Fujitsu to Join General Magic Alliance; Will Offer Products and Services Based on General Magic’s Telescript And Magic Cap
TOKYO — March 14, 1994 — Fujitsu Limited announced today that it will join the leading communication software alliance headed by General Magic. Through this new affiliation, Fujitsu will build and promote innovative multimedia network services and related products, initially in the Japanese marketplace, to meet the information processing and communication needs of both consumers and businesses. Fujitsu will nominate Mikio Ohtsuki, executive vice president of Fujitsu Ltd., to Magic's board of directors upon completion of the investment in General Magic.
To bring these new capabilities to the largest possible audience, Fujitsu plans to offer personal intelligent communicator products incorporating General Magic's Magic Cap(TM), software. And using General Magic's Telescript(TM), the innovative communication technology that is fast becoming the global standard for communication, Fujitsu plans to offer Japanese language communications services that are easy to understand and simple to use.
As part of Fujitsu's strategic emphasis on information services business, the company intends to utilize General Magic's technologies to create a new category of communication media called "Life Media" for business and consumer use in the coming interactive multimedia age.
"Guided by a clear vision of the future, Fujitsu has for many years led the way in creating a multimedia-oriented information services industry in Japan," said Mikio Ohtsuki, executive vice president of Fujitsu Ltd. "Our participation in this alliance demonstrates once again our commitment to making advanced information technologies better serve users and improve peoples' lives."
"From long before the two companies began business discussions, we at Fujitsu believed that we shared a common vision with General Magic," continued Ohtsuki. "We strongly endorse Telescript and Magic Cap as new industry standards because we are convinced that they are the right technologies for our industry and will truly help bring about the information society of the future."
Magic Cap is an integrated software environment that includes everything people need to reach popular modes of communication: fax, public electronic mail services, and telephones. It is an object- oriented platform for a new category of communicating application that fit in with a user interface that mimics the physical world and makes complex functions easy to handle.
Telescript is a breakthrough communication technology that allows users to launch their electronic surrogates, called agents, into the world of electronic services. The agents can screen, route, and deliver electronic correspondence, shop for goods and services, seek out time- critical information and perform other functions on behalf of their users.
Background Information on Fujitsu
Fujitsu Limited, founded in 1935, is the world's second-largest computer firm and is an international leader in telecommunications, semiconductors and other electronic devices. The company offers a broad line of information processing and telecommunications systems ranging from the world's fastest supercomputers to the smallest palmtop computers, and it is a pioneer in delivering advanced telecommunications systems such as SONET, optical-fiber network, and ATM multimedia central switches worldwide.
Fujitsu has helped to originate the concept of the personal communication vehicle with products based on its mobile computing systems and the OASYS Japanese word processor. The company also operates Japan's leading personal computer communications network, NIFTY-Serve, which offers on-line services, entertainment, electronic mail, games and education on Fujitsu's nationwide FENICS value-added network.
The Fujitsu group of technology, software and services companies posted global revenues of $29.8 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 1993.
Background Information on General Magic
General Magic was founded in May 1990. Its mission is to create personal intelligent communication products and services by developing and licensing technology to equipment manufacturers, network and information service providers, and software and entertainment companies. General Magic has teamed with standard-setters in the entertainment, information, and communications fields to ensure that its technologies reach the widest possible audience.
CONTACT:
Etsuro Yamada, 212-265-5360; or Michael Beime in Tokyo, 3-3215-5236, both of Fujitsu Limited;
or
Jane Anderson of General Magic, 415-966-6271