MSU Devices Announces Strategic Partnership/Product Sale with Sageport Inc.
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2002--MSU Devices Inc.
(OTCBB:MUCP - news) announced today it has entered into a strategic
partnership with Sageport Inc. (www.sageport.com), Bellevue, Wash., to
penetrate the senior Internet market in the United States. This new
partnership is being started with an initial sale of 150 MSU Devices
V5 Internet Computers to Sageport. Sageport will be installing the MSU
Devices V5 in all U.S. retirement communities operated by Merrill
Gardens, the nation's second largest privately held senior living
provider.
Sageport deploys and sells the easy-to-use software-based
Sagevision(TM) Internet access system in the senior market. In a July
16, 2001 e-Business article, the Wall Street Journal reported that
seniors are the fastest growing segment of newcomers to the Internet
yet 87% of people over 65 years of age are still offline. Among the
reasons cited is that seniors believe it is both too complicated and
too expensive to get online. Sageport's Sagevision Internet access
system powered by the MSU Devices V5 addresses both of these issues.
Sageport Inc.'s President & CEO, Bud Robinson said, ``Finally
someone got it right. For two years we have worked with all of the top
names in the computer hardware industry seeking an Internet computer
or appliance that was simple, flexible, and inexpensive enough to
power our Sagevision Internet access system for seniors. There are
over 40 million seniors in the U.S. who are not able or willing to use
a PC, yet want to connect with family, friends and the world via the
Internet.'' He went on to say, ``The MSU Devices V5 meets all of our
needs and has been enthusiastically accepted by our first national
customer, Merrill Gardens, a leader in the senior living industry.''
The MSU Devices V5 units will be installed initially in the
activity areas of all 61 Merrill Gardens locations nationwide beginning in January 2002. In addition, Sageport will sell the MSU
Devices V5 and its Sagevision system to individual senior residents
for use in their private quarters at each of the Merrill Gardens
locations.
Bill Pettit, President and CEO of Merrill Gardens, said ``After
beta testing several systems we concluded that Sagevision powered by
the MSU Devices V5 Internet Computer had the best combination of
content, design and price for seniors. Residents have enthusiastically
embraced technology that was initially intimidating.''
Ray Dittrich, VP Sales for MSU Devices said, ``Sageport is an ideal
value-adding marketing partner for MSU. They are dedicated to
providing senior-centric ISP services to help seniors get online and
to benefit from the content they provide. They realized that the
ease-of-use and low price of the MSU Devices V5 Internet Computer make
it a perfect strategic fit to power their software-based Sagevision
senior-specific Internet access system. Through Sagevision, seniors
get more than just Internet access, they get a reason to get online.''
About MSU Devices Inc.
Since 1991, MSU Devices Inc. (http://www.msudevices.com/) has
designed, manufactured, marketed and sold affordable and intuitive
Internet access devices that enable end-users to communicate simply
and easily by e-mail and by browsing the Internet.
MSU Devices' latest device is the V5 Internet Computer that can
output e-mail and Internet data to a TV, computer monitor and flat
panel LCD. The V5 supports Ethernet and has a 56k dial-up modem
included as standard equipment along with two USB ports, a PCMCIA
slot, a smart card reader and audio in/out. With Java virtual machine
support, the V5 can be programmed using Java programming tools as well
as Visual Basic and C++. The V5 is powered by National Semiconductor's
266 Mhz. Geode GX1 processor and by Microsoft's Windows CE operating
system. The V5 features a full range of software options and comes
fully featured to be used as a set-top box, Internet access device, or
a thin client workstation. For more information, visit MSU Devices,
Inc. at www.msudevices.com or call 972/473-7543.
About Sageport Inc.
Founded in April 1999, Sageport (http://www.sageport.com/ )is a
marketing organization dedicated to the development and distribution
of new consumer products and services for seniors, with an emphasis on
providing simplified access to the Internet. Sageport is privately
held and headquartered in Bellevue, Wash.
About Merrill Gardens
Founded in 1993, Merrill Gardens (http://www.merrillgardens.com/)
is one of the top ten owner/operators of assisted living retirement
communities in the country. The company consists of 61 communities in
15 states. The management and resources of the Seattle based company
ensure high standards of service and long-term commitment to quality,
security, choice and privacy in all Merrill Gardens communities.
Certain information included herein is forward-looking within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
including, but not limited to, statements concerning manufacturing,
marketing, growth, and expansion. Such forward-looking information
involves important risks and uncertainties that could affect actual
results and cause them to differ materially from expectations
expressed herein. These risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, our history of significant operating losses which together
with an inability to raise capital could impact on our ability to continue as a going concern, our limited sales history, the acceptance
of our product by consumers, dependence on third parties for the
manufacture of our product, rapid technological change, the pressures
of a competitive industry and other risks set forth in the Company's
filings with the SEC.
Contact:
MSU Devices Inc.
D. Bruce Walter, 972/473-6916
dbwalter@msucorp.com