HMV.com and Cycore use 3D music CDs to get online music shoppers under the cellophane

HMV.com and Cycore use 3D music CDs to get online music shoppers under the cellophane Interactive 3D technology brings music fans worldwide 'up close and personal' with today's up and coming new artists TORONTO, Canada, May 2, 2001 - HMV.com (www.hmv.com), a leading online provider of the world's best music, and Cycore, the leader in interactive 3D for e-business, have launched HMV.com Exposed into the third dimension. HMV's popular online gallery for new artists has been transformed with the addition of an interactive 3D showcase using Cycore Cult3D® technology. Now, music fans will be able to better experience new music before they buy on HMV.com. With the click of a mouse, music fans can interact in real time with each CD, flip open the CD cover, zoom in to read the music lyrics and much more. "Not only are we recreating the in-store experience online, but we're virtually removing the packaging for music fans to more closely explore new music," said Dan Winkley, Internet Content Manager, HMV North America. "Cycore's technology encourages music enthusiasts to sample new artists while giving them a tangible reason to shop online at HMV.com. Where else can they rip open a shrink-wrapped CD for a sneak peek of its contents?" Cycore develops and markets Cult3D® graphics software that enables the creation and viewing of fully interactive, premium-quality 3D objects and animations primarily for use on the Web, in Microsoft Office® programs such as PowerPoint®, and in Adobe Acrobat® documents. The free Cult3D viewer is available for download through the HMV and Cycore Web sites. "Cycore is thrilled to work with one of the world's leading music stores to deliver interactive content to its customers," said Ted Iannuzzi, CEO, Cycore Canada. "HMV.com is setting the stage for new artists with an application that truly uncovers their talents, and we are pleased to be a part of it." Since 1921, HMV has been instrumental in introducing new artists to music lovers throughout the world. Through HMV.com Exposed, the company has introduced such world-renowned artists as Macy Gray, The Dandy Warhols and Lincoln Park. Now, each month, a new gallery of up and coming artists will be featured on HMV.com Exposed in 3D. CD jacket features such as song lyrics, production notes, artist photographs and other valuable pieces of information can all be viewed and manipulated in real time, even over low-bandwidth dial-up connections. "We have been working closely with Cycore to develop a rich media solution that gives our online customers the high-quality, pioneering content they have come to expect from HVM.com," said Winkley. "New music fans are more willing to make an online purchase when they have a better feel for the band's songs, image, and aesthetic; interactive 3D tells the whole story." To view HMV Exposed 3D solutions, visit www.hmv.com and click on "HMV Exposed". About HMV.com HMV.com, launched in July 1999, offers Canada's largest on-line selection of music and entertainment, including more than 300,000 CDs, videos and DVDs. HMV.com's mission is to provide consumers with the best music selection in the world as well as top-notch fulfillment and customer service. HMV.com is committed to offering consumers a complete entertainment experience by offering easy on-line shopping, and by bringing musicians and their music to fans through live webcasts and downloads, artist biographies, CD reviews, and exclusive interviews. HMV.com provides more audio samples, CD graphics, liner notes and reviews than any other Canadian on-line music store. In March 2000, HMV.com was named first-ever Music "E-tailer of the Year" by the Canadian music industry. This prestigious award recognizes how HMV.com is helping change the way Canadians buy music. Check out http://www.hmv.com About Cycore Cycore is the leader in interactive 3D software for e-business. Cycore Cult3D® software is an award winning product visualisation technology used on Web sites, in Microsoft Office® documents and in Adobe® Acrobat® files, to help e-businesses increase online sales, enhance sales presentations and improve customer service. More than 300 brand name companies, including Palm, NEC, CNN, ABB and Toyota use Cult3D on their Web sites. To date the number of Cult3D viewer downloads exceeds 6 million. The company was founded and maintains headquarters in Sweden, with offices in the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany. Sales were 17.7 million SEK for 2000. For further information please visit http://www.cycore.com. For more information please contact: Rick Hall at ITPR (Cycore) Tel: (416) 642-6359 E-MAIL: rick@itpr.com and/or Tim at Strategic Objectives Inc. (HMV) Tel: (416) 366-7735 E-MAIL: tgallant@strategic-objectives.com Cult3D is a registered trademark of Cycore. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/02/20010502BIT01500/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/02/20010502BIT01500/bit0001.pdf