For Immediate Release (Calgary, AB Canada)
November 22, 1999
 

Calgary, AB (Nov. 22, 1999) — Zi Corporation (TSE: ZIC; NASDAQ: ZICA) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Kenwood Corporation (Kenwood) of Japan. Kenwood will integrate Zi’s predictive language processing software, eZiTEXT™, across a range of cellular phone platforms, beginning with Kenwood's new line-up of GSM digital phones. The agreement covers the entire language offering developed by Zi Corporation, including European languages, Chinese and Japanese.

Kenwood is a major global electronics player whose main product areas include audio appliances, car navigation products, radio equipment, mobile telephone equipment and PC components. With over 2,594 employees worldwide, the net sales of the company reached  ?57,419 million (USD$2.43 billion) in fiscal year 1998. 

Kenwood is a strong PDC and PHS cellular brand in the domestic Japanese phone space, with about two million units sold per year. It has just launched a new line of products for each major mobile communications platform, including the EM618 series for the GSM protocol. The line has been well received by European and Asian operators, several of whom have entered into purchasing contracts with the company.

eZiTEXT™ is a leading language processing technology for consumer information appliances. It provides intuitive, predictive power to allow a user to type quickly and intelligently in any language on digital mobile phones, set-top boxes, hand-held computers and other information portals.

“We will first implement eZiTEXT™ with our next product releases in Europe and Greater China. Intelligent text entry is a requirement of European operators for cell phones supporting short messaging and more advanced data applications. eZiTEXT™'s additional features enhance usability and performance. In China too, this technology will help us market our product line and access Chinese OEM customers,” said Mr. Toshitada Asao, general manager, Overseas Mobile Communication Division at Kenwood Corporation. 

“Kenwood is a company with a global reputation for quality and engineering excellence. eZiTEXT™ 's product features, such as our unique word completion and auto-spellchecker functionality in European languages, were key to Kenwood's endorsement of Zi technology. This technology, initially developed for the Greater China market, is now proving it handles very well for Japanese and other Asian or European languages,” commented Antoine Blondeau, senior vice president, Marketing & Sales at Zi Corporation.

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™ 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, Stockholm, San Francisco and Calgary.

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.

For further information, please contact: 

Kenwood Corporation
14-6,Dogenzaka 1-chome, Shibuya-ku
Phone: 81-3-5457-7120
Email: pr.qa@pr.kenwood.co.jp
Web site: www.kenwoodcorp.com

Karen Attwell
Zi Corporation
Manager, Investor/Media Relations
Phone:  (403) 233-8875
Email: mailto:investor@zicorp.com
Web site:  http://www.zicorp.com/