SK Telecom Launches Multimedia Phone Service with Immersion's VibeTonz(R) System and New Samsung SCH-B450 Mobile Phone
Tuesday July 25, 8:33 am ET
Leading Wireless Operator in Korea Continues to Innovate with Vibration-Enhanced Music
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 Korea's leading mobile phone operator, SK Telecom, has launched a new multimedia phone personalization service based on Immersion's VibeTonz® System. Offered to its 20 million subscribers, SK Telecom will use the VibeBell service to provide music and video clips synchronized with VibeTonz dynamic, high-fidelity vibrations.
"LiveBell, a site for downloadable content, is one of our most popular services because our customers really appreciate being able to personalize their phones with audio and video ringers and wallpapers that make a statement about who they are," said Sang Kyung Jo, manager of the product development team at SK Telecom. "But our new VibeBell media with VibeTonz touch effects is going to make these phone customizations even more exciting and personal."
SK Telecom's first handset with support for VibeBell touch-enabled media, the newly released Samsung SCH-B450 with Immersion's VibeTonz System, is an advanced multimedia phone. Using it, subscribers can browse a catalog of over 1,000 VibeBell titles including Korean and Western music clips that can be used as custom ringtones.
VibeBell media files are produced for SK Telecom by MobileSound.com (Seoul, Korea), one of the world's top suppliers of ringtones and mobile music technologies. "SK Telecom is a leader in adopting key multimedia technology standards like MPEG-4 for delivering high-quality music and video to mobile device users," said Joe Young-Hoon, CEO of MobileSound.com. "Now with the tools in Immersion's VibeTonz SDK, it's quick and easy for us to enrich our MPEG-4 media with compelling vibration tracks. The results have to be felt to be believed."
Beyond its support for touch-enhanced multimedia, the SCH-B450 lets users download and play VibeTonz-enabled WIPI 2.0 games from SK Telecom's GXG service. SK Telecom introduced the first VibeTonz-enabled games in October 2005 and now over 20 games from publishers like Blue Mobile, Gamevil, and Mcres use VibeTonz touch effects to make gameplay more fun and realistic. Flying an F-18 fighter jet in Sinjisoft's ID4 -- Independence Day, an SCH-B450 user can feel the powerful forces of missiles launching and exploding, for example.
"Korea is one of the most advanced wireless marketplaces in the world, and SK Telecom, its number one operator, continues to embrace VibeTonz technology and use it to create innovative new services," said Victor Viegas, Immersion CEO. "The VibeTonz System has been a natural and exciting enhancement in SK Telecom's mobile gaming platform, and we're very pleased that it's now being used to differentiate mobile multimedia applications and bring a new level of sophistication and fun to this service."
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, industrial controls, medical training, mobility, and three-dimensional simulation markets. Immersion's patent portfolio includes over 600 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries.
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, or other financial matters; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning the breadth of and timeline to implement force feedback technology into handset models or into games or other content, release of VibeTonz-enabled handsets, release of content by service providers, or any change in revenue that may occur from such implementation; any statements regarding consumer response that may occur as a result of having touch feedback in handsets or content, or consumer and market acceptance of force feedback products in general; 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 United States 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
