DEMOfall 08, San Diego and Mountain View, CA, – September 8, 2008 – The
nascent electronic reader industry is poised for explosive growth beginning in 2009. But
current products in the category focus on leisure reading and ignore a large and untapped
market: business users. Today, before industry influencers at the DEMOfall 08
technology conference, Plastic Logic previewed a gamechanging
new device that brings a panoply of business information to your fingertips
with powerful tools to make people more productive and simplify their work lives.
Differentiated by a stunning form factor (the size of 8.5 x 11-inch paper), the Plastic
Logic reader features a big readable display. Yet it’s thinner than a pad of paper, lighter
than many business periodicals, and offers a high-quality reading experience - better than
alternatives of paper or other electronic readers on the market today.
“Research confirms professionals read much more business content than recreational
content. They require access to all formats of digital content at their fingertips, and want
a large readable screen,” said Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta.
The Plastic Logic reader supports a full range of business document formats, such as
Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, and Adobe PDFs, as well as newspapers,
periodicals and books. It has an easy gesture-based user interface and powerful software
tools that will help business users to organize and manage their information. Users can
connect to their information either wired or wirelessly and store thousands of documents
on the device. The reader incorporates E Ink technology for great readability and features
low power consumption and long battery life. The Plastic Logic reader is scheduled to
ship in the first half of 2009.
"The display is the key to the digital reading experience, and this is the key differentiator
that sets Plastic Logic's product apart," said DEMO Executive Producer Chris Shipley.
Core to the Plastic Logic product is its display. Current electronic reading devices feature
small displays that are based on fragile glass screens that negatively impact their bulk,
durability and weight. Plastic Logic has achieved a product that is the ideally sized for
business needs and robust enough to take the push and shove of daily usage, based on its
revolutionary plastic electronics display technology.
Revolutionary Plastic Electronics Technology
Plastic Logic’s display technology, first developed at Cambridge University, uses highresolution
transistor arrays on flexible plastic substrates, manufactured at a low
temperature. The promise of plastic electronics is to disintermediate the traditional silicon
based semiconductor industry with components and products that are lighter, less
expensive, and more environmentally friendly. Plastic electronics technology has broad
applicability across many markets. IDTechEx, an industry research group, estimates the
plastic electronics industry will be a $30 billion market by 2015.
“Plastic Logic is really innovating on two fronts that represent major market
opportunities. We have created fundamentally advanced plastic electronics technology,
enabling us to develop reading devices that will transform the way we publish, distribute
and consume content,” said Archuleta.
Plastic Logic’s go-to-market strategy will include direct e-commerce as well as
partnerships with publishing, distribution, retail, and other information services
companies.
The Company is also approaching another significant milestone in commercializing its
product with the opening of its new manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany on
September 17, 2008. The factory is the world’s first commercial-scale plastic electronics
manufacturing facility. It will begin to immediately ramp production on the Plastic Logic
reader.
“Plastic Logic has the technology to take a leadership position that could make a major
mark on the e-reading category. This is a Company to watch, ” said Tim Bajarin of
Creative Strategies.
Final pricing for the Plastic Logic reader will be announced when the product ships; the
Company expects it to be competitively priced among e-reading products. To stay tuned,
go to http://www.plasticlogic.com.
About Plastic Logic
Plastic Logic’s mission is to lead a revolution in the way people acquire, organize and
consume information. We are using our proprietary technology leadership in plastic
electronics to create a range of innovative products. Our first product, focused on reading
digital content, will enter the marketplace in early 2009.
Founded in 2000 by researchers out of the Cambridge University Cavendish Laboratory,
the Company has received more than $200 million in funding from leading international
technology firms and investors. Plastic Logic has research and development in
Cambridge, England, high-volume, state-of-the-art manufacturing in Dresden, Germany,
and executive management, product engineering, sales and marketing headquartered in
Mountain View, California. For more information please go to
http://www.plasticlogic.com.