CIC Makes Its Presence Felt

Recognition company stays in the thick of things

Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC), a pen-based participant since 1981, shows no signs of being passed up by larger companies just recently getting into the pencentric arena. To stay at the forefront of pen-based development, CIC has been establishing strategic relationships with much larger companies:

Apple

CIC announced a liaison with Apple Computer earlier this year whereby Apple distributes worldwide CIC’s Mac Handwriter which lets users input handwritten Japanese Kanji characters. CIC’s recognition technology then translates the handprinted characters. It is no secret that Apple is working on a stylus system of its own, which will probably use CIC’s recognition engine.

Intel

CIC recently teamed up with semiconductor giant Intel in an agreement, which according to CIC’s press release, is aimed at “realizing efficient processing of handwriting recognition algorithms and achieving low battery power consumption. The result is intended to allow Intel-based equipment to recognize mixed cursive writing input at interactive performance speeds.”

CIC president and CEO James Dao wouldn’t elaborate on any details of the agreement. We can only speculate that the agreement might involve implementing CIC recognition algorithms in hardware; Dao would neither confirm nor deny this. However, he did say in a prepared statement that “Intel’s technical excellence and industry leading position will benefit pen-input computing while the open architecture of CIC’s Handwriter MCOSI (Master Controller and Operating System Interface software) will strengthen Intel’s microprocessor and related product offerings by allowing them to run sophisticated recognition algorithms with minimal power consumption. The success of this joint project will overcome a significant obstacle to the expansion of future generations of smaller, lightweight pen-input portable computers.”

NCR

CIC’s participation and alliance with NCR in the development of the soon-to-be-announced NCR System 3125 pen-based computer is another example of the company’s growing role in the pen-based arena. NCR has implemented CIC recognition algorithms in hardware, thereby overriding the recognition techniques resident in the PenWindows and PenPoint operating systems.

It’s reasonable to suspect that the small Menlo Park, California company has entered into joint ventures with other pen-based computer frontline players. CIC has experience in handwriting recognition, it has technology that other companies obviously want, and the company is savvy in its approach to the market. CIC is a company to watch.

Contact:

Communications Intelligence Corp.
333 Ravenswood Avenue
PS 357
Menlo Park, CA 94025
415-328-1311