Varatouch Technology, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. Form Strategic Technology, Marketing and Manufacturing Alliance.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2002 Varatouch Technology Inc. (VTI VTI Väg- och transportforskningsinstitutet VTI Velocity-Time Integral VTI Vietnam Telecom International VTI Vocational Training Institute VTI Virtual Tunnel Interface (Cisco) VTI Vermeer Technologies Incorporated ), Mitsubishi Corporation Mitsubishi Corporation (三菱商事株式会社 (MC) and Shin-Etsu Polymer (SEP 1. SEP - Someone Else's Problem. 2. (tool) SEP - A SASD tool from IDE. ) of Japan announced the formation of a strategic alliance between the three companies to market VTI's proprietary and patented "Resistive resistive /re·sis·tive/ (re-zis´tiv) pertaining to or characterized by resistance. Rubber(TM)" Technology (also marketed under the trade name "R2 (R Squared) Technology"). The alliance will substantially accelerate the worldwide introduction of R2 Technology into a wide range of products, including cell phones, computers, set-top boxes The cable TV box that sits on "top" of the TV "set," although it is often located several feet away in an equipment rack. The set-top box descrambles the premium channels and provides a tuner for the higher cable numbers that very old TVs did not support. , convergence devices, consumer electronics, video games See video game console. , and more. Developed by a small but dedicated team of engineers at VTI over the last three years, R2 Technology is a truly remarkable innovation in basic electronic methodology that will eventually find application in virtually all industries and markets. Initially targeted at human input devices (HID) and electronic sensors, R2 Technology can be used to create a wide range of devices, including joysticks, touchpads, advanced switches, and new ways to provide the ubiquitous knobs and slider A block of material that holds the read/write head of a magnetic disk. See flying head. controls used in consumer electronics. While these devices are all in use today, R2 Technology equivalent products offer equal or better performance at an advantageous cost. Furthermore, R2 Technology products have clear advantages in power consumption, reliability, methods of implementation, and in some cases, unique features. There is no other competitive technology as well suited to meet the needs of today's emerging convergence products. VTI has introduced a line of miniature joystick (hardware, games) joystick - A device consisting of a hand held stick that pivots about one end and transmits its angle in two dimensions to a computer. Joysticks are often used to control games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer. products already winning acceptance in the market. The joystick products range from the world's smallest full-function joystick, to units designed for video game controllers. These R2 joysticks share substantial advantages over existing alternatives, most prominently cost. Ultimately, R2 Technology will emerge as a major advance in sensor and control technology. Although VTI has exciting new technology and products, it has limited marketing and manufacturing resources to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. this potential. Mitsubishi Corporation, a highly respected international enterprise, is one of the world leaders For a list of heads of state, see . World leaders is a MMORPG. The game involves creating a state, joining an alliance and going into war. It is mostly played by players from Israel, China, USA, Britain, Brazil and Saudi-Arabia. in marketing high-technology products, and is the ideal partner to promote R2 Technology worldwide. Mitsubishi Corporation Chemicals Group currently markets a myriad of chemical products to the largest and most successful companies in the world. Included in Mitsubishi Corporation's impressive list of chemical products are components of silicone rubber Noun 1. silicone rubber - made from silicone elastomers; retains flexibility resilience and tensile strength over a wide temperature range synthetic rubber, rubber - any of various synthetic elastic materials whose properties resemble natural rubber for cell phones, keyboards, remote controls, and many other electronic products. Since these products are manufactured from the same materials, and sold to the same type customer, a clear and compelling synergy exists between Mitsubishi Corporation's current business and the potential of R2 Technology. Leveraging proven trading practices and existing channel with promising new technology is a highly efficient and practical method of commercializing R2 Technology. Mitsubishi Corporation has received from VTI the worldwide right to sell R2 Technology products, and represent VTI exclusively in Asia. MC and VTI believe that combining the rights to R2 Technology with Mitsubishi Corporation's extensive and well-positioned sales and distribution channels will best serve the market demand for R2 products inherent in today's advanced electronic products. Mitsubishi Corporation's world-class sales efforts will result in the need to produce R2 Technology products in vast quantities, with high quality, and customized to meet customers individual requirements. Shin-Etsu Polymer, a long-established partner to Mitsubishi Corporation, could not be a more perfect partner to fill this demanding role. Long known as an innovator and technology leader, Shin-Etsu Polymer invented the silicone rubber switch keypad A small keyboard or supplementary keyboard keys; for example, the keys on a calculator or the number/cursor cluster on a computer keyboard. See programmable keypad. found in virtually all consumer electronics products today, such as the buttons on the common TV remote control. Shin-Etsu has manufacturing and sales offices around the world, and holds substantial market share worldwide, and particularly in Japan. Shin-Etsu Polymer's parent company, Shin-Etsu Chemical, is a world leader in the manufacture and compounding of the silicone rubber raw material. SEP will play an important role in all phases of R2 Technology. It will formulate the Resistive Rubber material, it will manufacture R2 Technology components, it will co-develop new designs and applications for R2 Technology with VTI, and it will market the technology worldwide. Perhaps the most important benefit SEP brings to the introduction of R2 Technology is credibility: mass-market manufacturers are confident that SEP can deliver exceptional-quality products, on time, at fair prices. Michael Rogers
