October 4, 2004

VoiceAge Networks Acquires AMR-WB+ Licensing Rights

VoiceAge Corporation and VoiceAge Networks Corporation are pleased to announce the conclusion of a license agreement for the Extended AMR-WB (AMR-WB+) audio codec, a 3GPP ratified standard. The patent portfolio license provides VoiceAge Networks with patents essential to the speech and audio compression technologies that make up the AMR-WB+ codec. VoiceAge Networks is a developer of content creation and adaptation software that supports and exceeds the foremost standards for mobile-ready multimedia messaging.

As the License Agent for the AMR-WB+ patent pool, VoiceAge joined with Ericsson and Nokia, the other major patent contributors, to create the pool in August 2004. Through VoiceAge, the pool grants essential patent licenses and aims to accelerate product deployment by providing users of the AMR-WB+ codec with simplified access to the technology rights.

“We recognize the value that AMR-WB+ brings to mobile network operators, allowing them to offer new services to their subscribers while differentiating themselves from their competitors. We’re supporting AMR-WB+ within our product to provision operators who are ready to launch new voice, music, and mixed content services,” says Allan Benchetrit, Chief Operating Officer of VoiceAge Networks.

According to Laurent Amar, President of VoiceAge, “For hi-fi audio and mixed content such as voice plus music, AMR-WB+, an extension of AMR-WB, creates new opportunities for increasing revenue. It’s the only technology today that scales from low bit rate mono to high-quality stereo (‘approaching CD quality’) without sacrificing the user experience—and this translates into cost savings, customer retention, and a maximum ROI for operators.”

About AMR-WB+

Adopted as an audio codec standard in September 2004 by 3GPP, AMR-WB+ utilizes a hybrid of ACELP® and TCX technologies to deliver unsurpassed voice and audio for mixed content.

The AMR-WB+ codec has a wide bit-rate range from 6-48 Kbps. Mono rates are scalable from 6-36 Kbps, and stereo rates are scalable from 8-48 Kbps, reproducing bandwidth up to 20 KHz.

New hi-fi audio services

AMR-WB+ is the only technology that can provide exceptional user experience at very low bit rates and scale to near CD-quality. It’s a first-class technology for winning
broad-based acceptance of services that deliver speech, music, and sound effects, services that are functional and fun. What’s more, sound quality is not compromised even in networks where the bandwidth is limited. New hi-fi services can now be powered by AMR-WB+: ringtones, music downloads, PSS (packet-switched streaming), MMS (multimedia messaging services), and MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service).

The patent licensing fees for AMR-WB+ are published on the VoiceAge website here

About VoiceAge Networks

VoiceAge Networks is a leading vendor in the multimedia content adaptation market thanks to its carrier-grade product, SPOT xde® Server. Offering high availability, linear scalability, and great performance, SPOT xde® Server can be implemented as a central hub in the network and be used for all of the content adaptation needs of Mobile Network Operators and Content Service Providers. With broad transcoding matrices, excellent performance, and extremely efficient architecture and flexible configuration capabilities, SPOT xde® Server has become globally recognized as a leading solution for Mobile Operators.

VoiceAge Networks participates and supports such standards bodies as 3GPP, 3GPP2, and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), and proudly chairs the OMA sub-committee for the Standard Transcoding Interface (STI).

Visit VoiceAge Networks at http://www.voiceagenetworks.com.

About VoiceAge

VoiceAge is pleased to undertake the mandate of License Administrator on behalf of the Extended AMR-WB (AMR-WB+) Patent Pool. We also represent the AMR Narrowband Patent Pool. Our experience has well prepared us for the License Administrator role. As a spin-off of Sipro Lab Telecom, providers of licensing services to promote and transfer audio technologies, we directly benefit from their multidisciplinary expertise in the legal and commercial aspects of licensing.

We have direct, hands-on experience as the inventor and owner of the ACELP® proprietary portfolio of more than 300 granted patents and patent applications in the area of voice compression and low bit rate audio. Our ACELP® patented technology is at the foundation of AMR and has been deployed in more than one billion mobile phones and 500 million PCs worldwide.

Our expertise and practical experience also extend to the process of technology standardization. VoiceAge plays a key role in setting industry standards as an active member of several standards bodies including ITU-T, ETSI/3GPP, and 3GPP2.
Visit VoiceAge at http://www.voiceage.com.


Josée Benoit
VoiceAge Corporation
Tel: +1 514 737 4940, ext. 274
E-mail: josee.benoit@voiceage.com

Any product features, specifications or statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual product features, specifications or forward-looking statements are subject to change.

 

About France Loisirs

France Loisirs is the French book club division of DirectGroup Bertelsmann, and a retailer of books and multimedia in France, French-speaking parts of Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada (Quebec). France Loisirs has four million customer relationships and more than 220 retail outlets. The Company is a cornerstone part of DirectGroup Bertelsmann, which integrates Bertelsmann’s global media direct-to-customer businesses. Roughly 35 million customer relationships secure DirectGroup’s position among the largest enterprises in media commerce. DirectGroup Bertelsmann is a division of German-based Bertelsmann AG.

Audible, www.audible.com, AudibleListener, and AudibleReady are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.

Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible’s limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Josée Benoit
VoiceAge Corporation
Tel: +1 514 737 4940, ext. 274
E-mail: josee.benoit@voiceage.com

Any product features, specifications or statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual product features, specifications or forward-looking statements are subject to change.