MultiDisc Technologies Announces $1.5 Million Strategic Manufacturing Agreement to Produce First Modular XNS DVD Server Line.WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 1998-- MultiDisc Technologies Inks Separate Agreement with Nikko Securities for Japan/Asia Investment Banking MultiDisc Technologies Inc. (MultiDisc), a subsidiary of Spatializer Audio Laboratories Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAZ spaz or spazz Offensive Slang n. pl. spazz·es One who is considered clumsy or inept. intr.v. spazzed, spazz·ing, spazz·es To be clumsy or inept. ), Tuesday announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Kawahara Manufacturing Co. Ltd. to produce the first MultiDisc XNS (1) See XDI. (2) (Xerox Network Services) An early networking protocol suite developed at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). XNS has been the basis for many popular network architectures including Novell's NetWare, Banyan's VINES and 3Com's high-speed, rewritable DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. server product line at its facilities near Hiroshima, Japan. A global leader in precision manufacturing and machining, Kawahara Manufacturing has committed a minimum of $1.5 million (US) for design, production, prototyping and initial manufacturing costs. MultiDisc Tuesday separately announced that it has signed an agreement with The Nikko Securities Co. Ltd. of Tokyo to represent the company in strategic relationships and equity investments in Japan and Asia. Nikko Securities also has an extensive practice in mergers and acquisitions. Based on more than 50 patented and patent-pending technologies, the MultiDisc eXpandable Network Server (XNS) provides unprecedented scalability in both capacity and performance to satisfy the ever-increasing demands for data, image, video and audio storage. The speed, capacity and cost advantages of the new DVD rewritable drives and media will allow the MultiDisc systems to achieve new price/performance levels for mass storage. In addition, because DVD rewritable drives are backward-compatible with CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , CD-R (CD-Recordable) A writable CD technology using a type of compact disc that can be recorded, but not erased (CD-Rs are "write once" discs). CD-R discs are used to master CD-ROMs, to back up data and to make copies of data for distribution. , CD-RW (CD-ReWritable) The only rewritable CD technology. CD-RW disks look like other CD media, but with close inspection, they have a more polished surface with a very dark blue-gray cast. , DVD-ROM DVD-ROM: see digital versatile disc. A read-only DVD disc used to permanently store data files. DVD-ROM discs are widely used to distribute large software applications that exceed the capacity of a CD-ROM disc. and DVD-R (DVD-Recordable) A write-once (read only) DVD disc for both movies and data endorsed by the DVD Forum. DVD-Rs are often called "DVD Dash Rs" or "DVD Minus Rs" to distinguish them from the competing "Plus R" format (see DVD+R). , media organizations can easily migrate legacy storage to the new XNS solution. "The first patent, which was awarded in July, was for our Table of Contents Caching Technique," said Steven D. Gershick, MultiDisc president and chief executive officer. "It's a technique that eliminates the step that has been responsible for a large part of the delay that is inherent in optical libraries. This technology is applicable to a wide range of libraries and will provide licensing opportunities that are beneficial to MultiDisc and our OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and partners." "This is a very exciting opportunity for Kawahara Manufacturing," said Sakae Kawahara, president of Kawahara Manufacturing. "By leveraging our extensive precision manufacturing capabilities, we are confident of creating the most reliable and most cost-effective rewritable DVD server products available in the data storage market. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to participate with MultiDisc in this very promising marketplace." "Establishing a strategic partnership with Kawahara Manufacturing validates our technology and our business plan," said Gershick. "Kawahara's substantial financial commitment is proof of their belief in the technology and the market opportunities. "Our confidence in their manufacturing expertise also enables MultiDisc to focus its resources on design and software issues," he noted. "We're looking forward to having production XNS Server units available in the second half of 1999 as rewritable DVD drives DVD drives come in a variety of speeds and options. The original drive (1x) transferred data at 1.35MB per second. By doubling the spindle speed (RPMs) for 2x drives, the transfer rate increased to 2.7MB/sec and has been increasing ever since. begin shipping in quantity." The