HANNOVER, Germany March 14, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Logitech today announced a formal agreement with Sweden-based Anoto for introducing digital pen and paper solutions to the PC platform. As part of its entry into this new market, Logitech has entered into a strategic relationship with existing Anoto partners in the paper industry. Key participants in the alliance include 3M's Post-it(r) Notes Division, MeadWestvaco, Groupe Hamelin, FranklinCovey and Time/system International. Building upon Anoto functionality, the companies are developing a complete "ecosystem," whereby consumers will be able to capture, store and retrieve handwritten information, using the medium of paper and a dedicated pen with the PC.
Based on technologies from Anoto that convert ordinary handwriting into digital information, the Logitech solution is designed to provide the user with the ability to use pen and paper in exactly the same way that people have used them for centuries while still making use of the powerful productivity provided by a PC.
"We have seen intense interest and a great opportunity in the ability to align the computing experience with natural human behavior," said David Henry, senior vice president and general manager of Logitech's Control Devices Business Unit. "This alliance is a definite fit with Logitech's vision of extending the power of the PC beyond the desktop." "The agreement with Logitech takes us from vision to actual implementation and implies that digital pens and paper which incorporate Anoto functionality will reach an even wider field of applications and a larger number of users. By partnering with Logitech and thereby entering the PC market, we are on our way to achieving total coverage and establishing a de facto standard for paper-based digital communication," said Christer Fahraeus, CEO of Anoto AB. "We are already pursuing Anoto functionality in the mobile telephony environment and are convinced that PC usage is a very important expansion and complement."
Logitech expects to launch the digital pen enabling Anoto functionality for the PC platform later this year. Digital paper enabling Anoto functionality will also be launched at the same time.
Anoto - Logitech Webcast - Live from CeBIT - Hannover - March 14th Time: 6.30 PM WEBCAST: www.anoto.com To join the conference as a participant, please call +1-612-332-0345 Ask for the Logitech Press Conference
About Logitech: Founded in 1981, Logitech designs, manufactures and markets personal interface products that provide people with easy access to the digital world. The Company's product family includes Internet video cameras, mice and trackballs, keyboards, audio and telephony products, interactive gaming devices and 3D controllers.
With operational headquarters through its U.S. subsidiary in Fremont, California, and regional headquarters through local subsidiaries in Switzerland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Logitech International is a Swiss public company traded in Switzerland on the Swiss Stock Exchange (LOGN and LOGZ) and in the U.S. on the Nasdaq National Market System (LOGI). The company has manufacturing facilities in Asia and offices in major cities in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about Logitech and its products, visit the company's website at www.logitech.com.
The company Anoto AB was founded in Lund, Sweden in late 1999 as a fully owned subsidiary of C Technologies AB. The company Anoto currently has over 200 employees working in offices in Lund, Stockholm, Boston, Tokyo and Hong Kong. www.anoto.com
C Technologies AB (publ) was founded in 1996 and is a well-established Swedish high-technology company. C Technologies holds cutting-edge expertise in the fields of digital camera technology, image processing. The C Technologies Group, which also comprises the subsidiaries Anoto AB and WeSpot AB, currently has over 320 employees and offices located in Lund, Stockholm, Atlanta, Boston, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Major shareholders include company founder Christer Fahraeus, Capital Group and Ericsson. C Technologies' share is listed on the O-list of the OM Stockholm Exchange (Attract 40). www.ctechnologies.se
A Global de Facto Standard for DigitalPpaper
Anoto is currently creating a global de facto standard for digital paper. Anoto thereby unites one of mankind's most preferred ways of communicating, pen and paper, with the tremendous power of the digital world. This combination is Anoto functionality.
There are several underlying technologies behind Anoto functionality, such as pen technology, server technology and paper technology as well as Bluetooth(tm) communication.
It is all these technologies that make Anoto functionality as intuitive, spontaneous and individual as possible for the end user. Anoto functionality makes sure that pen and paper remains pen and paper even when digital services are available.
A Network of Partners
Anoto is establishing the de facto standard through a network of partners from a wide range of industries: Mobile phone industry, traditional pen and paper industry, operators, software developers only to mention some. Till now, Anoto has established about 60 partnerships in Europe, USA and Asia.
Ordinary pen and paper, yet more...
Anoto functionality turns handwritten notes, doodles and sketches digital. A pattern, almost invisible to the naked eye, is printed on to ordinary paper. A digital pen enabling Anoto functionality reads the pattern and can thereby determine its' position and copy the pen movement. The information can then via a Bluetoothtm communication node (e.g. a mobile phone) be sent to any computer, mobile phone, PDA, fax or information bank. Specific commands or functions can also be assigned to a certain area of the paper, thanks to the Anoto pattern. This enables services such as retrieving information or placing an order directly from a mail order catalogue, newspaper or magazine using the digital pen enabling Anoto functionality.
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