LG Electronics Licenses Immersion's VibeTonz(R) Technology
Tuesday July 25, 8:30 am ET
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2006--Immersion Corporation (Nasdaq:IMMR - News), a leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, today announced that LG Electronics (KSE:06657) has obtained a worldwide license for Immersion VibeTonz® technology. Under the license, LG Electronics may integrate Immersion's VibeTonz Mobile Player into its mobile phone handsets to enable the playback of sophisticated vibro-tactile effects and use the VibeTonz SDK suite of tools and APIs to develop touch-enabled applications and media.
LG is the world's top manufacturer of CDMA mobile handsets and fourth in the number of handsets sold worldwide. (IDC, Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Q1 2006, June 2006)
"Our goal is to rank among the top three electronics and telecommunication firms in the world by 2010 by pursuing two strategies, 'fast innovation' and 'fast growth,'" an executive at LG Electronics said. "We believe the VibeTonz system can help us move toward our goal by providing a rich platform for enabling the sense of touch in our mobile device line."
VibeTonz vibro-tactile sensations, in combination with sight and sound cues on mobile handsets, make content more realistic and fun and operation more intuitive. The VibeTonz system can improve the mobile device user experience in a number of ways, including:
* Synchronized vibrations in music and ringtones that underscore the beat or melody
* Vibration-enabled ringtones for caller identification that provide information on who's calling even in noisy environments or when sound is turned off
* Touch feedback effects for mobile games similar to those found in console games
* Vibro-tactile alerts for call dropped, key press, messages, and ringing and busy signals to make phone operation easier and more intuitive
* Unmistakable tactile confirmations in response to touchscreen presses
"With two of the top five mobile handset manufacturers now licensees, VibeTonz technology can be more widely deployed by various operators serving different geographies and market segments," said Vic Viegas, Immersion CEO. "The VibeTonz system has really become an enabling platform for cost-effectively improving the mobile-device user experience. For example, VibeTonz technology can be used to supply tactile confirmations for PDA and smartphone touchscreens, energize mobile gaming, enhance usability, and support additional applications still to come."
VibeTonz technology has been deployed in a number of phone models offered by operators in countries throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States, including Orange, SK Telecom, Sprint-Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Over 20 mobile content publishers are using the system to add realism and fun to mobile games and to enliven music and ringtones.
About Immersion (www.immersion.com)
Founded in 1993, Immersion Corporation is a recognized leader in developing, licensing, and marketing digital touch technology and products. Using Immersion's advanced touch feedback technology, electronic user interfaces can be made more productive, compelling, entertaining, or safer. Immersion's technology is deployed across automotive, entertainment, medical training, mobility, personal computing, and three-dimensional simulation markets. Immersion's patent portfolio includes over 600 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries.
About LG Electronics, Inc. (www.lgusa.com)
LG Electronics, Inc., (KSE:06657) is a leader in consumer electronics and mobile communications. The company has more than 72,000 employees working in 77 subsidiaries and marketing units around the world. LG Electronics is the world's largest producer of CDMA handsets, optical storage devices, residential air conditioners and home theater system. With total revenue of more than USD 35 billion (consolidated USD 45 billion), LG Electronics is comprised of four business units: Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of Immersion Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
All statements, other than the statements of historical fact, are statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements, including any projections of earnings, revenues, return on investment or other financial matters; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning adoption and market acceptance of touch-enabled mobile phones or consumer and market acceptance of force feedback products in general, future development of force feedback products; proposed products or services; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; statements of belief and any statement or assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Immersion's actual results might differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with Immersion's business which include, but are not limited to, delay in or failure to achieve commercial demand for Immersion's products or a delay in or failure to achieve the acceptance of force feedback as a critical user experience.
For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause Immersion's actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in Immersion's most current Form 10-Q, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect Immersion's beliefs and predictions as of the date of this release. Immersion disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of financial, business, or any other developments occurring after the date of this release.
Immersion, the Immersion logo, and VibeTonz are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contact:
A&R Partners
Becki Fowler, 650-762-2865
bfowler@arpartners.com
Source: Immersion Corporation
