Two-Way, Real-Time Video Cell Phones May Soon Become a Market Reality Thanks to Technology Development and Co-Marketing Agreement Between Market Leaders Emblaze Systems and OMNIVISION Technologies
NEW YORK, NY — SUNNYVALE, CA — April 19, 2001 — OMNIVISION Technologies (Nasdaq: OVTI) and EMBLAZE Systems (LSE: BLZ) through its subsidiary EMBLAZE Research, today announced a long-term strategic agreement which has the objective of providing the first-ever highly integrated two chip commercial CMOS camera and MPEG‑4 standard CODEC (encoder/decoder) reference design for mobile handsets. The agreement provides the opportunity for these two companies to aid in the development of what will be one of the first two-way, real-time video cell phones. The purpose of this development agreement is to provide OEMs of mobile handset manufacturers with an integrated standard compliant video capture, encoding and playback solution. One of the objectives of the reference design is to minimize time to market for MPEG‑4 standard compliant mobile devices. The companies will co-market the reference design and share revenues generated from products developed using the design.
Naftaly Sharir, CEO of EMBLAZE Research, referenced the collaborative past shared by OMNIVISION Technologies and EMBLAZE Research. “Having enjoyed a mutually successful working relationship in the past, it is fitting that, together, OMNIVISION Technologies and EMBLAZE Research will soon offer the mobile handset industry a turnkey video capture, encoding and playback solution,” Sharir added.
According to Shaw Hong, CEO of OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc., mobile phone manufacturers are looking for a total integrated solution for video applications. “We believe that the combination of Emblaze’s MPEG‑4 standard CODEC chip and OMNIVISION’s highly integrated CMOS image sensor into a complete reference design including software will be attractive to manufacturers who would like to implement designs for all kinds of video applications” Hong added.
The reference design will combine the Emblaze Research A3 MPEG‑4 standard CODEC chip and OMNIVISION’s OV66XX and OV76XX CMOS camera and includes software to enable a complete camera and MPEG‑4 encoder/decoder subsystem.
According to Ziv Eliraz, VP of Business Development, EMBLAZE Systems, the agreement aims to provide OEMs and handset/mobile device manufacturers with an integrated working solution that will significantly improve time to market in what promises to be a highly competitive emerging market. “The market introduction of real time streaming video over mobile devices promises to radically alter the competitive landscape in mobile telecommunications and handset manufacturing,” Eliraz said today. “We believe that real time streaming video is the killer application for wireless and that first-to-market in this area will initially be a tremendously powerful competitive advantage,” Eliraz said.
The two companies believe that the first reference design will be available for OEMs at the end of Q2 2001. Under the agreement, both companies will offer the reference design and co-market and support to any OEM that integrates the reference design into its product offerings. This cooperation will provide OEMs with pre-integrated software and hardware solution for a MPEG‑4 encoding/decoding solution for mobile handsets.
About OMNIVISION
OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc. designs, develops and markets high-performance, high-quality and cost-efficient camera chips. The company’s highly integrated single-chip image sensors are used in a variety of electronic cameras and optical imaging products for both still picture and live video applications. OMNIVISION is able to integrate many image system functions into a single chip instead of multiple chips required to achieve the same functions by competitive image sensors. The single-chip design enables customers to design cameras that are lower in cost, smaller, lighter in weight, consume less power, are more reliable and more easily integrated with other circuits than cameras using multiple-chip image sensors.
OMNIVISION is based in Sunnyvale, California. For more information about the company, visit www.ovt.com.
About EMBLAZE Research
EMBLAZE Research (Formerly Zapex Research), a wholly owned subsidiary of EMBLAZE Systems, is a semiconductor company specializing in highly integrated digital video chips and sophisticated VLSI for the consumer, mobile and cellular markets. EMBLAZE Research designs and produces digital video chips and software under international standards such as MPEG‑2, MPEG‑4 and H.323/H.324. EMBLAZE Research is headquartered in Netanya, Israel.
About EMBLAZE Systems
Headquartered in Israel, and listed on the London Stock Exchange, EMBLAZE Systems Ltd. (LSE: BLZ), formerly GEO Interactive Media Group, is a leading provider of streaming video solutions over Wireless and IP networks. The company’s patented Emblaze™ Wireless Solution enables encoding and playback of live and on-demand video messages and content on any platform: PCs, PDAs, video cell phones, and TV. Founded in 1994, EMBLAZE Systems is the only company in the world able to deliver an integrated commercial end-to-end solution for streaming video over 2G, 2.5G and 3G networks. From video servers to video chips, EMBLAZE Systems’ Emblaze technology offers a complete solution for ISPs, content providers, wireless carriers, and handset manufacturers. EMBLAZE Systems’ North American headquarters are located in New York City. Representative offices are maintained in London, Los Angeles, Seoul, and Tokyo.
For more information about EMBLAZE Systems and its Emblaze Wireless Solution, visit www.emblaze.com.
Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding the co-marketing of the reference design and the sharing of revenues generated by products developed from the reference design; the attractiveness to manufacturers of the products developed from the reference design; the integrated solution for video applications which mobile phone manufacturers are looking for; the components of the reference design; the ability of the OMNIVISION-Emblaze solution to improve time to market for OEMs; the importance of a real time streaming video application for wireless and the advantage for first to market in this area; the timing of the availability of the first reference design and the support provided to OEMs under this agreement are forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. OMNIVISION’s results could differ materially based on various factors including, and without limitation: the timely acceptance and continued demand by mobile phone manufacturers of product developed from the reference design; competition from CCD, CMOS and video chip manufacturers; timely market acceptance of and demand for real time streaming video; the timely development and introduction of the reference design; the continued existence of the technology development and co-marketing agreement; the compatibility of OMNIVISION and Emblaze’s products, management and financial and marketing strategies; worldwide economic and political conditions and the other risks detailed from time to time in OMNIVISION’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, the Form 10‑Q filed for the quarter ended July 31, 2000. OMNIVISION disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward looking statement.