Press Release
- Archives 2000
ATI and
Vestel, both global leaders, announce strategic partnership
to develop Interactive Television
Vestel's
Internet.TV based on ATI's Set-top-Wonder™ Technology
to Enable Home Consumers with Easy Internet Access, Email
and Shopping
First Television design win for ATI
February
23, 2000
Toronto,
Ontario - ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ: ATYT), the
world's largest manufacturer of graphics chips and boards and
Vestel, Europe's second largest TV and monitor manufacturer
today announced a strategic partnership to develop a full range
of interactive TV products.
Under the terms of the partnership, ATI will provide components
and expertise to enable Vestel USA - the Internet Appliance
arm of the Vestel Group - to develop and market highly interactive
consumer devices including Internet TV's and a variety of set-top
boxes. The Vestel Internet.TV, based on ATI's flexible Set-top-Wonder™
technology, is the first product to result from the partnership
and will provide home consumers with easy, instant Internet
access, email and shopping via their televisions.
Vestel Internet.TV's core hardware is based on ATI's Set-top-Wonder™
technology, which provides a flexible, low-cost platform to
leading consumer electronics manufacturers wishing to develop
analog/digital cable, satellite or terrestrial, set-top boxes.
Due to this customizable platform, the Vestel Internet.TV set-top
box functionality will be available directly integrated into
the television set for "built-in" set-top box functionality,
or as a standalone set-top box. In addition, Vestel Internet.TV
is DVD ready and features advanced 3D graphics.
"ATI and Vestel share a common vision - enabling everyone, everywhere
to have affordable access to interactive TV," said Daniel Eiref,
Director of Set-top Marketing, ATI. "Vestel required a robust
and flexible platform to implement this vision, and at the same
time had rapid time-to-market requirements, so we were delighted
to be able to respond with our Set-top-Wonder™ technology. We
look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship
with Vestel."
Through the TV's remote control and a wireless keyboard, Vestel
Internet.TV enables consumers with easy, one-click access to
personalized, interactive television viewing by allowing users
to communicate through email, browse the Web, conduct searches
and access interactive content. Designed to be fast and easy
to set up, consumers simply connect the Vestel Internet.TV to
a telephone line and can instantly surf the Web while viewing
television. Vestel Internet.TV supports both PAL and NTSC picture
formats, has a variety of language capabilities, and includes
parental blocking support to restrict access to non-desirable
Web sites.
"Vestel's strength in TV and information appliance technology
manufacturing combined with ATI's high quality set-top box platform
sets the stage for a variety of consumer electronics devices
including cable, satellite, and terrestrial set-top boxes, digital
VCRs, and other devices requiring a high level of interactivity,
graphics and video performance," said Cevat Kumbasar, CTO, Vestel.
"We look forward to working with ATI to leverage its expertise
in integration, multimedia, HDTV and DVD to provide our worldwide
customer base with affordable, high-quality products such as
the Vestel Internet.TV."
The software for Vestel Internet.TV is based on Microsoft TV,
the client software component of the Microsoft TV Platform.
The Microsoft TV Platform is a comprehensive end-to-end software
platform solution designed to make television more useful and
engaging for consumers.
Vestel Internet.TV will initially be available in Europe and
future versions will be distributed in other markets worldwide.
The product will be on display at CeBIT 2000, the world's largest
computer and electronics exhibition, at both the Vestel booth
(Hall 012, booth #D 71) and at the ATI booth (Hall 9 booth #C
53.)
Copyright
© ATI Technologies Inc., 2000. All company and/or product
names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
manufacturers. Features, pricing, availability and specifications
are subject to change without notice.
Company Profile
About Vestel USA and the Vestel
Group
Vestel USA, Inc., established in 1998, is the innovator of
a full line of Information Appliances that offer flexible,
easy-to-use, Internet-centric solutions for the home and business
markets. As a service design manufacturer, Vestel delivers
innovative designs and rapid product development at cost-effective
prices. Vestel USA, Inc., based in Mountain View, California,
is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vestel Electronics, Europe's
second largest television and monitor manufacturer. Vestel
is the leading member of the Zorlu Group, a multi-billion
dollar corporation operating in four main industries including
electronics, textiles, banking and energy. For more information,
please visit http://www.vestel-usa.com
and http://www.vestel.com.tr
About ATI Technologies Inc.
ATI Technologies Inc., the world's largest supplier of 3D
graphics and multimedia technology, designs, manufactures
and markets innovative and award-winning multimedia solutions
and graphics components for the personal computer, set-top
box and consumer electronics appliance markets. An ISO 9002
company, ATI is the world's leading supplier of video and
2D/3D graphics accelerators to OEM and retail customers. Founded
in 1985, ATI employs more than 1,800 people at headquarters
in Thornhill, Ontario, and in offices in the United States,
Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Barbados, Malaysia,
Japan and Hong Kong. ATI is a public company whose shares
trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
Contact Information
For Media Related ....:
Valdis Hellevik
McLean Public Relations, Inc.
650.685.3850
valdis@mcleanpr.com
Bade Birol
Vestel Group
US: 650.934.9320
Turkey: 90.212.422.0000, x1017 or x1044
Bade.birol@vestel-usa.com
For other ATI news releases visit our web site at www.ati.com.
