Press Release
PHILIPS AND E INK COMMERCIALIZATION EFFORTS ON TRACK
High Resolution Electronic Ink Displays Targeted for Shipment Next Year
Cambridge, MA. - March 12, 2002 – E Ink Corporation, the leading developer of electronic ink technology for paper-like displays, and Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG), today announced the completion of the first phase of their JDA (joint development agreement) announced in February 2001. The two companies also stated their intent to commit additional spending and complete joint development and commercialization of high resolution electronic ink displays in mid-2003.
Philips made an investment in E Ink in February 2001, and started working together to jointly advance E Ink's research and development. Less than four months later, Philips and E Ink showcased their first display prototypes during the June 2001 Society for Information Display Symposium. Today's announcement marks substantial technical and commercial progress in the two companies' efforts to launch a joint Philips/E Ink display module product aimed at handheld devices such as electronic readers, PDAs and new mobile communication devices.
"Philips is leveraging its strengths in display technology and system architecture to help OEM customers create unique mobile products. In fact, we are already in design-in discussions with several leading customers," said Peter Hopper, CEO of Philips Components' Mobile Display Systems. "Electronic ink displays offer paper-like readability, are thin and light weight, and consume substantially less power than today's handheld displays. These attributes make them a perfect match for our vision of next-generation displays, particularly for smart handheld devices. We expect to be the first electronics company to bring this technology to market."
"We are excited to continue our positive relationship with Philips Components," said Jim Iuliano, president and CEO of E Ink. "Our two companies have worked together extensively over the past year to demonstrate the feasibility and appeal of active-matrix electronic ink displays. We completed the first phase, and are now ready to move into manufacturing and toward commercial launch."
About E Ink's Electronic Ink Technology
E Ink's electronic ink offers a paper-like look that provides three main benefits over traditional and emerging display technologies:
Readability: Because it contains the same coloring agents as normal ink and paper, electronic ink is more than six times brighter than reflective LCDs, exceeds newspapers in contrast ratio and reads easily in both dim light and full sunlight. Like paper, electronic ink displays have a clear image that can be seen at any angle without a change in contrast. In addition, special properties of the ink enable smoother text characters than many displays used today.
Ultra-Low Power: Electronic ink allows a fixed image to remain on the screen even after the power source is shut off, leading to dramatically longer battery life. The bright paper-white background of electronic ink also eliminates the need for a backlight in most lighting conditions. When commercialized, electronic ink displays will draw less than 1/10th the power required by other 'low power' display technologies commonly used in smart handheld devices, such as reflective LCDs. As a result, portable devices incorporating electronic ink displays could function with far smaller batteries, making them less expensive and more portable.
Thin, Light Flexible Form: Active-matrix electronic ink displays built using glass-based TFT arrays are expected to be 50 percent thinner and lighter than traditional LCD displays. Future products promise to be even thinner and lighter when glass substrates are replaced.
About Philips
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $28.8 billion (EUR 32.3 billion) in 2001. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Its 189,000 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges.
About E Ink Holdings
Founded in 1992 by Taiwan's leading papermaking and printing group YFY (1907.TW), E Ink Holdings Inc. "E Ink" (8069.TW) is the pioneer of TFT and ePaper business in Taiwan. Its corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences, and environmental benefits through advanced technology development. This vision has led to its continuous investments in the field of ePaper display as well as its 2008 acquisition of Hydis Technologies, manufacturer of the world's best wide viewing angle LCDs and its 2009 acquisition of E Ink Corp., the worldwide leader in ePaper. Listed in Taiwan's GreTai Securities Market and the Luxembourg market, E Ink is now the world's largest supplier of displays to the eBook market. For corporate information, please visit www.einkgroup.com; for EPD information, please visit www.eink.com / tw.eink.com; and for FFS information, please visit www.hydis.com.