MobileSoft Partners with ART to Add Handwriting Recognition Software to New Distribution Channel
CHATSWORTH, Calif. — May 12, 1997 — Advanced Recognition Technologies, Inc. (ART), a developer of technologically superior speech and handwriting recognition engines, today announced an agreement to include three of their products in MobileSoft's new handheld PC software offering.
MobileSoft, a new electronic software distribution (ESD) channel for Windows CE software, will include ART writing software products smARTwriter, its smARTwriter extended software package smARTwriter PLUS and the smARTscribble drawing product.
The added ART products will round out the MobileSoft Windows CE title offering by providing handwriting recognition, ink pad utilities and an image drawing tool. Along with the ART products, MobileSoft will feature a range of Windows CE software titles on their Internet offering and on CD-ROM.
"With the emergence of handwriting as a popular interface for the handheld PC, the ART products are essential ingredients for our MobileSoft offering," said David Bialer, director of business development for the new MobileSoft. "We chose ART in order to offer handheld PC users and designers the highest quality handwriting recognition software for incorporating handwriting capability into their handheld PC."
"Until now, full multi-stroke handwriting capabilities for portable PCs had been impractical due to lack of speed and accuracy," said Richard McCaskill, ART executive vice president and general manager. "However, smARTwriter delivers unmatched accuracy and speed, as well as a reduced memory demand, which is a vital factor for handheld PC users and designers."
smARTwriter for Windows CE adds full multi-stroke handwriting recognition capabilities to any Windows CE application. Users write characters or symbols anywhere or any size on the handheld PC (HPC) screen to enter words or numbers within programs such as Pocket Word and Pocket Excel or Contact Manager or any other application running on the HPC. Regardless of where the user writes on the screen, the recognized word or character will automatically be entered where the cursor is located.
smARTwriter adapts to any user's unique writing style. Initial programming takes about five minutes, and users can make corrections and additions on-the-fly using pop-up windows.
Users can expand the capabilities of smARTwriter for Windows CE with the smARTwriter PLUS and smARTscribble add-ons from ART.
smARTwriter PLUS provides the Single Touch ART Recognizer (STAR), smARTscribble and Ink Pad utilities. STAR provides an entire set of single-stroke characters for people accustomed to PDAs and pre-defined characters that can be modified to suit the user's handwriting style. Ink Pad provides special editing tools not available with standard word processing applications, turning the HPC into an electronic notepad.
smARTscribble captures images exactly as the user writes or draws them on the HPC screen. This allows users to save maps, thumbnail sketches and signatures, all of which can be added to a Pocket Word document, or any other application running on the HPC. The program also allows the images to be saved in bit map (BMP) format for ease in sending to others or other applications.
smARTwriter for Windows CE is also available now through the smARTshop page on the ART website, located at http://www.artcomp.com . It will be available in retail stores before the middle of 1997. smARTwriter for Windows CE is priced at $ 49.95. The smARTwriter PLUS package, including smARTwriter, smARTscribble, Ink Pad and STAR is priced at $ 69.95. smARTscribble is available separately for $ 29.95.
MobileSoft, founded in Fall of 1996 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., is an independent division of Philips Electronics North America. The company's mission is to be the premier distributor of software for the new range of handheld PCs featuring the Windows CE operating system through electronic software distribution. For more information, visit the MobileSoft web site at www.mobilesoft.com .
Advanced Recognition Technologies, Inc. (ART) develops and markets innovative and technologically superior products that allow the human voice and handwritten letters or symbols to control cellular phones, computer applications and electronic devices. The company is based in southern California, with an R&D subsidiary in Tel Aviv, Israel and sales offices in Japan and Singapore. More information on ART and its products is available on its web site at http://www.artcomp.com .
CONTACT:
Advanced Recognition Technologies, Inc.
Rick McCaskill 818/678-3999
[email protected]
or
Shotwell Public Relations, Inc.
Russell Barber, 408/727-4356
104521,[email protected]