News Briefs

Emedia Professional, Dec, 1998

Drexler Offers Licenses for CD-R/DVD-R Packet Writing Systems

Drexler Technology Corporation is offering licenses for certain CD-R and DVD-R optical disc drive systems using packet writing under a systems/software architecture patent that has been granted in six countries. U.S. patent 5,029,125 (term 1991-2008) is entitled "Method of Reading and Writing Files on Nonerasable Storage Media." Counterpart patents have been granted in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Canada; a Japanese patent is pending. The patent covers methods of reading and writing data files on a nonerasable, laser-recordable optical disc and methods of transferring, inputting, and outputting data files within a computer system that uses both a computer memory and an optical disc, such as a CD-R or DVD-R disc. The system/software architecture used in the patented method facilitates packet writing and is applicable to any operating system. Until November 30, 1998, Drexler Technology offered retroactively paid and prepaid licenses at a reduced royalty rate of $14 per CD-R or DVD-R drive; effective December I, the royalty rate is $20 per drive. The licenses include DVD movie mastering, and the royalty rate will be subject to an inflation adjustment. Companies that were recently warned of probable infringement of the patent include Compaq Computer, Gateway 2000, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Ltd., IBM, JVC, Matsushita Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsumi Electric, NEC, Pioneer Electronic, Ricoh, Sprint, TEAC, Toshiba, and Yamaha.

(Drexler Technology Corporation, 1077 Independence Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043; 650/969-7277)

Procom Signs Canadian Distribution Deal with Merisel Canada

Procom Technology Inc. has signed a distribution agreement with Toronto-based Merisel Canada Inc., under which Merisel Canada will stock and distribute the full line of Procom products throughout Canada. These include Procom's line of network storage products such as CD-ROM servers and arrays, DVD-ROM servers, AIT and DLT tape products, and RAID systems, as well as Procom hard drive upgrade solutions for notebooks and desktops. "Signing Merisel Canada is a win-win situation for both companies," says Herbert Perer, Procom's international sales manager. "Having Procom products stocked in Merisel's Canadian warehouses will make it faster and easier for Canadian resellers to order and receive Procom products, and we anticipate that Merisel Canada's marketing programs will also result in greater Procom brand awareness in Canada."

(Procom Technology Inc., 2181 Dupont Drive, Irvine, CA 92612; 714/852- 1000; Fax 714/852-1221; http://www.procom.com. Merisel Canada Inc., 200 Ronson Drive, Etobicoke, Ontario M9W 5Z9; 416/240-7012; http://www.merisel.ca)

Hi-Val To Bundle IBM Voice Recognition Software with CD Drives

Hi-Val Inc. has announced a bundling agreement with IBM, allowing Hi-Val to offer IBM's voice recognition software, ViaVoice 98 Office and Home editions, with its line of CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW drives. IBM's ViaVoice technology enables users to create finished, formatted documents. Speaking in a natural manner, users can dictate Numbers, dates, times, and prices, and ViaVoice creates Voice Text dictation macros and VoiceForm dictation Templates to make shortcuts for frequently used text. ViaVoice 98 features a vocabulary of 128,000 words, and consists of a 64,000-word base dictionary and the ability to add an additional 64,000 words from a back-up dictionary. "The combination of IBM's leadership in the speech recognition market with Hi-Val's retail presence creates an opportunity for more users to take advantage of this exciting technology," says W.S. "Ozzie" Osbourne, general manager of IBM Speech Systems. "We look forward to making more people Aware of the power of voice as a natural and productive Was to use their computers."

(Hi-Val Inc., 1300 East Wakeham Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705; 714/953-3000; Fax 714/648-0111; http://www.hival.com)