10/9/2001 6:47:00 AM
<![CDATA[BOTHELL, Wash., Oct 9, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Dr. Andrew Viterbi, a co-founder
of QUALCOMM, and a world renowned expert in the areas of digital wireless
communications systems and products, has joined Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS)
as a special advisor to the company's executive management team and board of
directors.
Viterbi co-founded QUALCOMM Incorporated in 1985 and served as its chief
technical officer until 1996 before retiring as vice chairman last year. He is
currently president of the Viterbi Group, a San Diego-based technical advisory
and investment firm.
Widely recognized for his contributions to QUALCOMM’s core technologies of
satellite and terrestrial digital wireless communications, Viterbi is considered
an important and influential figure in the communications industry. He was
central to the development of Qualcomm’s CDMA technology for wireless
communications and evangelized the technology throughout the world. The Viterbi
algorithm is used in the vast majority of digital wireless phones, data
terminals and digital satellite broadcast receivers, as well as in such diverse
applications as magnetic recording, speech recognition and DNA sequence
analysis.
“Today’s wireless internet devices are limited by their small display screens,”
said Viterbi. “A key remaining ingredient for making wireless data communication
and mobile Internet a reality is a viable display technology for portable
devices. Microvision’s retinal scanning display offers a unique and innovative
solution to meet the challenging mix of cost, performance and miniaturization
required for this kind of application. My hope is that the company and its board
of directors can benefit from my perspective on the future of wireless
communications and the dynamics of this rapidly evolving marketplace.”
Retinal scanning display technology can be a powerful enabler for mobile data
communication because it will eliminate the current compromise between the small
size of mobile devices and the desire to view digital content on a full format
display, according to Rick Rutkowski, Microvision CEO. Mobile products
incorporating its technology would allow users to flip up a small lens at the
base of a phone or wear a lightweight headset to have the experience of looking
at an image with the size and quality of a laptop or desktop monitor.
Unlike alternative solutions that project images from a miniaturized screen,
Microvision’s display uses a single tiny mirror to scan a low-power beam of
colored light across the eye, creating the effect of viewing a full-size screen.
Because of the device’s simplicity and small size, the company believes that it
can deliver more performance at a lower cost versus competing miniature
displays.
“Dr. Viterbi is one of the true visionaries in the communications world, and
Microvision is indeed fortunate to have the advantage of his extraordinary
expertise, experience and unique perspective,” said Rutkowski. “We are embarking
on an aggressive campaign to deliver a low-cost implementation of our technology
to leaders in the wireless communications industry during the next two years and
Dr. Viterbi has already provided strategic insights and direction that will be
exceptionally valuable.”
Prior to co-founding QUALCOMM, Viterbi co-founded LINKABIT Corporation in 1968,
where he served as executive vice president and later as president. Viterbi has
spent equal portions of his career in academia as professor in the Schools of
Engineering first at UCLA and then at UCSD, at which he is now professor
emeritus.
A member of both the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, he served
on President Clinton’s Information Technology Advisory Committee and the Board
of Trustees of the University of Southern California. Viterbi has received
numerous awards for his leadership and contributions to the telecommunications
industry and communications theory and practice.
About Microvision
Headquartered in Bothell, Wash., Microvision, Inc. is the developer of the
patented retinal scanning display technology and a world leader in micro
miniature optical scanning technology for display and imaging applications. The
company’s technology has application in a broad range of military, medical,
industrial, professional and consumer information products. Additional
information can be found at the company’s Web site at http://www.mvis.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
The information set forth in this release includes “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. Certain
factors that realistically could cause results to differ materially from those
projected in the company’s forward-looking statements are set forth in the
company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Microvision
Matt Nichols (media), mattn@mvis.com
Brian Heagler (investors), brian_heagler@mvis.com
425/415-6847
or
Parker LePla
Randy Balogh, 206/285-5280
randyb@parkerlepla.comURL: http://www.businesswire.com
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