TUCSON, Ariz., April 13, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Environmental Technologies, Inc. (Pink Sheets:EMTI) is pleased to announce that it has attained an important milestone in the Corporation's early development by achieving its initial sales of the exciting Computer Guard device, purchased by a nation-wide Canadian end-user.
Computer Guard's technology makes it the ideal security device to guard against the surreptitious theft of digital contents from desktop and/or laptop computers through the use of USB Hard Drives, or "Thumb" Drives, as they are generally called, because they are approximately the size of a person's thumb. The popularity of the revolutionary thumb drive reflects its ability to easily and quickly extract/download files from virtually any computer. With a thumb drive, a thief can walk up to any person's computer while that person is away from his desk (off to a meeting - or out to lunch?), plug in his tiny portable drive, and copy whatever data he desires onto that thumb drive within minutes!
Computer Guard -- directly addresses what has emerged in recent years as an international epidemic - theft of laptop computers and the countless billions of dollars of valuable and critical data they contain. Essentially, the Computer Guard System protects the user's information by rendering the computer useless whenever the authorized user is away from the machine - desktop or laptop. Environmental Technologies believes that the very low price of Computer Guard, at $54.95 retail, will facilitate rapid market penetration, and the capture of a significant share of the dynamic desktop/laptop security market in the foreseeable future.
Laptop Computer Theft - results in two distinct types of loss: the value of the actual hardware, usually $2000 - $3000 per unit (the FBI estimates that 97% of stolen computer equipment is never recovered) and; the much higher cost of the lost data contained on the laptop's hard drive. A $25,000.00 reward offered for the return of a laptop stolen in 2000 from the State Department in Washington, D.C. demonstrates just how much more valuable is the data compared to the replacement cost of the hardware. In August 2002, a Justice Department inspector general reported that 400 laptop computers were stolen, lost or gone missing from five US agencies, including the FBI (the main victim) and the INS. Some of the missing data was reported to be "sensitive in nature" and that its loss could "result in danger to the public or could compromise national security or law enforcement activities". As for stolen corporate laptops, it is generally recognized that business-critical, proprietary confidential corporate data lost to potential competitors through laptop theft could amount to tens of $billions in costs. Most attacks on corporate networks are facilitated via one of the Company's own laptops, so the losses through corporate laptop theft may be assumed to be much higher than simply the value of the data contained on the machine's hard drive.
Environmental Technologies' products currently being developed for specific market applications include short and long-range detection devices that can be hidden in clothing, or on valuables, and that will emit signals to loved ones or owners of articles. The technology provides a capability that is ideal for families living in fear of their children being kidnapped, or of having elderly family members, suffering from dementia or any other form of memory loss, wander off aimlessly without their loved one's knowledge. Alarmingly, kidnapping in North America has risen to an all-time high of over 800 persons per day! Other Locating & Tracking applications are being designed for key security niche markets and are expected to follow.
The statements made in this press release, which are not historical facts, contains forward-looking statements concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial conditions and other aspects of the company to which this release pertains. The actual results of the specific items described in the release, and the company's operations generally, may differ materially from what is projected in such forward- looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of management of the company as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the company's dependence on third parties, general market and economic conditions, technical factors, the availability of outside capital, receipt of revenues and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company. The company disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward- looking statement.