JesterDigital to Showcase IBM Technology for Digital Music Distribution in 3-D at CES

Business Wire, Jan 8, 2001

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

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

Jester.com To Offer Consumers New 3-D Experience For Buying Music

Using IBM's Electronic Media Management System

Today and tomorrow at CES Silver Lot Pavilion Booth number 25120, JesterDigital will demonstrate how IBM's Electronic Media Management System (EMMS) digitally delivers music to consumers in a unique, three-dimensional Web environment.

JesterDigital is building a new way for consumers to experience and purchase music. Through its Web site, Jester.com, the company allows visitors to enter a three-dimensional, virtual reality world and simultaneously purchase and download music available on the site. IBM's EMMS, an electronic media distribution and digital rights management system, provides security features for protecting the intellectual property rights of content owners while music is being downloaded from Jester.com.

JesterDigital is a leader in the next generation of digital media Internet firms, delivering unique Web experiences to their target audience of teenagers and young adults. At Jester.com, consumers can experience 3-D worlds including music studios, skateboard and snowboard parks, live game shows, and even fan clubs designed by leading music artists.

By combining the power and security of IBM's EMMS with the creative energy and realism of JesterDigital's 3-D worlds, Jester.com is reinventing the user experience of the Internet.

"In the next-generation Internet when music, games, film and other forms or rich media are the primary objects of e-commerce, the richness of the user experience will become the key point of differentiation in the battle for online customers," commented John Textor, Chairman and CEO of JesterDigital. "We believe that an interactive, virtual reality platform represents an extremely high competitive standard at the beginning of this digital media revolution."

"JesterDigital's deployment of EMMS demonstrates the flexibility of the solution to be integrated into different environments including the three-dimensional environment at Jester.com," said Scott Burnett, business development executive, IBM Global Media and Entertainment Industry. "The Jester.com audience will be among the first to experience the convenience of digital music distribution with the added entertainment benefit of the site's unique array of 3-D worlds."

In addition to JesterDigital, EMMS has received support from BMG, Handleman Company, Liquid Audio Japan, music.co.jp, RealNetworks, Reciprocal, Sony Consumer Electronics, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Sterling Sound and Toshiba Portable Devices Division. EMMS was successfully tested in the first broadband music distribution trial conducted with the five leading record companies.

About JesterDigital

Positioned at the crossroads of entertainment and advanced technology, JesterDigital is a next generation digital media company founded by proven leaders in the industries of entertainment. JesterDigital is founded by John C. Textor, Chairman of Sims Snowboards and founder of Wyndcrest Partners Ltd., early lead investor in Virtual Bank, IntelliSwitch (VoIP) and Art Technology Group (Nasdaq:ARTG); Michael Bay, director of Disney Studios' Armageddon, The Rock and the upcoming Pearl Harbor; and Phil Ruggieri, former director of Global Solutions for the Media and Entertainment Group at IBM (NYSE:IBM). JesterDigital has created the first and only multi-user, virtual reality experience to drive commerce opportunities in digital media. Through its Web site, Jester.com, JesterDigital delivers totally unique experiences for the music-buying public. JesterDigital combines its in-depth knowledge of youth culture, its understanding of entertainment, and the power of digital media technology to provide new and exciting forms of entertainment and commerce. JesterDigital is based in West Palm Beach, Fla. and Santa Monica, Calif.

About Jester.com

Jester.com (http://www.jester.com) offers a compelling alternative to traditional 2-D text-driven Web experiences. A variety of reality rooms were designed to address diverse user needs and personal interests while reinforcing music and entertainment as a common thread among its users. This growing universe of virtual space integrates into one environment offering chat, gaming, education, shopping and entertainment. At Jester.com consumers can experience 3-D worlds including music studios, skateboard and snowboard parks, live game shows, and even fan clubs designed by leading music artists.

About Electronic Media Management System

EMMS is a comprehensive electronic media distribution and digital rights management system designed to support a broad range of media types, beginning first with music and audio content. EMMS provides the foundation for new business models created by the digital delivery of assets and offers a rich set of security features designed to protect the intellectual property rights of content owners throughout the delivery process. EMMS has an open architecture to allow technology advances in audio compression, encryption, formatting, watermarking, and end-user devices and applications to be integrated. EMMS is part of IBM's broad based digital media management portfolio, which offers comprehensive, enterprise-wide solutions for creating, managing, storing and distributing digital assets. Additional information on EMMS can be found at www.ibm.com/software/emms.