Home Networking System First to Deliver Multimedia To Multiple PC Users Simultaneously

New Applica product first to directly connect TV to home network

SAN FRANCISCO (August 2, 1999) -- Concurrent Controls today announced the release of Applica Multimedia, the only home networking solution with enough bandwidth to allow more than one user at a time to share multimedia applications and entertainment functions. With all the benefits of a second PC and a home network, the system is the first to integrate the television as a display on the network providing a comfortable view of DVD movies and other multimedia entertainment. In addition, users can simultaneously share an Internet connection, peripherals and files.

In the home networking category, Applica Multimedia is the only entry to provide "no lag time" support for the full- stereo sound and 3D graphics required by many entertainment and gaming applications as well as other digital content available through DVDs and the Internet. With display rates of 60 frames per second and a throughput of 132 Mbs, more than 100 times faster than any other home networking product, the new Applica product provides real-time DVD video streaming, multimedia surfing and multiplayer gaming on a television set.

Like other products in the Applica family, the new system also gives all users simultaneous access to the Internet through a dialup or high speed Internet connection, such as cable modem or xDSL and a single ISP account. Combined with a 10-minute installation that automatically configures shared peripherals and requires no network expertise, the product also offers fast, inexpensive access to the Web. It can be paired with a variety of hardware and delivery systems, including wireless technology, to build a wide range of products that deliver multimedia content to multiple points in a home.

"Applica Multimedia raises the bar for products in the home networking market due to its support for television and capability of delivering shared multimedia with real-time performance," said Dawn DeBruyn, president of Concurrent Controls. "As the use of multimedia and streaming audio/video increases on the PC and over the Internet, so does the need for high-bandwidth delivery of that content to multiple points within the home. Because it can display more than 60 frames a second, Applica Multimedia outperforms any set-top or home networking product. It is the only solution that can provide a real-time audio/video experience."

Applica Multimedia is the only product on the market that enables consumers to create a two-station network for less than $300 and using only a single PC. It harnesses the Microsoft browsers, and the unused processing power of Pentium CPUs. As a result, multiple users can run almost any multimedia application, play games or surf the web for only a few hundred dollars per seat--even less if existing monitors, keyboards, mice and speakers are used.

"As a foundation for next generation of multimedia home networking systems, Applica offers the best combination of high performance, low cost and ease of use for manufacturers looking to create solutions that connect the PC with other devices, including the TV, in the home," DeBruyn commented. "Our multimedia system was designed for a variety of combinations, it offers more flexibility along with higher performance than competitive products such as the 4 Mbps ShareWave digital wireless technology," she added. "There's nothing with the capability and performance of Applica Multimedia on the market today."

Applica Multimedia technology began shipping in July to OEM customers, with packaged product available beginning the 10th of August. The Applica package, and an off-the-shelf monitor or television, keyboard, mouse and speakers, creates a "2nd PC" using the Applica software and 3D PCI graphics card with 8 MB of dedicated RAM and full-stereo sound, and connected to a Pentium-class PC running Windows 95 or 98. Applica Multimedia is priced at $279 and can be purchased direct: http://www.applica.com/ or at 800-487-2243.

About Applica Zero Client Technology

The award-winning Applica zero-client technology was first released in 1997, as the first PC sharing software for Windows 95/98 and later, for Windows NT Terminal Server Edition. Zero-client technology allows multiple users to connect to a Windows PC, using standard, off-the-shelf monitors, keyboards, mice and optional speakers, and share data and system resources at full-motion video bus speeds, up to 132 Mbs, displaying up to 60 frames per second. This technology provides significantly higher performance than any PC-based home network or thin-client solution, and reduces the initial and lifetime cost of PC ownership.

About Concurrent Controls

Concurrent Controls, Inc. is the world's largest privately held provider of high performance, PC-sharing system software, and the developer and leading supplier of zero-client solutions for reducing the cost and complications of PC ownership. The company was founded in 1986 and has an installed base of more than 250,000 users of their Windows and DOS-based products. Concurrent Controls operating systems are used in a wide range of environments, including consumer products, education, office automation, manufacturing, POS, and process control. The company is headquartered at 349 Allerton Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080, telephone (800) 487-2243, (650) 873-6240, or by fax at (650) 873-6091, and on the Internet at http://www.applica.com/.