Business Services Industry

Interactive Objects Announces Collaboration with Microsoft to Deliver Universal Plug and Play Technology on iObjects' Dharma Platform

Business Wire, Jan 6, 2001

Business/High Tech Editors

CES 2001

Booth No. 6247 and No. 626

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2001

Companies Team With Iomega to Showcase First Prototype Device At CES

Interactive Objects, Inc. (OTCBB:OBJX) today announced at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show that it is teaming with Microsoft Corp. to enable a new generation of Universal Plug and Play-enabled digital audio devices that can be manufactured using iObjects' Dharma(TM) digital audio platform.

Dharma is an all-new hardware platform for digital audio devices that enables the development of a broad range of products including portable digital audio players, Internet radios, digital audio receivers, digital home jukebox systems and digital car stereos, all based on a common, interoperable design. Dharma is based on Cirrus Logic's Maverick(TM) family of microprocessors.

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is an architecture for pervasive peer-to-peer network connectivity of PCs, intelligent appliances and wireless devices. UPnP is a distributed, open networking architecture that leverages TCP/IP and the Web to enable seamless proximity networking in addition to control and data transfer among networked devices. IObjects' UPnP implementation will allow users to share a single library of music and stream media broadcasts across multiple digital audio devices in the home, office, car and everywhere in between.

The first example of this collaboration will be demonstrated by Iomega Corp. (Nasdaq:IOM) in the form of a new Digital Audio Receiver (DAR) prototype at CES in Las Vegas. Developed in cooperation with Microsoft and iObjects, Iomega's new receiver incorporates support for Windows Media Audio 8 and automatically recognizes digital audio content on home networks using the Universal Plug and Play architecture. The Iomega DAR was developed using iObjects' new Dharma(TM) hardware platform and its Dadio(TM) OS.

"This prototype demonstrates how the combination of UPnP and Windows Media technologies will make it easy for people to extend their digital media collections throughout their homes," said Dave Fester, general manager of marketing for Microsoft's Digital Media Division.

"IObjects' Dharma platform is uniquely suited to quickly and cost-effectively develop digital appliances such as the Iomega DAR," said Dennis Tevlin, President and CEO of iObjects. "Our collaboration with Microsoft and Iomega takes us one step further in delivering on our vision to create a family of digital audio products that are easy to use, interoperable, and feature-rich."

The new Iomega receiver and Dharma platform will be displayed at the Iomega Suite in the Las Vegas Convention Center N107. In addition, working models will also be on display in both the Microsoft Booth (No. 626) and the Cirrus Logic Booth (No. 6247) in the LVCC.

About Interactive Objects, Inc.

Interactive Objects (www.iobjects.com) is a leading designer of embedded software and hardware solutions for digital audio appliances. iObjects is the creator of the Dadio(TM) digital audio operating system and the Dharma(TM) digital audio reference design. iObjects' technology is featured in products such as Iomega's HipZip(TM) digital audio player and Microsoft's Pocket PC(TM) Media Player. iObjects provides software engineering, hardware design, and manufacturing services, and offers licenses of its proprietary Dadio operating system and Dharma reference design to leading consumer electronics, PC manufacturers, and computer software companies. Interactive Objects is headquartered at 12600 SE 38th, Suite 150, Bellevue, WA 98006, USA. Interactive Objects is listed on the OTC.BB under the symbol "OBJX" and on the "Third Segment" of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "IOX" and German securities code WKN: 913011. The Company can be reached on the web at. http://www.iobjects.com/.> Certain information included in this communication contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the future anticipated direction of the high technology industry, plans for future expansion, various business development activities, planned capital expenditures, future funding sources, anticipated sales growth and potential contracts. These forward statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual operations or results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, among others, risks associated with unproven sales of the Company's products, risks associated with the software development process and risks related to the transition to a new management team. Certain of these risks and other risks are described in the Company's Registration Statement on Form SB-2 and Form 10-KSB filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The registration statement is available from the SEC's Web site at http://www.sec.gov/.>