Plextor Announces Plextor Manager with Full Support for Digital Audio Extraction and Conversion to Microsoft's Windows Media Technologies 4.0

Business Wire, April 14, 1999

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1999--

Plextor Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW drives and supporting software, today announced its intention to extend the capability of its popular Plextor Manager CD management software to include support for Microsoft's Windows Media Technologies 4.0. The move is in response to requests from several key OEMs and ISVs who rely upon Plextor Manager for integration into End User and Professional systems for the creation or distribution of compressed audio.

The new version will possess some of the most sophisticated application tools to enhance Plextor's value added contribution for its popular line of CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW drives. The new version will run under a Windows environment and provide many more unique features than its predecessor product. With the new enhanced Plextor Manager software, Plextor will reinforce its commitment to the professional audio market.

According to Felix Nemirovsky, vice president of Engineering, "We have had great success with the original version of Plextor Manager and are simply responding to a strong demand from our committed customer base to enhance its capabilities with support for Windows Media." He went on to add, "Several of our most sophisticated users are intent upon extending their products to take advantage of content supplied over the Internet in the Windows Media format. We believe this enhanced version of Plextor Manager will lead us well into the next millenium as a leading supplier of software for the CD market."

"We are very pleased to have Plextor's support for Windows Media Technologies v4.0," stated Will Poole, senior director, Marketing and Business Development , Microsoft Corporation. "Both professional users and consumers who rely on Plextor's expertise in digital audio recording and extraction will now be able to take full advantage of the features of Windows Media Technologies v4.0."

Pricing and Availability

The enhanced version of Plextor Manager will be commercially available in July at a list price of $79. All Plextor retail products will contain the new software as well as CD mastering, packet writing and CD Res-Q software. Kits are also available with bus mastering PCI SCSI host adapters. For system integrators and VARs, Plextor also makes bulk packaged drives available without software.

Plextor Background Information

Plextor Corp. is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance CD related equipment for professional use in business and networked environments. Since opening its Silicon Valley headquarters in Santa Clara in 1990, Plextor has introduced fourteen generations of SCSI CD-ROM drives, three SCSI CD-R drives, one SCSI CD-RW drive and a complete line of network storage solutions. Plextor's product line is supported by its customized software utilities and device drivers, including CD Res-Q - hard drive recovery software which saves a hard drive image to CD. Its parent corporation, Shinano Kenshi of Japan, a developer and manufacturer of advanced technology and precision electronic equipment, privately owns the company. Shinano Kenshi is best known for its expertise in motor manufacturing.