Apple Computer selects SystemSoft to provide PCMCIA Software for Powerbook notebook computers; SystemSoft to develop first third-party PCMCIA solution for Macintosh operating system.Corp., the industry's leading provider of PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, San Jose, CA, www.pcmcia.org) An international standards body and trade association that was founded in 1989 to establish a standard for connecting peripherals to portable computers. PCMCIA created the PC Card. See PC Card. software, today announced an agreement with Apple Computer Inc. that calls for SystemSoft to develop new PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (body, hardware, standard) Personal Computer Memory Card International Association - (PCMCIA, or "PC Card") An international trade association and the standards they have developed for devicies, such as modems and external hard disk drives, that can be plugged into notebook ) software for Apple's PowerBook notebook computer A laptop computer that weighs in a range from five to seven pounds. The term originated when laptops were routinely more than 10 pounds, and those that became lighter were placed in a special "notebook" category. In practice, notebook computer and laptop computer are synonymous. family. Under the multi-million dollar, multi-year development and licensing agreement, SystemSoft will develop a PCMCIA software product for the Macintosh operating system (operating system) Macintosh Operating System - (Mac OS) Apple Computer, Inc.'s proprietary operating system for their Macintosh family of personal computers. The part of the operating system that simulates the desktop is called "Finder. based on SystemSoft's market-leading CardSoft for DOS and Windows operating systems. Specific services to be provided by SystemSoft under the agreement include PCMCIA card testing, product development design and engineering support for current and future PowerBook systems. These services will enhance Apple's PowerBook PCMCIA support for current and future PCMCIA standards. SystemSoft's PCMCIA software provides support for the fast-growing PCMCIA standard. This standard allows PCMCIA credit- card sized add-on devices to expand the functionality of notebook computers by simply inserting them into the computers' PCMCIA slot. The same PCMCIA cards that are used to expand IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) PC-compatible systems will work compatibly in Apple portable computers. "SystemSoft continues its diversification strategy of delivering innovative PCMCIA solutions to the broadest, most popular computing and communications platforms," said Bob Angelo, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of SystemSoft. "This agreement with Apple is a significant milestone for SystemSoft that reaffirms our undisputed PCMCIA market leadership and helps drive the PCMCIA standard well beyond the traditional IBM PC compatible IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC, XT, or AT internal design, market. We look forward to working with Apple to strengthen and expand its existing PCMCIA solutions to meet end user requirements for PCMCIA, and to drive the rapid market acceptance of evolving standards throughout the industry." SystemSoft engineers will work with Apple to enhance Apple's PCMCIA software to ensure its compliance with the industry-supported PCMCIA Committee's PC Card standards. SystemSoft's software will enable PowerBooks to support multi-function and multi-voltage cards, as well as PC card power management. This additional support from Apple furthers emphasizes industry acceptance of PCMCIA and drives the technology beyond the traditional IBM-compatible personal computer market. About SystemSoft SystemSoft is an industry leading provider of system-level software products - BIOS, power management, smart battery and a variety of PCMCIA solutions - for desktop and mobile computing environments. These products ensure compatibility between personal computer hardware, operating systems and applications. SystemSoft has licensed its PCMCIA or system-level software to more than 100 PC manufacturers and its PCMCIA software to over 80 PCMCIA card vendors. Its customers include: Acer, Apple, AST (AST Computer, Irvine, CA) A PC manufacturer founded in 1980 by Albert Wong, Safi Quershey and Tom Yuen (A, S and T). It offered a complete line of PCs that sold through its dealer channel. , Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., Gateway 2000, Hewlett- Packard Co., IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and NEC (NEC Corporation, Tokyo, www.nec.com, www.necus.com) An electronics conglomerate known in the U.S. for its monitors. In Japan, it had the lion's share of the PC market until the late 1990s (see PC 98). NEC was founded in Tokyo in 1899 as Nippon Electric Company, Ltd. . SystemSoft's employs more than 130 people at its corporate headquarters is in Natick, Mass. and at offices in Taipei Taiwan and Santa Clara and Oxnard California. CONTACT: Paul Sereiko SystemSoft 508/647-2818 or Tim Hurley/Jon Bornstein Copithorne & Bellows 617/252-0606 |
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