Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ:IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology (http://www.immersion.com/corporate/), today announced more than 25 million mobile phones have been sold worldwide featuring Immersion's renowned haptic technology. In the second quarter of 2008 alone, more than 7 million handsets shipped with Immersion's VibeTonz® platform, double the number that shipped in the previous quarter.
Market movers such as Samsung and LG are incorporating Immersion's touch feedback system into their devices to enhance the consumer's experience with a variety of mobile applications from games to alerts. More than 90 different handsets have shipped with VibeTonz haptic technology around the world.
"With 15 years experience creating new touch sensations for every imaginable consumer and industrial device, Immersion is thrilled to hit this important milestone in sales of haptics-based mobile handsets worldwide," said Immersion CEO Clent Richardson. "This achievement validates our strategy and belief that the future of the human-machine interface is all about touch. Immersion is uniquely positioned to continue delivering on the promise of a truly touch-based digital world."
Increasingly, mobile phones are becoming a hub for infotainment and communications as mobile customers look for devices that can keep them connected, informed and entertained. As handset manufacturers seek innovative ways to differentiate and drive demand for their products, they are realizing that touch feedback can provide the most enriching, powerful, and prolific experiences for their end users.
Maximizing the sense of touch, Immersion's VibeTonz platform lets mobile phone manufacturers and content developers embed touch sensations in the handset user interface, media, and applications. For example, end users can feel:
* Exhilarating mobile game experiences similar to that found in console games
* Movie trailers that allow mobile users to feel action sensations such as explosions
* Unmistakable confirmation in response to touchscreen, keypad, and button presses
* Unique Caller IDs with distinct vibrations that reveal who is calling even when sound is turned off
Thanks to the richness and depth of these touch experiences, Immersion has seen significant growth in the widespread use of its haptic technology in a new generation of mobile handsets worldwide. These include the popular Prada, Voyager, Venus, and Dare phones by LG as well as Samsung's Anycall "Haptic" phone, Instinct, Omnia, and Soul. Additionally, the special edition "Samsung Olympic Phone" SGH-i688 used Immersion's technology to help Olympic officials and VIPs follow all of the action of the recent Olympic games in China.
About Immersion (www.immersion.com)
Founded in 1993, Immersion Corporation is the recognized leader in developing, licensing, and marketing digital touch technology and products. Using Immersion's advanced touch feedback technology (http://www.immersion.com/corporate), electronic user interfaces are more compelling, entertaining, and in many applications, safer and more productive. Immersion's technology has helped manufacturers develop innovative and creative solutions for products such as hundreds of video games and leading video console gaming systems, medical training simulators installed around the world, driver controls for automotive manufacturers, and mobile phones, such as those from LG and Samsung. Immersion's patent portfolio includes over 700 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of Immersion Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
All statements, other than the statements of historical fact, are statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements, including any projections of earnings, revenues, or other financial matters; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning the breadth of and timeline to implement touch feedback technology into handset models or touchscreens or into games or other content; any statement regarding the release of VibeTonz-enabled handsets; any statements regarding consumer response that may occur as a result of having touch feedback in handsets or content or consumer and market acceptance of force feedback products in general; proposed products or services; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; statements of belief; and any statement or assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Immersion's actual results might differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with our business which include, but are not limited to, delay in or failure to achieve commercial demand for our products or a delay in or failure to achieve the acceptance of force feedback as a critical user experience.
For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in our most current Form 10-Q, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect our beliefs and predictions as of the date of this release. We disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of financial, business, or any other developments occurring after the date of this release.
Immersion, the Immersion logo, and VibeTonz are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.