From: hamills@fenris.com (Susan A Hamill)
Subject: EO Press Release
Organization: Fenris Information Exchange, Corvallis, Ore.
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 23:20:30 GMT

EO, Inc.
800 A East Middlefield Rd.
Mountain View, CA  94043
Telephone 415-903-8120
Facsimile 415-903-8190



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press contact:  Access Public Relations
Mark Smotroff/Sharon Miller
415-904-7070




EO

    EO, INC. ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH AT&T, MATSUSHITA, AND
MARUBENI TO BUILD FIRST PERSONAL COMMUNICATORS

     MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA-October 1, 1992-EO, Inc. today announced a
partnership with AT&T, Matsushita, and Marubeni to design, build
and market the first generation of a new class of products called
personal communicators.  These products are expected to
revolutionize person-to-person communications by combining the
power of cellular phones, fax machines, modems, and pen-based
computers into portable communications devices.  EO will announce
specific product plans by the end of the year.
     "Personal communicators provide users with an integrated
solution to keep in touch with their business associates
anywhere, anytime," said Alain Rossmann, CEO of EO, Inc. 
"Personal communicators integrate telephony, messaging, and
computing to create a compelling new device which will have as
much impact on person-to-person communications as the telephone
had in the early 1900's.  Their unique combination of
communications and computing capabilities make them the device of
choice to send and receive electronic messages and faxes, to
manage phone calls, to capture, analyze, and transmit
information, to edit and create documents, and to manage personal
information."
     "Over time, personal communicators will become accessible to
people everywhere." said Robert Kavner, group executive of
Communications Products, AT&T.  "They will be exceptionally
useful and versatile because they are being designed as
communicators that make use of computing capabilities, rather
than as computers which can also communicate."

Global partnership for both products and standards
     An integral part of EO's strategy is its partnerships with
AT&T, Matsushita, and Marubeni.  AT&T, the world leader in
communications, is providing key microelectronics components. 
Matsushita, the world's largest manufacturer of consumer
electronics under the Panasonic, Quasar, and Technics brands, is
providing advanced manufacturing and component technology and
high volume consumer electronics expertise.  Marubeni, one of the
world's most powerful trading companies, and its subsidiary
Marubeni America are providing global sourcing and distribution support.
     "Personal communicators will drive a new global industry."
commented Takashi Yamamoto, senior vice president and general
manager, Marubeni.   "Global partnerships and worldwide sourcing
will be key to success in this new industry."
     In addition to developing product, the partnership between
the four companies was created to define open standards for this
new industry.  "Our partners are market makers.  They are the
world leading companies in their respective fields and have the
market clout to make standards happen." noted Rossmann.
     The partners recognize that standardization around a core
set of technologies is key to attracting software vendors and
information providers to the personal communicator market.  The
partners have agreed to promote a platform centered around GO's
PenPoint operating system and AT&T's Hobbit microprocessor. 
Manufacturers are expected to announce their support for this
open personal communicator (OPC) platform within the next 12
months.
     EO intends to extend the partnership with AT&T, Matsushita
and Marubeni with a European partner.  This will complete a
global alliance with major partners in each of the largest
economic blocks, the United States, Japan and Europe.

Enormous market potential
     EO estimates that more than 100 million personal
communicators will be sold by the year 2000, representing $20
billion in annual device sales.  These estimates are driven by
the trend toward an increasingly mobile lifestyle, and by the
recent rapid growth of personal communications devices such as
fax machines, e-mail, cellular phones, and personal
communications services.

Advanced communications and computing technologies
     Several technical breakthroughs are enabling EO to develop
the first personal communicator.  Key technologies include AT&T
Microelectronics' Hobbit microprocessor, a high performance RISC-
based processor, and the PenPoint operating system for GO
Corporation.  Digital signal processing (DSP) technology provides
affordable, fast data communications.  Emerging standards in
wireless data communications will allow access of information
anytime, anywhere.  And improvements in electronic mail
technologies will make personal messaging more flexible and
easier to use.
     "We see this field evolving very quickly, noted Rossmann. 
"EO will continue to be on the leading edge of this new industry
by expanding the functionality and increasing the performance of
future EO personal communicators."
     EO, Inc. was founded in 1991 to produce and market personal
communicators.  The company has received funding from Kleiner
Perkins Caufield and Byers, AT&T, Matsushita, and Marubeni.  EO
employs approximately ninety people at its headquarters in
Mountain View and European Office in Cambridge, England.



EDITOR NOTE:  For more information, contact Mark Smotroff/Sharon
Miller at Access Public Relations, 101 Howard Street, 2nd Fl.,
San Francisco, CA  94105.  (415)904-7070, fax (415)904-7055.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.pen