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Zi CORPORATION
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release (Calgary, AB Canada)
Oct 21st, 1999
Zi Corporation licenses eZiText(tm)to Alcatel
Calgary, AB (Oct. 21, 1999) — Zi Corporation (TSE: ZIC;
NASDAQ: ZICA) announced today that it has signed a licensing and
royalty agreement with Alcatel of France. The agreement
covers the use of Zi’s intuitive language processing software,
eZiText(tm), for European and ideographic languages, including
13 European languages, Chinese and Japanese. Alcatel will
integrate Zi’s software in its products, including its new
line-up of GSM digital phones.
“This is a landmark agreement for our company and given
its significance, management felt the market should be notified
immediately,” said Michael Lobsinger, chairman and chief
executive officer, Zi Corporation. “We expect to issue
a joint statement with Alcatel in the near future.”
The agreement is important to Zi, as Alcatel is one of the top
five GSM cellular phone manufacturers, with a world market share
of 10 per cent. In 1998 alone, Alcatel’s phone shipments
were about 8 million units.
Zi Corporation is a software company making modern electronic
technology more accessible to people in a way that is consistent
with their language and culture. The company’s eZiText(tm)
input software is licensed in several languages for devices ranging
from mobile phones to 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 Beijing, Hong
Kong, San Francisco and Calgary.
Alcatel builds next generation networks, delivering integrated
end-to-end voice and data communications solutions to established
and new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide.
With 120,000 employees and sales of EURO 21.3 billion (US$25.0
billion), Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.
Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, without limitation, statements
concerning the anticipated benefits to Zi Corporation of its agreement
with the licensee (the “Licensee”) described herein.
The expected inclusion of Zi Input technology in products developed
by the Licensee and potential revenue therefrom involve risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of Zi Corporation to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Such factors include uncertainties in the ability to successfully
collaborate with the Licensee; the ability of Zi Corporation to
successfully design, develop, and deliver any application that
complies with the Licensee’s specifications and is accepted
by the Licensee; the ability of Zi Corporation to successfully
meet specific delivery dates set forth by the Licensee; the ability
of Zi Corporation to successfully integrate and maintain compatibility
with the licensee’s technology; possible failure to continue
to be selected as the text input enabling technology by the Licensee;
the ability of the Licensee to successfully market and distribute
any of its products incorporating Zi technology; economic conditions
in Asia; the risks of doing business in foreign countries including
China; and the risks and uncertainties referred to in Zi Corporation’s
Form 20-F for the most recent calendar year end as filed with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be
no assurance that Zi Corporation will achieve commercial success
through the agreement described herein.
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For further information, please contact:
Karen Attwell
Zi Corporation
Manager, Investor/Media Relations
Phone: (403) 233-8875
Email: mailto:inverstor@zicorp.com?Subject=Comment
about P.R. Oct 21 1999
Web site: http://www.zicorp.com/
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