REDMOND, Wash., and SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 16, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. and Connectix Corp. today announced a strategic relationship to develop and market video hardware and software solutions that enhance the ability of consumers to communicate using video over the Internet.
Microsoft and Connectix will jointly test Microsoft® NetMeeting
™
conferencing software and Outlook
™Express with Connectix cameras to improve compatibility, cooperatively develop new and innovative video-based products, and jointly promote their products to consumers. In addition, Connectix, which currently has more than 600,000 QuickCam® customers, will exclusively distribute Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 – including core components NetMeeting and Outlook Express – to new QuickCam and QuickCam VC customers.
By working together, Microsoft and Connectix will ensure that their products offer consumers the best experience for video communication over the Internet. In addition, the two companies will encourage the use of video-based products on the Internet by making these products more widely available and by educating consumers about the benefits of video communication on the Web.
“The use of video for communicating over the Internet represents a terrific consumer application,” said Brad Chase, vice president, applications and Internet client group at Microsoft. “By cooperating to integrate the best-of-breed NetMeeting and Outlook Express with the popular QuickCam video hardware, Microsoft and Connectix will help consumers take full advantage of the potential of the Internet for video communication.”
“We’re excited to be working closely with Microsoft on integrating our QuickCam products with Microsoft’s innovative and award-winning Internet conferencing and e-mail clients, as they are a natural fit to take advantage of the video image capabilities of our QuickCam products,” said Roy McDonald, president and CEO of Connectix. “Our cooperation will result in products that work better together, and with Microsoft’s leadership, further the adoption of Internet-based solutions for video communications.”
Industry-Leading Products
As the pioneer and market leader in the tethered digital video camera market, the Connectix QuickCam product line has been adopted by more than 600,000 customers, 95 percent of whom use the Internet regularly, according to recent independent research commissioned by Connectix. Connectix today announced its new color QuickCam VC, which will sell for an estimated $99 (U.S.) (after manufacturer’s rebate), available for both parallel and Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, further increasing the accessibility of video camera hardware for consumers.
Microsoft’s award-winning NetMeeting and Outlook Express software are available as core components of the recently introduced Internet Explorer 4.0 and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ . The Outlook Express e-mail client makes sending e-mail fun, personalized and simple, with features such as quick setup wizards, easy migration tools to move from previous e-mail software, support for multiple accounts and customized stationery options. NetMeeting conferencing software makes it easy for users to connect and communicate with family, friends and business associates by allowing them to see another person live using videoconferencing, talk to one another live using Internet telephony, and share information with several people at once using multipoint dataconferencing.
When used with Connectix digital video products, NetMeeting and Outlook Express enable consumers to see one another on their computer monitors as they communicate using real-time videoconferencing. Users can also send still images and video clips as e-mail messages to other Internet users, greatly enhancing the ability of consumers to use the Internet to communicate with family and friends.
Collaborative History
The strategic relationship formalizes cooperative efforts that already exist between the two companies. Microsoft and Connectix have a history of collaborating to bring the latest innovations to the market. For example, Microsoft provided feedback to Connectix to make QuickCam products compatible with the Windows NT® operating system and the QuickCam VC product interoperable with NetMeeting 2.0. As a result, Connectix’s new QuickCam VC includes Microsoft NetMeeting, for standards-based (H.323) Internet videoconferencing. Connectix is also providing new features to make it simpler to record and deliver video messages using Outlook Express. Connectix has also participated in marketing efforts with Microsoft to enhance the usefulness of the Windows® 95 operating system and Internet Explorer 4.0 for consumers by encouraging customers of these products to purchase a video camera product.
About Microsoft
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.
About Connectix
Founded in 1988 and based in San Mateo, Calif., Connectix Corp. develops innovative, award-winning products around the philosophy that computers enhance people’s lives. Connectix products unlock the potential in users and the world around them. In addition to the QuickCam technology that revolutionized affordable videoconferencing and still image capture, the company’s flagship products include Speed Doubler, RAM Doubler, QuickCam and Connectix Virtual PC. For more information, contact Connectix at (650) 571-5100 or at http://www.connectix.com/ .
Microsoft, NetMeeting, Outlook, Windows NT and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
QuickCam is a registered trademark of Connectix Corp.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. For more information on NetMeeting, visit the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/ . For more information on Outlook Express, visit http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie40/oe/ . For more information on Connectix, visit http://www.connectix.com/.
