Multimedia firms from 'second most computerized country' use Atlanta E3 show for concentrated push into U.S. markets; Australian Trade Commission Fosters 'Downunder, Interactive and Live,' One-stop Showcase for 20 Aussie MM Firms.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 1997--Twenty Australian multimedia companies present their products and perspectives to the American market at E3 here June 19-21.

Sponsored by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), "Downunder, Interactive and Live" helps prove a little-known fact: Australia is the second most computerized country in the world.

Applications at the Austrade booth range from hot new games to innovative educational software. For example, Emergent Software will demonstrate games like "Powerslide" and Dataworks will showcase edutainment titles including "Bananas in Pajamas" and "Humphrey's Counting House." (Dataworks recently won more than half of PC User magazine's list of "Best Australian Educational Software")

"Australia is the second biggest per capita spender in telecommunications after the U.S., as well as the world's second most computerized country," said Bob Hunt, Austrade commissioner for information technology (IT). "The Australian IT industry expects to export more than $10 billion (USD) by 2000, but most of these companies are hardly known in the U.S."

"Our activities at E3 will represent the largest coordinated event for Australia's emerging entertainment and multimedia sectors in North America," said Nigel Warren, Austrade's assistant trade commissioner, multimedia specialist, and project manager for the Australian Presence at E3.

Participants Listed By Multimedia Focus:

Gaming:

Beam Software -- Australia's largest game developer with titles like "Alien Earth/Playmates," "Caesar's Palace/Interplay" and "Norse By Norsewest/Interplay" Melbourne House -- Producer of "KKnD Gold," "Cricket '97 Special Edition," "DethKarz," "Ritual," and "Robot Madness" Emergent Software -- Producer of "Powerslide" Nodtronics -- Developer of multimedia software (Eureka Software brand) with titles including: "Extra Terrestrials" and "Eureka's Arcade Classics" Micro Forte Developer of world class computer games like "Demon Stalker," "Emu Multimedia's Troika Series," "Bombs Away," and "NORDICe"

Edutainment:

Dataworks -- Publisher and distributor of educational software including "Bananas in Pajamas," "Humphrey's Counting House" and "Let's Go Shopping"; Sprint Software -- Producer of 30 diverse titles that regularly reach the Top 20 most sold titles in Europe, including "Super OZ," "Quench," "Sprint Arcade" and "Sprint Kids"; Classroom Video -- Producer of classroom videos, web site and database design; Natural Learning -- Creates natural history reference CD-ROMs for education and home entertainment markets. Some titles are: "Minerals of the World" and "Orchids of Asia" Webster Publishing -- The world leader in Computer Based Training (CBT) software Smarty Pants Publishing -- Developer of language programs specifically designed to teach primary school students a second language (covers most languages);

Internet:

Global Internet Directories -- A complete Global Yellow Page Directory of Classifieds, Businesses, Investment Opportunities, Employment Opportunities and Personals; Iambus Data CorpProducer of "MusicBiz Pro" the Golden Rolodex of the Music Industry; The Multimedia Information Communications Corporation (MICC) -- Developer of "AgentA," a flexible messaging system, security and a rapid development suite for creating Internet/Intranet applications and end user programs;

Miscellaneous:

Beaver Multimedia -- Developer and publisher of "Botanica Plus," the largest and most current gardening reference CD-ROM, with 10,000 plant entries from around the world; Australian Multimedia Enterprise -- Multimedia industry financier; Journey Australia -- Produces a travel guide that allows access to thousands of attractions, (hotels, tours, car hire, airline operators, events) and allows users to go on the Internet.

About Austrade:

Austrade is the export and investment facilitation agency of the Federal Government of Australia. It has 98 offices in 67 countries. Austrade's goal in the US is to help Australian companies market their products and services here. They also work with American companies seeking to manufacture or invest in Australia. Last year Austrade's services were used by more than 2,000 companies globally in the information technology (IT) business alone. IT activities are headquartered, logically, in the San Francisco Bay area.

Editor / analyst note: For interviews, photographs, or further information, contact Bruce Roseman at Brough Communications, or Bruce Brough at the Austrade Booth (No. 4563, Ga. World Congress Center) at E3, June 19-21.

CONTACT: Brough Communications

Bruce Brough or Bruce Rossman, 408/430-0100

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