Digislide Signs 5 Year Agreement with Sonora Technologies, Inc. (Sonora) of Chemainus, British Columbia Giving Digislide Access to Sonora’s 3D Avatar and Speech Recognition Technology
Announcement posted by Keneally Consulting 03 Dec 2010
DIGISLIDE
ASX/Media Announcement
(ASX: DGI)
3rd ofDecember 2010
Digislide Holdings Limited (Digislide) is pleased to announce it has executed a five year licence agreement with Sonora Technologies, Inc. (Sonora) of Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada, which provides Digislide with access to Sonora’s 3D Avatar and speech recognition technologies.
Late in 2009, Digislide provided assistance to Sonora in the lead up to the Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (British Columbia, Canada) in February 2010. Throughout the Games, Sonora’s avatars, speech recognition and state-of-the-art graphics interface provided an onscreen virtual host, which interacted with international guests, helping them to select from the variety of video vignettes about the events, people, businesses, and communities that make up British Columbia.
At that time, Mark Syme (President of Sonora) and Luceille Outhred (CEO of Digislide) recognised the synergies between the two companies and identified a range of mutually beneficial opportunities.
A Heads of Agreement was signed between Digislide, Sonora and Voicetek Pty Ltd earlier in the year (see ASX Announcement 10/8/2010).
In February, Digislide also commenced negotiations with a leading internet protocol TV (IPTV) technology developer. Since that time Digislide and Sonora have been working to converge Sonora’s avatars, Digislide’s projection technologies and IPTV functionality (see ASX Announcement 3/12/2009).
The IPTV technologies are being marketed under the brand VSDN (Virtual Streaming Distribution Network). They enable IPTV and live broadcasting over the internet, to be enjoyed from the TV, a computer or a mobile phone … without the annoyance of buffering caused by time lags.
On 19th February, 2010 Digislide incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, VSDN Australia Pty Ltd, to commercialise VSDN technologies in Australia and New Zealand.
Early in March, Digislide invited Sonora to join the proposed VSDN Global Network, and Sonora incorporated VSDNet Canada, Inc., towards commercialising the VSDN technologies in its country.
Digislide will acquire 25% equity in VSDNet Canada through joint technology licensing arrangements and the provision of equipment and consultancy services. It is anticipated this share issue will be completed during December, 2010.
Similarly, Digislide’s US lawyers have been instructed to incorporate VSDN Americas Inc, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Digislide to commercialise the technologies in the US markets.
It has been agreed that each VSDN company shall provide the Global Licensor with a 10% equity stake at an appropriate, agreed time in the future.
IPTV and Video on Demand Demonstrations
Digislide has now commenced trial demonstrations of the VSDN technologies from its Adelaide base.
Tourism SA, ParadiseCommunityChurch, ConcordiaCollege and other local content providers have provided content for demonstration of live streaming and Video on Demand. Potential investors, broadcasters, governments, education providers, media production and telecommunications groups will be invited to experience the VSDN capabilities over the next three months.
The traffic flow past Digislide’s Adelaide premises is being live streamed via the internet and has now been viewed by associates in Sydney, Melbourne, China and Canada. Mr Syme summed up everyone’s impressions, “This is wonderful! There’s absolutely no buffering!”
VSDN technologies have relevance to the proposed National Broadband Network, live TV channels, interactive video programming, on-line electronic publishing, distance education, e-health and a host of business applications.
Similar demonstrations are planned by Digislide and its VSDN Global Network associates for Canadian and US markets from February through to April, 2011.
The VSDN technologies are capable of > 1,000 simultaneous video streams to many millions of end users simultaneously.
In the new year, Digislide and the VSDN Global Network will be actively seeking strategic industry partners, content providers and investors to assist in the rapid monetization of these leading IPTV technologies.
Amazon
Digislide is also pleased to advise the market that after many, many months Digishow is finally featured on the Amazon website (ASX Announcement 11/2/2010).
Amazon had well over 600 million site visitors in 2008 (as reported by analysts Compete) and its on-line shopping cart continues to grow in popularity with a wide range of approved consumer electronic products now available on line.
It is anticipated that this exposure will assist in further opening up US markets for Digislide.
Closer to home, advertisements have been running in print media throughout the year. BRW, Education Technology, Perth Woman, SA Builder, The Leader and Australian Business Solutions have all featured Digishow, miniPRO™ and WeSii™ projectors.
Digislide plans to run 1,300 x 30 second advertisements with Sydney Harbour Radio between now and Christmas. This campaign will be promoting Digishow, miniPRO™ and Apolco PC speakers as ideal Christmas gifts.
About IPTV
Internet Protocol television (IPTV) describes a system where a digital television service is delivered to subscribing consumers using the architecture and networking methods of the Internet Protocol Suite eg the Internet and Broadband Internet access networks, rather than being delivered through traditional radio frequency broadcast, satellite signal, and/or cable television formats.
IPTV services may be classified into three main groups: live television, time-shifted programming, and video on demand. It is distinguished from general Internet-based or web-based multimedia services by its on-going standardization process with high-speed access channels into end-user premises via set-top boxes or other customer-premises equipment.
The official definition approved by the International Telecommunication Union focus group on IPTV (ITU-T FG IPTV) is “IPTV is defined as multimedia services such as television/video/audio/text/graphics/data delivered over IP based networks managed to provide the required level of quality of service and experience, security, interactivity and reliability.”
About Sonora Technologies Inc
Sonora Technologies has developed leading-edge 3D graphics and speech recognition solutions, taking their clients internet presence to innovative new levels, using custom designed applications that provide online customers the ability to communicate and interact directly with a “Virtual Person” - 24/7/365.
The company is now poised to integrate ‘artificial intelligence’ within their fully-interactive software solutions.
Sonora developed a ”Virtual Host” for the British Columbia Stories kiosk in the BC Showcase at Robson Square, an initiative of the BC Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Secretariat.
About Digislide
Digislide is an Australian based company that has developed, and continues to develop globally relevant innovative miniaturised projection technologies with broad applications.
The tactical focus is on targeting products/applications that can be embedded into a range of mobile and/or hand held communication devices, such as mobile phones, PDA’s and notebook computers. The technologies have wide patent protection and have already received international acclaim; winning several awards in important international technology arenas.
- end -