW applications platform and porting tools for device manufacturers, and the BREW Distribution System (BDS) that is controlled and managed by carriers enabling them to easily get applications from developers to market and coordinate the billing and payment process. Carriers' BREW-based services will enable consumers to customize their handsets by downloading applications over the air from a carrier's application download server. The BREW platform is a product of the QUALCOMM Internet Services (QIS) division within the QUALCOMM Wireless & Internet (QWI) group of QUALCOMM Incorporated.
About Zi Corporation
Zi Corporation is a market-driven technology company delivering intelligent interface solutions to enhance the user experience of wireless and consumer technologies. The company's core technology product, eZiText connects people to short messaging, e-mail, e-commerce, Web browsing and similar applications in almost any written language. Zi Services provides market-leading engineering design in Bluetooth™, VoIP and man-machine interface. Zi supports its strategic partners from offices in Calgary, Beijing, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Shenzhen, Stockholm and Tokyo. A publicly traded company, Zi Corporation is listed on the NASDAQ National Market (ZICA) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (ZIC).
About QUALCOMM
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. The Company's business areas include CDMA chipsets and system software; technology licensing; the BREW applications platform; QChat push-to-talk technology; Eudora® e-mail software; digital cinema systems; and satellite-based systems including portions of the Globalstar™ system and wireless fleet management systems, OmniTRACS® and OmniExpress®. QUALCOMM owns patents that are essential to all of the CDMA wireless telecommunications standards that have been adopted or proposed for adoption by standards-setting bodies worldwide. QUALCOMM has licensed its essential CDMA patent portfolio to more than 100 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2001 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
QUALCOMM, OmniTRACS, OmniExpress and Eudora are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. BREW and BREW SDK are trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Globalstar is a trademark of Loral QUALCOMM Satellite Services, Incorporated. Bluetooth is a trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson, Sweden. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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For more information:
Media Inquiries:
Shawn Kelly
Corporate Communications Manager
Phone: 403 537 9770
E-mail: skelly@zicorp.com
or
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Phone: 403 233 8875
E-mail: investor@zicorp.com
Website: www.zicorp.com