Phoenix Announces FAX/Modem Solution for PC Manufacturers
NORWOOD, Mass. — December 16, 1991 — Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:PTEC) announced today that it is now offering PC system and board manufacturers the hardware design and software support for integrating FAX/Modem capabilities onto their system boards.
Phoenix is reselling to its OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customer base OnSpec Electronics' tightly integrated hardware/software solution for PC communications requirements. Phoenix offers PC manufacturers integrated FAX/Modem capability for their systems, along with system integration services and compatibility assurance.
''The joint effort by Phoenix and OnSpec has resulted in a complete answer for PC manufacturers facing new market requirements for communications capabilities. Today, end-users are demanding better communications between portable PCs, usually in the field, and their home-office desk-top systems,'' said Eric Enge, director of PC platforms for Phoenix Technologies. ''Business users want access to electronic mail and network systems from remote locations, and to be able to send and receive faxes directly from their notebook and desktop PCs. Phoenix is now offering PC manufacturers a way of answering these demands with a complete hardware/software design that will ease the implementation of FAX/Modems onto PC system boards.''
''We have combined our own FAX/Modem design knowledge with Phoenix's system design, integration, and compatibility expertise to develop second-generation communications technologies that can be seamlessly integrated within a manufacturer's system,'' said Dieter Marenbach, president, OnSpec Electronics. ''OEMs will benefit with a ready-made design solution for desktops and notebooks; end-users will benefit with greatly enhanced communications functions inherent within their PC systems.''
Phoenix FAX/Modem Solution Benefits
Ease of Use — With the Phoenix FAX/Modem solution integrated onto and OEM's system board, connectivity requires only a modular jack.
Cost — Integrating the FAX/Modem on the system board reduces cost to the end user. For business users of portable PCs, sending a FAX via a hotel phone is less expensive than sending a FAX via a hotel FAX.
Quality — Scanning FAX machine quality is inherently poor; while PC-to-PC FAX quality is exceptionally high.
Access — With Phoenix's communications package:
o Notebook users can access data on their primary (desktop) PCs.
o Desktop and notebook users can access electronic mail systems
o Notebook users can retrieve FAXes sent to the home office.
o Desktop users can retrieve FAXes sent to remote locations.
o Notebook users can send sales order forms/customer reports back to the home office.
o Desktop users can communicate directly with the world from their desks.
Confidentiality — With communications hardware/software integrated on the system board, FAXes can be directly received by Notebook PCs, thereby rendering shared FAX machines and public (hotel) FAX services unnecessary.
Advanced Technologies and Time-to-Market
Phoenix Technologies is in the business of supplying OEMs with tightly integrated hardware/software design solutions to support new technologies and market requirements. Phoenix products accelerate OEM time-to-market in new, high-growth segments of the PC industry. Phoenix offers complete reference designs for 386 SX/SL notebooks, sub-notebooks, and pen-systems, supporting new technologies such as Power Management, PCMCIA-compliant memory cards, Flash ROMs, and digitizing tablets, and new operating environments such as Windows with Multimedia Extensions, Windows for Pen Computing, and PenPoint. Phoenix has now extended its reference design strategy to solve on-board FAX/Modem requirements for PC manufacturers.
The original compatibility vendor, Phoenix Technologies is the leading supplier of BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) software for personal computer manufacturers. Software code embedded in a ROM (Read Only Memory) chip or Flash ROM on a system's motherboard,the BIOS integrates a system's hardware platform with its operating system environment, ensuring compatibility with the large library of DOS, Windows, and OS/2 applications written for the PC system.
Phoenix products have enabled more than 250 OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to quickly bring fully compatible, feature-rich products to market. Headquartered in Norwood, Mass., Phoenix (NASDAQ:PTEC) maintains worldwide research, marketing, and sales facilities in San Jose, Calif.; Cambridge, Mass.; Taipei, Taiwan; London; and Valbonne, France.
CONTACT:
Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Eric Enge, 408/452-6539
Michael Deutsch, 617/551-4184
or
Walt & Sommerhauser
Robert Walt, 408/496-0900