Microsoft Invests in General Magic
REDMOND, Wash., and SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 4, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. and General Magic Inc. (Nasdaq
“GMGC”
) today announced that Microsoft has made a minority investment in General Magic. Agreements between the companies include an equity investment as well as the licensing of certain General Magic technologies. Terms of the agreements include a payment to General Magic of $6 million.
General Magic is developing integrated voice and data applications, a key to bringing the next generation of information technologies into the mainstream. The company’s upcoming network service, code-named
“Serengeti,”
is a second-generation virtual assistant for mobile professionals that goes beyond offering only voice mail to integrating e-mail, faxes, address book, calendar, news and stock quote information, all accessible via a telephone using a proprietary voice user interface (VUI) or via a Web browser.
Designed to perform and synchronize with several Microsoft® applications, including the Outlook
™messaging and collaboration client, Schedule+ and Microsoft Internet Explorer as well as Windows® CE-based devices and the WebTV® service, Serengeti is expected to be available by mid-1998. In addition to its support of Microsoft products, General Magic built its first Network Operations Center to run exclusively on the Windows NT® operating system. Chosen for its scalability, robustness and developer base, Windows NT was the preferred choice for managing the high volume of subscribers expected to utilize the Serengeti service over time.
“General Magic continues to develop innovative technologies and applications,”
said Nathan Myhrvold, chief technology officer at Microsoft.
“A natural-language voice user interface such as Serengeti’s is a powerful and flexible way to access information that we think will be pervasive. Products like Serengeti can provide users with worldwide access to much of their important information. We are pleased to see General Magic’s integration of Serengeti with Microsoft applications such as Outlook and Internet Explorer, and General Magic’s exclusive use of Windows NT-based servers in its first Network Operations Center.”
“We believe this transaction with Microsoft shows increasing acceptance of General Magic’s products and technologies,”
said Steve Markman, chairman, CEO and president of General Magic.
“General Magic is all about simplifying the way people access and control the information they need to be successful. Our goal is to make Serengeti the preferred service for people who need access to their information at any time from any location. We hope to make this technology accessible in a wide range of applications and devices, and we’ve taken an important step in that direction.”
General Magic offers products and services that integrate voice and data technologies, making communication and access to information easy and convenient for people no matter where they are. The company’s development efforts are founded on its patented agent technology, innovative user-interface and communication-centric designs to provide simple yet effective ways for people to keep in touch with the information they need to be successful. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. For more information on General Magic, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.genmagic.com .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and
personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Outlook, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
WebTV is either a registered trademark or trademark of WebTV Networks Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
General Magic is a registered trademark of General Magic Inc.
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