EO to Become AT&T’s Personal Communicator Company

June 1, 1993 — AT&T and EO Inc., are combining their respective expertise to offer users a single line of Personal Communicators, the two companies said Tuesday.

The agreement allows EO to include the AT&T brand on its personal communicators; gives EO access to AT&T’s communications technology and services, and its sales channels; and will make AT&T the majority shareholder in EO Inc.

The AT&T EO 440 Personal Communicator — which provides fax, electronic mail, cellular phone and personal computing capabilities — will be available from select AT&T Phone Centers and authorized EO resellers later this month. Direct orders can be placed now via EO’s toll-free number; 1-800/458-0880.

“With EO as our personal communicator company, AT&T gains direct access to the expertise of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative and creative companies,” said Robert M. Kavner, AT&T’s group executive for communications products, and a members of EO’s board of directors. “EO has cracked the code on the tight integration of communications and computing, and we see the EO architecture extending all the way from the kitchen countertop to intelligent private branch exchanges. These products will be a window onto a wide range of content and network services.”

Personal communicators will change the way people interact, making it possible to send handwritten notes over the network and to run communications-intensive applications. AT&T and EO believe these products will provide messaging and information-handling capabilities that go far beyond today’s fax and e-mail, and will have as much impact on person-to-person communications as the telephone had in the early 1900s.

“By teaming with the world’s leading communications company, we can accelerate acceptance of our platform as a standard for personal communicators,” said Alain Rossmann, EO’s president and chief executive officer. “Our next-generation products will benefit from AT&T’s unparalleled strength in communications technologies, from network services to digital signal processing. And with AT&T’s powerful sales channels, its reputation for quality and service and its tremendous brand recognition, we can bring the benefits of personal communications to the broadest possible audience.”

AT&T and EO announced their new relationship before the start of the first Personal Communications and Computing Show, held here in conjunction with the annual Summer Consumer Electronics Show June 3-6. Their agreement is subject to government and EO board and shareholder approval. The AT&T EO 440 and 880 are being demonstrated at the AT&T Consumer Products booth, No. 9000, McCormick East, at PCC. Rossman and Gordon Bridge, president of AT&T EasyLink Services, will jointly deliver the PCC keynote address Thursday morning.

Always in Touch

The EO is designed from the ground up for efficient person-to-person communications. For example, all EO users may subscribe to AT&T EasyLink Services’ AT&T Mail electronic mailbox, accessible through a toll-free 800 number in the United States, to send and receive electronic mail and faxes. And the hardware and software — which include a built-in high-speed modem, an on-board fax, an optional cellular phone connection and special applications for phone, fax and mail — are optimized for a wide variety of communications needs.

At the heart of the EO is an ideal platform for personal communicators consisting of the Hobbit microprocessor from AT&T Microelectronics and the PenPoint operating system from GO Corp. The “pen-and-paper” metaphor of GO Corp.’s PenPoint operating system provides a simple, intuitive interface, allowing users to enter information and control the personal communicator with familiar pen-based gestures. The device is the first to incorporate the high-performance Hobbit processor, which uses very little power and enables EO Personal Communicators to run on batteries for up to four hours. An optional extended-life battery pack provides up to seven hours of continuous service; batteries can be recharged in 90 minutes.

Complete System in a Ready-to-Go Package

Nine applications are bundled with the devices and reside along with the operating system in 8 MB ROM. They include programs for faxing, electronic mail and calculation, and the personal information management capabilities of PenSoft Personal Perspective such as note-taking, scheduling, and address book and to-do list management. In addition, a number of other programs, such as ink processing, graphics, and personal finance applications will be available for the EO.

The EO 440 features a cellular-ready, high-speed 14,400 bps V.32bis data modem with up to 38,400 bps throughput, and 9600 bps send/receive fax capability. A built-in microphone and speaker allow voice annotation of forms, documents, meeting notes and even calendar appointments. The optional cellular module enables both voice and data communication over a wireless network.

The EO 440 includes 4 MB or 8 MB of RAM, expandable to 12 MB. Other system features include a high-speed seri-al port and cable, allowing exchange of data with any IBM-compatible personal computer; and a parallel port that connects to popular laser and dot-matrix printers, or an optional 1.44 MB floppy drive. The device also features a communications port for optional cellular and other wireless modules, and an industry-standard type 2 PCMCIA slot for future expansion.

Price and Availability

Volume shipments of the AT&T EO 440 Personal Communicator began in April 1993. They are available now in various configurations at the following prices:

$1,999 (with 4 MB RAM)
$2,499 (with 4 MB RAM, internal modem)
$2,799 (with 8 MB RAM, internal modem)
$3,299 (above system with 20 MB hard disk)

The cellular module option is priced at $799, and the product comes with a one-year warranty. The AT&T EO 880 will be available later this summer. Additional information is available by calling EO’s toll-free number: 1-800-458-0880.

EO Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., was founded in 1991 by AT[T] Palo Alto, Calif.-based venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers; Matsushita and Marubeni. The partners contribute technical and marketing expertise and funding. In addition, EO has announced a strategic partnership with Olivetti, Europe’s leading computer manufacturer.

CONTACT:
AT&T
Kevin Compton, 408/452-3966 (work)
or 408/353-3883 (home)
(at CES: Booth 9000, McCormick East)
by
Access Public Relations, San Francisco
Mark Smotroff or Sharon Miller, 415/904-7070, ext. 270/272