Online Media News: Online Media, Olivetti and Macromedia Join Forces
hsw...@acorn.co.uk
4 January 1995
ONLINE MEDIA, OLIVETTI AND MACROMEDIA JOIN FORCES
....forging the way ahead in authoring for
digital interactive TV....
Leading set-top box supplier Online Media, representing Olivetti's interests
in the emerging market of interactive television, and multimedia
applications developer Macromedia have today announced a joint development
and marketing agreement.
The announcement forges the way ahead in authoring for digital interactive
television. This reinforces Online Media and Olivetti's support of the
"Author Once, Play Anywhere" strategy, which has established Macromedia as a
standard for multimedia and interactive television services in the US and
worldwide.
Online Media now becomes a full implementation partner in the Portable
Player programme able to undertake development of players for its own use
and for others. The first task will be the implementation of a Player for
the Online Media range of digital set-top devices based on the ARM Risc
processor.
Malcolm Bird, CEO of Online Media, commented: "Macromedia's Portable Player
technology coupled with the emergence of appropriate standards, is crucial
to the success of the flourishing interactive television services market.
Today's announcement will mean that service authors can now write once and
target numerous computer and set-top architectures."
"Macromedia is excited to work with a strong European partner, Olivetti,
which has shown vision and commitment to the interactive TV market through
the creation of Online Media," said Bud Colligan, CEO of Macromedia.
"The Acorn Computer Group is one of very few companies which have such
system-wide skills to call upon in the development of competitive products
for this rapidly emerging market. The licencing of Online Media strengthens
our coverage, capability and capacity to develop the Portable Player
products."
Notes to editors:
Macromedia - background information: Macromedia, the leader in multimedia
and digital arts software tools, offers a full range of products for the
Windows and Macintosh platforms. The company's flagship products include:
Macromedia FreeHand
, the most powerful tool for design and illustration;
Macromedia Director
, the industry-standard animation and authoring tool for
multimedia production; Authorware
Professional, the premier multiplatform
authoring tool for interactive learning; MacroModel
, a powerful 3D modeling
tool for multimedia, graphics and product design; SoundEdit 16
, the
easy-to-use digital sound recording and editing solution; Fontographer
, the
industry-standard typeface editing programme; and Action!
, the most popular
multimedia presentation application.
Online Media - background information: Online Media is a member of the
Acorn Computer Group and has the full strategic backing from Acorn's parent
company, Olivetti. Established in July 1994, Online Media provides world
class, innovative affordable interactive television products in hardware,
enabling software and services to meet the requirements of the markets
emerging from the information superhighway. The company focuses on cost
competitive designs, which exploit emerging standards and its first product,
an intelligent digital set-top box, is already in production and in use.
Through its participation in the Cambridge Trial and other application
trials, Online Media already has a strong track record in interactive TV.
Alongside hardware products, Online Media offers authoring systems,
services and consultancy in service development, as well as other areas.
All Online Media designs are available under licence.
###
Authorware Professional, Director, Macromedia, FreeHand and Fontographer are
registered trademarks of Macromedia. Action! and MacroModel are trademarks
of Macromedia. All other products and services are identified by the
trademarks or service marks of their respective companies.
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