Preview Systems and Convera Announce Availability of Digital Commerce Platform for Secure Digital Audio Devices

Business Wire, Jan 8, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2001

Consumer Electronics

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Integration of Convera Internet Software Integrity System

(ISIS) Makes Preview ZipLock System for Media the Industry's

Most Interoperable Platform for Digital Media Distribution

Preview Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:PRVW) and Convera Corporation (Nasdaq:CNVR) today announced that the Convera Internet Software Integrity System (ISIS) has been integrated into the latest version of the Preview ZipLock for Media platform. As a result of the integration, ZipLock for Media 3.5 now offers content producers, distributors and retailers a more robust platform for distributing digital content online by providing extended support for leading media technologies -- digital rights management, audio formats and portable music players, including those using SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. Convera ISIS is a software solution designed to enhance the secure online distribution of premium digital content, such as music, video, documents and books.

"Our goal is to make questions of format compatibility, rights management and licensing invisible to the end user," said Vincent Pluvinage, CEO of Preview Systems. "The new features of the ZipLock for Media platform ensure that the consumer experience is consistent and simple. The integration of Convera ISIS enables us to offer publishers expanded options for delivering content."

"Record labels and content publishers now have an open, interoperable solution for delivering secure content and respecting copyrights," said Parvinder S. Kohli, Vice President of Content Security Solutions, Convera. "With Convera ISIS, Preview also is able to securely support additional audio formats and portable devices, such as AAC formatted audio and SD portable music players."

The ZipLock for Media platform now better meets the needs of both content producers and end-users. For example, record labels want to offer consumers a broad choice of music, while ensuring that the transaction is secure, copyrights are intact and protected, distribution through their channels can be accommodated and the listener can enjoy his music on a range of devices. On the other hand, consumers want a simple purchase/download experience and the option to listen to their music on various players. ZipLock for Media 3.5 addresses both concerns.

Also, as record labels and the manufacturers of digital music portable devices split between their support of various CODECS, file formats and rights protection mechanisms, Preview Systems' ZipLock for Media helps make music available to the broadest market. For example, some labels and portable device manufacturers support the Microsoft Windows Media Audio codec, while others support the AAC format, licensed by Dolby Laboratories. By supporting multiple portable device solutions and formats, ZipLock for Media 3.5 provides a comprehensive platform, ensuring an easy, reliable end-user experience.

"The integration of the Preview Systems platform with SD Memory Cards will give consumers the ability to transfer their music from their PCs to SD-Audio portable players both quickly and securely," said Sakon Nagasaki, Director of Matsushita's AV Electronic Distribution Business Development Office. "Matsushita Electric hopes that this integration will make the global music industry feel more confident to enter and expand the nascent digital music distribution business."

About ZipLock for Media 3.5

Building on earlier versions of the ZipLock platform, Preview Systems' ZipLock for Media 3.5 now supports all of the following:

-- Digital Rights Management technologies: Microsoft Windows Media Rights
Manager v1 & v7, and Convera ISIS v2.0

-- File Formats and codecs: Windows Media Audio (.wma), Advanced Streaming
Format (.asf), Advanced Audio Coding (.aac), and Content Authoring and
Rendering Audio Format (CARAF) file formats

-- Portable Devices that implement either Windows Media or SD (also known as
Content Protection for Recordable Media or CPRM) content protection
specifications

-- Soft Players: Music Match Jukebox, Real Jukebox, Rioport, Sonique, Siren,
Winamp and Windows Media Player

-- Media types: Audio and video files

-- End-user languages: English and Japanese

About Convera

Convera, the new company formed when Excalibur Technologies combined with Intel's Interactive Media Services division, is a leading provider of content management innovations that unlock the value of digital content. Convera's advanced technologies, products, services and solutions empower content owners to extract value from their high-worth digital content-text, images and video-over the Internet, intranets, set top boxes and wireless devices. Convera serves more than 650 customers in 29 countries from its offices throughout the U.S. and Europe. For more information, contact Convera at 800-788-7758, via e-mail at info@convera.com or on the Web at www.convera.com.

About Convera Internet Software Integrity System

The Convera Internet Software Integrity System is a software solution that protects content and enforces usage rights for the online distribution of premium digital content such as music, video and books. This solution is designed for developers of content distribution platforms. It uses both standard cryptography and patented tamper-resistant software technology to provide strong, persistent content protection, which means that the content stays protected through every link in the content distribution value chain, up to and including the end-user.