Jim Parsons (NewTek)
(913) 228-8000
Hollie Wendt (Communications Consultant)
(408) 688-1193
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Las Vegas, NV -- NewTek, Inc. today announced that NewTek, Apple Computer, Inc., and Sun Microsystems Computer Company (SMCC) are exploring a relationship to develop a broad range of digital 3D animation and video production tools. The target audience for these tools will be the largest group of digital content creators, including professionals in feature and broadcast video, that purchase tools primarily in the $3,000 to $30,000 range.
According to Tim Jenison, Chairman and Founder of NewTek,
"This collaboration would unite the companies that currently lead the desktop video, desktop graphics, and Internet server markets. The resulting technology opportunities will enable us to create a new era of high-quality, low-cost, easy to use products for digital media creation that will benefit audiences from event videographers, to New York boardrooms, to Hollywood studios."
According to NewTek, technology sharing could be a key ingredient of the relationship. NewTek will support Apple's QuickDraw® 3D format for viewing changes to graphic objects in realtime. Used in conjunction with LightWave3Dô from NewTek, users of QuickDraw 3D gain a realtime shading capability that supports the creation of highly realistic animation. NewTek will also utilize Sun's Java® development language, which has been positioned as the "Internet language" based on its strengths in building applications and its ability to download software across a network in a secure manner.
Use of Java enables the development of digital media creation products designed for the Internet environment. Additional technology sharing could include NewTek's support for Apple's QuickTime® VR, use of NewTek tools by Sun and Apple to create OEM and turnkey solutions, exploration of future technologies in video production and related opportunities, and various co-marketing and sales activities.
One initial outcome of the relationship will be the port of NewTek's LightWave3D 5.0 animation system to Apple Power Mac® computers. The port will bring broadcast quality animation to a wide variety of business and educational applications, enhancing the ability of users to communicate ideas visually.
"Macintosh systems are leading platforms for creative applications in all markets -- education, business, publication, and entertainment," said Satjiv S. Chahil, Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing for Apple. "NewTek's product for the Macintosh platform promises many exciting applications in the area of digital content production."
Sun brings a large installed base in commercial markets, where visualization is a key component, to the relationship, as well as the Java development language. NewTek's choice of Java as a development language will take full advantage of the capabilities of the UltraSPARC (workstation and Ultra 1 Creator 3D Graphics Accelerator). Java's write-once-run-everywhere capability, along with its easy accessibility, have propelled the software and Internet communities to embrace it as a de facto standard for writing applications for complex networks.
"We expect that a technology-sharing relationship with NewTek will yield yet another explosion of Internet applications, this time in creating digital media tools. We're excited that a company such as NewTek, who has been involved in the creation of productions such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, The Simpsons, and GoldenEye, is embracing the Java technology," said Carl Wolf, Vice President Business Development for Sun.
LightWave 3D carries on the price/performance standard started by the Video Toaster®. At $1,495, LightWave 3D has the most comprehensive feature set of any 3D program, providing workstation performance at a PC price. Due to its unparalleled rendering quality and ease of use, LightWave 3D is the artist's choice for creating special effects for popular televisions shows, feature films, and commercials, as well as graphics for corporate videos, video games, print, and much more. LightWave 3D is available for Windows 95® and Windows NT® on Intel, DEC Alpha®, and MIPS®, as well as Silicon Graphics and Amiga® workstations.
Video Toaster is a registered trademark of NewTek, Inc.
LightWave 3D is a trademark of NewTek, Inc.
QuickTime VR is a registered trademark of Apple Computer.
PowerMac and QuickDraw 3D are trademarks of Apple Computer.
Java,UltraSPARC, and SPARC are trademarks of Sun Microsystems.
Amiga is a trademark of Amiga Technologies.
Windows 95 and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
DEC Alpha is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.
MIPS is a trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc.
UNIX is a registered trademark of UnixLabs.