GEOS Selected by Canon for New Personal Publishing System; Canon Fourth Large OEM to Announce it has Adopted Geoworks’ OS
BERKELEY, Calif. — October 20, 1993 — Geoworks' compact, object-oriented GEOS operating system has been selected by Canon Business Machines, Costa Mesa, Calif., for a new family of high-end personal publishing systems incorporating Canon's sophisticated bubble jet printer technology.
According to Canon, GEOS was chosen because it provides the increased graphical functionality Canon was seeking for its new models, while requiring only limited memory.
Canon is the fourth worldwide hardware manufacturer to announce that it has adopted GEOS system software for its consumer computing devices (CCDs) in the last six months. Geoworks is also supplying GEOS to Casio and Tandy for their Zoomer personal digital assistants and to Sharp Electronics for its new PT-9000 personal information assistant.
Canon's selection of GEOS moves Geoworks into a new CCD category: information appliances (word processors, faxes and copiers), which are increasingly incorporating more sophisticated graphics and text capabilities.
"GEOS is ideal for a wide range of consumer computing devices," said Brian Dougherty, chairman and CEO, Geoworks. "Manufacturers are selecting GEOS because they want a compact operating system that will allow them to deliver compelling products rich in functionality, particularly in the graphics area, at a low cost."
Geoworks will be the first independent vendor to supply Canon with a graphical operating system for its products. Previously Canon used its own proprietary system software.
Personal Technology Research figures indicate that approximately 1 million word processors were sold in the United States last year and that the market is currently growing by 20 to 30 percent per year.
"Our partnership with Geoworks will allow us to bring a new class of sophisticated products, with our specialized printer technology, to a growing market," Takashi Miyazaki, executive vice president, Canon Business Machines, explained.
"Personal publishing system users are demanding more features; they want to be able to draw and add graphics as well as use different fonts and type sizes in their documents. The combination of Geoworks' graphical OS and built-in applications with our new bubble jet printer technology will give customers the products they want."
Canon is using Geoworks' easy-to-use graphical interface for its new GEOS-based personal publishing systems, which will be aimed at the home office and student markets. This will allow Canon to develop a product that specifically meets the needs of these customers. Geoworks is also providing Canon with a suite of graphical applications, including GeoWrite, a word processor.
Geoworks will be holding its first Developer Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, Calif., on Oct. 25 and 26 where attendees will receive the new GEOS Software Development Kit (SDK) free. Call 800/524-1857, ext. 1214 for more information.
Located in Berkeley, Geoworks is the developer and publisher of the GEOS graphical operating system and application software. The company provides sophisticated and highly efficient system software with rich functionality that will enable hardware manufacturers to market low-cost devices with extended battery life. Geoworks also develops applications in the communications, entertainment and information management markets.
Geoworks products are available worldwide through OEMs, dealer channels and republishers.
NOTE TO EDITORS: GEOS and Geoworks are registered trademarks and GeoWrite is a trademark of Geoworks in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
CONTACT:
Geoworks, Berkeley
Deborah Dawson, 510/204-8550
or
The Bohle Co., Los Angeles
Holly Zmetrovich/Karl Fields, 310/785-0515