banking relationship with Nikko Securities Co. Ltd. is aimed at facilitating the separate financing of MultiDisc. "We are obviously very pleased to have an investment banking and brokerage firm of Nikko Securities' stature become actively involved in our business in Japan and Asia at this early stage," stated Gershick. "MultiDisc is moving in the right direction with their modular, expandable approach to rewritable DVD server products," said Bob Abraham, vice president at Santa Barbara-based Freeman Associates Inc. "Scalable solutions such as MultiDisc's XNS systems have immediate and very broad appeal in the data server market where speed, cost and reliability are prime selection criteria." MultiDisc XNS systems are scheduled to begin shipping next year. Prices for the XNS systems will vary, depending on configuration and capacities. About Kawahara Manufacturing Kawahara Manufacturing has four factories located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its headquarters, which is located near the factories, Kawahara Manufacturing also has offices in Tokyo and Osaka. Kawahara manufactures a wide-range of precision robotic devices, including physical distribution systems and machine tools. About MultiDisc Technologies MultiDisc Technologies is a leading developer of innovative and scalable CD/DVD server designs for network and enterprise computing, data warehousing and mining, Internet applications, document imaging and management, corporate archiving, and specialized vertical markets such as video-on-demand. By leveraging MultiDisc's expertise, OEMs and VARs will be able to provide their customers with advanced storage solutions in less time -- and at a significantly lower cost -- than developing their own solutions internally. MultiDisc is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Spatializer Audio Laboratories, a leading developer, licenser and marketer of next-generation technologies for the consumer electronics, computing and entertainment industries. Spatializer's advanced audio technology is incorporated into consumer electronics audio, video and DVD products from global brand leaders including Toshiba, JVC JVC Victor Company of Japan (or Japan's Victor Company) JVC Jewelers Vigilance Committee JVC Jesuit Volunteer Corps JVC Jet Vane Control (directs VLS-launched missiles) JVC Jonker-Volgenant-Castanon , Panasonic, Hitachi, Sharp, Sanyo and Proton, as well as in PC multimedia systems and peripherals from Compaq, 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. , Dell, Gateway, Fujitsu, Seiko-Epson, 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. , Micron and Labtec. For more information, contact MultiDisc Technologies Inc., 20700 Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91346; phone: 818/227-4248; 818/227-9750 (fax); or visit the firm's Web Site at www.multidisc.com. NOTE: MultiDisc Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spatializer Audio Laboratories Inc. MultiDisc, MultiDisc eXpandable Network Server, XNS and MSSL MSSL Mullard Space Science Laboratory MSSL Medium Specific Screening Levels (EPA) MSSL Maximum Symmetrical Suffix Length MSSL Medium Speed Serial Port MSSL Maximum-Sum-Of-Subsets-Less MSSL Mission Spares Support Listing are trademarks of MultiDisc Technologies Inc. NOTE TO EDITORS: MultiDisc news releases are available for retrieval on the MultiDisc Website, www.multidisc.com. Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. Act Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995: Certain information in this news release, including the comments by Gershick in paragraphs three, five and six, are forward-looking statements that are based on management's belief, as well assumptions made by and information currently available to management. While the company believes that its expectation are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that the company's financial goals will be realized. Numerous uncertainties and risk factors may affect the company's actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the company. These uncertainties and risk factors include, but are no limited to, dependence on new technology and intellectual property, timely completion of prototype products, introduction of new competitive technologies, competition and pricing pressures, the need for capital to commercialize MDT MDT abbr. Mountain Daylight Time MDT (in the US and Canada) Mountain Daylight Time MDT n abbr (US) (= mountain daylight time) → technology, the continued need for additional capital and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. CONTACT: Spatializer Audio Laboratories Inc., Woodland Hills Henry R. Mandell, 818/227-3370 henrym@spatializer.com or Kawahara Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Sakae Kawahara, +81/848-48-2536 |
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