Media please contact:
Chris Romoser, Iomega Corporation, (801) 332-3678 romoser@iomega.com
Julie Miller, Intuit Inc. (858) 784-4469; julie_miller@intuit.com
Analyst/Investors, please contact:
Jim Recob, Iomega Corporation, (801) 332-4430 recob@iomega.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June
27, 2000--Iomega Corporation
(NYSE:IOM), a global leader in data management solutions,
today announced its first branded MP3 digital audio
player, a full featured, palm-sized device with universal
music file format support, which will be delivered this
fall. The Iomega digital audio player, which integrates
Iomega's high capacity removable storage technology,
will provide consumers with music storage at a price
that allows users to affordably collect, transport and
share their digital music. Iomega has partnered with
Interactive Objects Inc. (iObjects) (OTC BB:OBJX), a
recognized leader in digital audio software, to develop
the Iomega digital audio player's version of iObjects
Dadio(TM) operating system. "The Iomega digital
audio player will utilize low-cost Clik! media to store
digital audio, and at about $10 for each 40MB Clik!
disk, which is roughly 40 minutes or 12 near CD-quality
songs, Clik! technology brings new benefits to the digital
audio player market," said Bruce Albertson, president
and CEO, Iomega Corporation. "Consumers will now
be able to affordably collect and organize music playlists
on round two-inch Clik! disks, making it fast and easy
to take your favorite tunes with you on the go. Changing
music is as simple as inserting a new disk - no more
trips back to a computer for time-consuming digital
downloads." The Dadio(TM) operating system provides
sophisticated file and memory management functionality
and supports multi-threaded operations, needed for the
dynamic loading of music encoded in various formats.
It also enables features such as downloading music or
managing play lists while listening to music and a high
quality equalizer control system that enhances audio
quality. "We're thrilled to be working so closely
with Iomega on combining the benefits of Dadio software
and Clik! removable storage," said Steve Wollach,
CEO, iObjects. "This partnership brings customers
a winning combination by offering overall advancements
in the feature set, performance and huge reductions
in the cost of removable memory. We strongly believe
this new product will catapult the portable media player
market to the next level." In addition to providing
consumers with low cost removable storage, the Iomega
digital audio player will offer the "next generation"
features most often requested by digital music enthusiasts.
The Iomega player will automatically recognize and play
today's most popular digital music file formats and
will support both free and copyright protected content,
giving users the broadest possible access to a widening
variety of Internet music offerings. The product also
features simple, intuitive controls, a customizable
equalizer, drag and drop file transfer capability, fast
USB connectivity, and a menu-driven, backlit display
all designed in a compact, palm-sized enclosure. Today's
prices for seven and one-half 32MB cards of flash-based
memory force users to pay approximately $750 (U.S.)
for four hours of near CD-quality music. That same collection
of music can be stored on Clik!(TM) disks for under
$60 (U.S.). Competing flash memory expansion cards cost
consumers about $100 for one 32MB card, while Clik!(TM)-based
portable digital media players use inexpensive 40MB
Clik! disks for an estimated street price of $9.99 (U.S.)
each, when purchased in a 10-pack. Iomega has already
announced partnerships with several MP3 development
companies that will utilize the Clik!(TM) platform in
future digital audio players. As this Clik! digital
audio movement continues to grow, Iomega anticipates
multiple digital audio players integrating the Clik!
platform by the end of the year. The Iomega digital
audio player will be competitively priced with other
flash-based portable digital audio players and is expected
to be available through retail, catalog, reseller and
www.iomegadirect.com distribution channels. About Interactive
Objects Inc. Interactive Objects' Digital Appliance
Group is a leading developer of audio solutions for
portable digital appliances and the creator of Dadio(TM),
the universal software for digital audio players. iObjects
provides custom software engineering, industrial design
and manufacturing services, and offers licenses of its
proprietary Dadio(TM) digital audio software to leading
consumer electronics, digital media, and computer software
companies. iObjects' Business Objects Group provides
web application and development services to leading
portal and eCommerce web sites. Interactive Objects
is headquartered at 12600 SE 38th, Suite 150, Bellevue,
WA 98006, USA. Interactive Objects is listed on the
OTC.BB under the symbol "OBJX" and on the
"Third Segment" of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
under the symbol "IOX" and German securities
code WKN: 913011. The Company can be reached on the
web at http://www.iobjects.com. About Iomega Iomega
Corporation (NYSE:IOM) manufactures and markets the
award-winning Zip(R), Jaz(R) and Clik!(TM) drives and
disks and markets the ZipCD(TM) CD-RW drives and discs.
Iomega's products help people to save, share, manage
and create important information such as spreadsheets,
slides, Internet downloads, audio files and personal
photographs, while helping protect that content from
viruses and hackers. Used in homes, businesses, government
and educational facilities and by creative professionals
everywhere, Iomega storage solutions are the enabling
technologies preferred by millions. The Company can
be reached at 1-800-MY-STUFF (800-697-8833), or on the
Web at http://www.iomega.com. Special note: Statements
contained in this release relating to Iomega's plans
to build and ship an Iomega-branded MP3 player and Iomega's
agreement with Interactive Objects to develop the Iomega
digital audio player's version of iObjects Dadio operating
system (Iomega's agreement with iObjects) and the expected
availability and functionality of the Iomega-branded
MP3 player are forward-looking statements. There are
a number of important factors that could cause actual
events to differ materially from those indicated by
such forward-looking statements, including market acceptance
of, and demand for, the Iomega-branded MP3 player and
Iomega's agreement with iObjects, manufacturing issues,
product pricing and conformity to specifications, competition,
intellectual property rights and other risks as identified
in Iomega's Annual Report to Stockholders for 1999 on
Form 10-K, and its most recent quarterly reports filed
with the SEC. Copyright(c)2000 Iomega Corporation. Iomega,
Zip, Jaz, Clik! and ZipCD are either registered trademarks
or trademarks of Iomega Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries. Certain other product names,
brand names and company names may be trademarks or designations
of their respective owners.
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