Symbol Technologies Scan Engines a Key Component of Philips Hand-held Device That Allows Consumers to Shop At Home
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y.--Nov. 20, 2001--Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: SBL - news) announced today that it is partnering with Philips Components, a division of Philips Electronics of the Netherlands, to provide its high-performance scan engines for the new Philips home shopping device.
The Philips home shopping device, the HSD4000, will allow consumers to compile shopping lists of grocery items by simply scanning the bar codes of items then easily download the list to a local food retailer for pickup or home delivery. The technology allows time-starved consumers to dramatically shrink the shopping process, especially for items that are bought on a regular basis such as groceries, paper-based products, soap, detergents and favorite canned items.
Emerging Class of Consumer Devices
Philips believes the home shopping device, developed by its Remote Control Systems (RCS) business line, will be the first in a class of easy-to-use, ergonomic, display-based technology appliances designed to maximize home convenience, and will proliferate in the European and U.S. markets.
The device, light and small enough to fit in a pocket, includes a touch-screen display, graphical user interface, docking station to down- and upload data and charge the battery pack, and the Symbol SE 800 scan engine. The SE 800, which measures .2 cubic inches, offers high-performance, proven bar code scanning out to 30 inches and operates at 3.0 volts, requires little battery capacity. More than three million Symbol miniature scan engines are installed in global OEM devices, bringing proven bar code scanning to equipment such as blood analyzers, lottery machines and handheld devices, making it the defacto standard in scan engine technology.
``We at Philips RCS believe we`re at the front end of a trend to maximize convenience - like shopping for every day grocery items from home,`` said Wim Lemay, Business Development Manager, Philips Components RCS Group. ``Scanning is a vital part of our home shopping device. It`s got to be fast and reliable to scan first time and every time. That`s why we`re teaming with Symbol Technologies for their proven expertise in bar code scanning.``
``Philips is one of the world`s most recognized and respected names, especially when it comes to consumer technology, and their interest in the home shopping market indicates an area of great promise that will take hold and rapidly expand,`` said Bob Sanders, Vice President, Consumer Business Development, Symbol Technologies.
``The Philips home shopping device is part of an emerging class of consumer devices which provide ease and convenience. It allows consumers to select and build a shopping list from the point of activity, like the refrigerator and the pantry.``
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world`s biggest electronics companies and Europe`s largest, with sales of EUR 37.9 billion in 2000. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for televisions and monitors, and one-chip TV products. Its 192,000 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. News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com
Symbol Technologies, Inc., winner of the 1999 National Medal of Technology, is a global leader in mobile data transaction systems, providing innovative customer solutions based on wireless local area networking for data and voice, application-specific mobile computing and bar code data capture. Symbol`s wireless information appliances connect the physical world of people on the move, packages, paper and shipping pallets, to information systems and the Internet. Today, some 10 million Symbol bar code scanners, mobile devices and wireless LANs are utilized worldwide in markets ranging from retailing to transportation and distribution logistics, manufacturing, parcel and postal delivery, government, healthcare and education. Symbol`s systems and products are used to increase productivity from the factory floor to the retail store, to the enterprise and out to the home. Information about Symbol is available at www.symbol.com and 1-800-722-6234.
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