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QUALCOMM'S
New Eudora 4.3 Provides Industrial-strength Email for Free
New Sponsor-supported
Option Offers Added Choice for Millions of Email Users
SAN DIEGO - February
15, 2000 - QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leader in digital
wireless communications and advanced electronic messaging solutions
for the Internet, today announced the commercial release of a new
version of its popular Eudora® email program for Windows®
and Macintosh® users. The Eudora 4.3 release offers three
user-selectable modes, including a new sponsor-supported mode that
provides the full-featured program to consumers for free. The Sponsored
mode of Eudora includes all of the capabilities that were previously
available only in the retail version of the product known as Eudora
Pro® (suggested retail price $49.95). More than 250,000
users have downloaded and tested the preview beta release. The commercial
release of Eudora 4.3 can now be downloaded at no charge from www.eudora.com.
"Internet users'
email boxes are overflowing at work and at home," said Jeffrey
K. Belk, QUALCOMM vice president and general manager of QUALCOMM
Eudora Products. "The new Eudora helps people take control
of their email with a complete set of powerful, user-friendly features.
The response from users of our beta software release has been very
positive, and we expect larger numbers of Eudora Light users, as
well as users of other email packages, to upgrade in the coming
months."
Users Embrace the New
Sponsored Mode
Longtime Eudora loyalists
have expressed great satisfaction with the added capabilities now
available through the free Sponsored mode. According to David Cramer,
one of the many users who tested the beta release, "I can't
even think of anything to ask for in future versions, it is such
a satisfying product. The main new feature I enjoy in 4.3 over the
old Light version is the vastly improved interface for searching."
The Sponsored mode advertising
implementation has also been well received. In an MSNBC online poll
conducted during the first weeks of the 4.3 beta release, 65 percent
of all respondents said that they would be willing to accept advertising
in return for a free $50 piece of software. "I really like
it," said Jim Lane, another user of the Eudora 4.3 beta release.
"The way I have my page configured, the ads are in a 2.5 inch
square window on the left side, and every once in a while I see
something I want to look at further."
Added Choice: One Product
with Three Operating Modes
Eudora 4.3 can operate
in any of three user-selectable modes:
- Sponsored
mode:
This mode provides the full-featured Eudora desktop email program
at no charge, and includes free technical support (up to six calls
per year). The software displays a series of static onscreen advertisements
that do not interfere with the user's email workspace. The advertising
does not appear within the body of email messages. The free download
of Eudora installs in Sponsored mode.
- Paid mode:
When this mode is selected, Eudora guides the customer through
the payment process, then provides a registration code which can
be used to activate the full-featured version of the software
without advertising. QUALCOMM continues to sell Eudora through
major national computer retailers for customers who prefer to
purchase the box product, as well as direct at www.eudora.com
and through electronic retailers. When a customer purchases the
software at retail or via electronic download, Eudora installs
in Paid mode and does not display advertising. The suggested retail
price is $49.95, currently available with a $10 mail-in rebate
(rebate United States/Canada only). The Paid mode of Eudora 4.3
is a free upgrade for Eudora Pro 4.x customers.
- Light mode:
This mode does not include advertising, and costs nothing, but
it includes far fewer features and email management tools than
the Sponsored mode, which is also free of charge.
Powerful Features to
Manage Email Overload
U.S. consumer email volume
is expected to increase from 132 billion messages in 1999 to almost
432 billion in 2003, according to Jupiter Communications. To meet
this burgeoning email load, consumers need the powerful email management
tools Eudora offers in its Sponsored and Paid modes that allow them
to:
- Manage messages and
eliminate unwanted email easily through extensive filtering;
- Find messages quickly
with the powerful search function;
- Address emails quickly
and easily with automatic name completion;
- Manage multiple email
accounts easily and discretely within the single program;
- Work uninterrupted
by sending and receiving email in the background;
- Enjoy the advantages
of a word processor with automatic spell checking and the ability
to choose numerous font, formatting and color settings;
- Engage in more complete
communications through easy handling of attachments and the ability
to view styled text and graphics right in the body of a message.
A User-centric Design
Eudora's new Sponsored
mode is designed to accommodate advertising without compromising
the user experience. Ads appear one at a time in a window outside
the main message composition and reading area. QUALCOMM has implemented
strict guidelines to ensure that the advertising is not unnecessarily
distracting. No ads with sound or animation are allowed.
Protecting Privacy
QUALCOMM is also taking
steps to protect the privacy of personal information. Users are
not required to provide any up-front profiling information in order
to receive the new Eudora. Only a valid email address is needed
to register the product. On a purely voluntary basis, users will
be asked to profile themselves so that the advertising they receive
will be more relevant. This data will only be used for targeting
advertising. Users' personal information will not be shared with
advertisers. On installation, Eudora defaults to the Sponsored mode,
however the user always has the option of switching to the Paid
or Light mode.
Availability
Beginning today, Eudora
4.3 is available for download at www.eudora.com. QUALCOMM plans
to localize the new 4.3 release into other languages and introduce
the product into Europe and Japan later this year.
About Eudora
First developed by Internet
pioneer Steve Dorner in 1989-1990, Eudora email has been recognized
with more than 70 industry awards, and is now used by over 20 million
people worldwide. With the release of Eudora 4.3, QUALCOMM is once
again taking the lead in providing innovative Internet email solutions.
Going forward, the Company plans to expand both the functionality
and the reach of its Eudora product line by adding more useful features
and developing versions for emerging platforms such as wireless
devices and Internet appliances.
QUALCOMM Incorporated
(www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative
digital wireless communications products and services based on the
Company's CDMA digital technology. The Company's business areas
include integrated CDMA chipsets and system software; technology
licensing; Eudora® email software for Windows® and Macintosh® computing
platforms; and satellite-based systems including OmniTRACS® and
portions of the Globalstar system. Headquartered in San Diego,
Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 1999
FORTUNE 500® company traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol
QCOM.
Except for the historical
information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking
statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including
timely product development, the Company's ability to successfully
manufacture significant quantities of CDMA or other equipment on
a timely and profitable basis, and those related to performance
guarantees, change in economic conditions of the various markets
the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time
to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form
10-K for the year ended September 26, 1999, and most recent Form
10-Q.
###
QUALCOMM, OmniTRACS and
Eudora are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Globalstar
is a trademark of Loral QUALCOMM Satellite Services, Incorporated.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. Macintosh is
a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
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