Study of the properties of solid materials and how those properties are determined by the material's composition and structure, both macroscopic and microscopic. , manufacturing know-how and world-class facilities, and well-established sales and distribution channels. These clear synergies give our companies high hopes that R2 Technology can reach its market potential quickly." Mr. Kazumi Yoshimura, Div. COO of Mitsubishi Corporation, Chemicals Group, Functional Chemical Division, said, "We at Mitsubishi Corporation have great expectations that R2 Technology will become an important new alternative in input and sensor technology. No other technology offers the performance, reliability, power consumption, and cost benefits of R2 Technology with such simplicity and elegance. R2 Technology is the right technology at the right time for today's new digital applications. By teaming with Varatouch and our long-time partner Shin-Etsu Polymer, Mitsubishi Corporation will play the lead role in introducing R2 Technology to the world." Mr. Hiroshi Kosaki, President of Shin-Etsu Polymer America, said, "Shin-Etsu Polymer is pleased to have the opportunity to help such a promising technology reach its market potential. Our superior manufacturing and product development capabilities are well suited to R2 Technology. We are hopeful that this collaboration between ourselves, Mitsubishi Corporation and Varatouch will lead to great success. It is clear that the new breed of digital devices need improved control solutions, and we are poised to deliver products now." It is anticipated that the benefits of this strategic partnership will have a substantial impact on the speed of acceptance of R2 Technology in the marketplace, but no estimates on the financial impact for VTI, MC or SEP were released. Due to the relatively long design cycles common today, tangible sales results from this partnership will not be realized for six to twelve months. However, with Mitsubishi's market presence, and the already growing acceptance of R2 Technology in the marketplace, all three companies have high expectations for tangible sales results from the formation of their strategic alliance. "VTI's prior success with companies such as 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) , NMB NMB new methylene blue. , and others soon to be announced To be announced (TBA) A contract for the purchase or sale of an MBS to be delivered at an agreed-upon future date but does not include a specified pool number and number of pools or precise amount to be delivered. has set the stage for industry-wide acceptance of R2 Technology," said Mr. Bruce Pocock, V.P. of Sales and Marketing at VTI. "Our new relationship with Shin-Etsu Polymer will only accelerate this process. We are already making joint sales calls, and both companies see huge opportunities in cellular phones, game controllers, information appliances See Internet appliance. (hardware) Information Appliance - (IA) A consumer device that performs only a few targeted tasks and is controlled by a simple touch-screen interface or push buttons on the device's enclosure. , notebook computers 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. , and consumer electronics." Mr. Kazumi Yoshimura of Mitsubishi Corporation, Chemicals Group and Michael Rogers, President of Varatouch Technology signed definitive agreements on January 31, 2002. The specific details of the strategic alliance between Mitsubishi Corporation, Shin-Etsu Polymer and Varatouch Technology are confidential, and were not released to the press. About R2 Technology VTI unveiled its revolutionary R2 Technology in December of 1998. The technology is based on a low cost, carefully blended mixture of silicone rubber and carbon that transforms the material into a variable electrical resistor resistor, two-terminal electric circuit component that offers opposition to an electric current. Resistors are normally designed and operated so that, with varying levels of current, variations of their resistance values are negligible (see resistance). . It can be used wherever there is a need for low cost, highly reliable variable input controls, switches, dials, panels or knobs that translate human touch into digital data in everything from computers, stereos and cars to cell phones, electronic games Electronic Games was the first video game magazine published in the United States and ran from 1981 to 1985. Co-founded by Arnie Katz, Joyce Worley and Bill Kunkel, it is unrelated to the subsequent Electronic Gaming Monthly. controllers, airplanes and microwave ovens. What makes R2 Technology so superior is its inherent ability to combine the mechanical and electrical properties of traditional analog-based devices into a streamlined and simplified sensor component ideal for today's digital world. VTI has been granted broad U.S. patents for R2 Technology, and international patents are currently pending. VTI has a substantial intellectual property portfolio, and many additional patent applications are in process. Mitsubishi Corporation Mitsubishi Corporation statement of business Mitsubishi Corporation is one of the world's most diverse enterprises. Mitsubishi Corporation has decades of experience doing business around the world, experience that has made it more than just a leader in international trade. The company's seven business groups -- New Business Initiatives, IT & Electronics, Energy, Metals, Machinery, Chemicals and Living Essentials -- work closely with clients to develop new business opportunities. Project coordination, sourcing of raw materials, capital investment, and development of sales channels are typical of the ways Mitsubishi Corporation creates value for business partners, customers and shareholders. Through.Commerce ("dot commerce"), Mitsubishi Corporation's new business model, the company is now seeking to create even more value for all stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. . It is leveraging its competitive advantages in the so-called Old Economy to lift commerce to a new level. This involves integrating strengths of the New Economy, or online economy, into Old Economy business models, and vice versa VICE VERSA. On the contrary; on opposite sides. . About Shin-Etsu Polymer Co. Ltd. Shin-Etsu Polymer statement of business Shin-Etsu Polymer is the world leader in silicone rubber technology. Shin-Etsu Polymer develops and manufactures silicone rubber products for various applications, including components for cellular phones, PDAs, keyboards, remote controls, and many other electronic products. Long known as an innovator and technology leader, Shin-Etsu Polymer invented the silicone rubber switch keypad found in virtually all consumer electronics that require user input controls. Shin-Etsu has manufacturing and sales offices around the world, and holds substantial market share worldwide. Shin-Etsu Polymer's parent company, Shin-Etsu Chemical, is a world leader in the manufacture and compounding of silicone rubber raw materials. About Varatouch Technology Inc. Varatouch Technology Inc. (VTI) is a dynamic, high-tech "human interface device" (HID) and sensor company based in Sacramento, California “Sacramento” redirects here. For other uses, see Sacramento (disambiguation). Sacramento is the capital of the State of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. . VTI has independently researched and developed an exciting new HID and sensor technology with widespread use in virtually all walks of life, R2 Technology. VTI's core competency A core competency is something that a firm can do well and that meets the following three conditions specified by Hamel and Prahalad (1990):
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