Press Release

January 11, 2000

OTTAWA, Canada - 11 January 2000: Espial, the leading provider of embedded Java technology for Internet appliances and Tao Group, a provider of leading-edge Java virtual machine technologies in the fields of compact, fast, and portable operating environments, today announced they will collaborate to offer a complete Java-based solution for the multimedia and interactive entertainment content delivery for the wireless and consumer markets. This collaboration will offer the world's first Java-based solution for delivery of multimedia and interactive content to Internet appliances, which promises to revolutionize the wireless, digital TV and network gaming industries.

The Espial and Tao collaboration brings together Tao's intent™ Java™ Technology Edition (JTE) virtual machine and Espial's market leading full-featured Espial Escape™ web browser and Espial™ Espresso application framework. The combined solution brings together an optimized, high performance embedded JVM with the most advanced Java based Internet and graphics technologies for embedded Internet appliances. Espial's other products include Espial DeviceTop™, the only service-ready Internet appliance platform for Java-based Internet appliances; Espial Ebox, a highly customizable Java based email client; Espial Assistant, a full-featured Java based personal information manger (PIM); and Espial Architect; a RAD tool for embedded Java applications that gives developers the most comprehensive development environment available today for developing multimedia content, games and software applications for Internet appliances.

According to a recent report from International Data Corporation (IDC), the market for Internet appliances is positioned to explode, over the next several years. The future is much brighter than most have anticipated and will grow to become an annual 55 million unit market and $15 billion market by the year 2001, the report says.

"This partnership with Espial brings together two complimentary technologies" comments Francis Charig, Chairman and Chief Executive, Tao Group. "By putting them together we are not only providing a completely integrated software solution for the interactive entertainment industry but are also working together in bringing fast, compact Java performance solutions to market. Developers for the world of Java-based interactive entertainment, network gaming, digital TV, wireless and multimedia information appliances are now free to focus on the benefits of their accelerated time-to-market."

"In the Internet appliance and wireless markets, application and content services will drive the adoption of smart devices." said Mal Raddalgoda, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing, Espial Group. "Through our partnership with Tao Group, we will be enabling a new generation of service-driven, smart devices that will deliver a compelling multimedia and interactive user experience. This will take Java technology to a whole new level in the consumer electronics market."

Pricing and Availability

The combined Tao and Espial solution is available today for smart devices running embedded operating systems such as Linux, WindowsCE, OS-9, QNX4. Future operating systems include VxWorks, pSOS, QNX/Neutrino, TRON and EPOC32. Pricing information is available from Espial and Tao for their respective products.