Panasonic to Incorporate T9 Text Input Software from Tegic Communications into Future Wireless Handsets

Business Wire, Oct 11, 1999

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 1999--

Tegic Communications:

Worldwide Distribution Will Enable Advanced Wireless Data

Services On A Wide Range of Handset Technologies

Tegic Communications today announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd. ("MCI"). The agreement allows MCI to incorporate T9(R) Text Input into its Panasonic wireless phones to enable easy text input. The T9-enabled Panasonic wireless phones are planned for release over a variety of networks, including GSM in Europe and Asia, and TDMA in North America. MCI plans to implement the European and English language versions of T9 Text Input into next generation handsets for availability in the respective markets.

"T9 Text Input has become the global standard for easy text input on wireless phones," said MCI. "Demand for advanced wireless services, such as short messaging service and wireless Internet, is rising quickly. We think Panasonic wireless phone customers will be very pleased that we have incorporated a technology that allows the nine keys on their wireless phone to work like the keys on a full desktop keyboard."

"Anything that simplifies message generation is an important enabler of future wireless technologies," said Simon Buckingham, author of YES2SMS. "Widespread incorporation of technologies like T9 Text Input will generate a significant increase in usage and revenue for wireless carriers."

"We are delighted to be working with Panasonic wireless phones and are pleased with their plans for widespread deployment of T9-enabled phones," commented Don Davidge, vice president of sales and marketing with Tegic Communications.

T9 Text Input is available in a variety of languages including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. T9 Text Input supports Simplified and Traditional stroke-based Chinese, as well as phonetic Pinyin and BoPoMoFo text input. Work is also underway toward the completion of versions of T9 Text Input software for Eastern European and Middle Eastern languages.

About T9 Text Input

By incorporating T9 Text Input into mobile communications products, companies are solving the fundamental problem of how to quickly and easily type messages. T9 Text Input replaces conventional "multi-tap" text entry, allowing users to compose text messages with only one key press per letter.

Each key on a telephone keypad has more than one letter -- a single press on the "5" key could be "J," "K," or "L." T9 Text Input automatically compares users' key presses to an internal linguistic database to determine the correct word. For example, entering the word "call" into a mobile phone takes just four key presses with T9 Text Input compared to ten key presses using conventional multi-tap text entry.

About MCI

Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd. (MCI) is an affiliate of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., and specializes in telecommunications, measuring, audio-visual systems, and automotive electronics. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. founded in Osaka 81 years ago, has grown into one of the world's largest manufactures of quality electronic and electric equipment, serving consumer, industrial and business markets. Matsushita's products are sold under such brand names as National(R), Panasonic (R), Technics (R) and Quasar(R) in over 180 countries.

About Tegic Communications

Tegic Communications, the leader in alphabet-based, Japanese and Chinese character-based text input technologies, was founded in 1995 to develop and market text input technologies for the telecommunications and computing industries. The company has worldwide patents, both issued and pending, on T9 Text Input and has licensed the technology to major consumer electronics and communications equipment manufacturers worldwide.

T9 Text Input is licensed by more than 90 percent of the worldwide wireless handset market including leading wireless phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Benefon, Bosch, Fujitsu, LG Information & Communications, Maxon, Memory Corporation, Mitsubishi, NEC, NeoPoint, Optimay, Philips, Qualcomm, Sagem, Samsung, Siemens, Sony and Texas Instruments.

For more information about Tegic Communications or T9 Text Input, call 206/343-7001, send e-mail to info@tegic.com, or visit the Company's Web site at www.tegic.com.

Tegic is a trademark and T9 is a registered trademark of Tegic Communications. All other trademarks or registered trademarks belong to their respective holders.