MarketTools, Cycore partner to advance online concept testing and accelerate product innovation

MarketTools, Cycore partner to advance online concept testing and accelerate product innovation Technology collaboration brings photo-realistic interactive 3D to a leading online market research application TORONTO, ON and MILL VALLEY, CALIF.- October 29, 2001 Cycore, the market leader in interactive 3D for e-business and MarketTools, Inc., the leading provider of Web-based market research technology, today announce a partnership to co-develop, market and sell their technology solutions. The two companies have agreed to integrate Cycore's market-leading Cult3D software with the MarketTools' zTelligence research platform to enable researchers to present realistic, 3D images within online research studies for the first time. Now, companies can accelerate product innovation and introduce successful products to market faster by incorporating 3D models into online product concept tests-collecting more accurate data affordably and in less time. "MarketTools immediately recognized the added potential Cult3D could bring to our state-of-the-art online market research platform," said Walter Good, senior vice president of corporate business development, MarketTools. "Incorporating 3D capabilities into the zTelligence online market research platform lets survey respondents evaluate a more realistic product online, and produces valuable data for market researchers. MarketTools clients such as Procter & Gamble have already discovered the value 3D product models can bring to their online research initiatives." Preliminary online focus group testing done by Procter & Gamble has shown Cult3D as the software solution for bringing photo-realistic product visualization to Web-based research. "In conjunction with zTelligence, Procter & Gamble is using Cycore's Cult3D for Internet consumer research as a better way to show new product concepts and packaging," said Stan Joosten, IT manager, corporate consumer & market knowledge, Procter & Gamble. "We found that we can get much better feedback from consumers using a life-like, interactive Cult3D model than a picture with a lengthy description. An overwhelming 95% of the participants agreed that this was a better, if not the best, way to experience a new product concept on the Internet. And the proof was in the research results, with consumer comments that were as rich as the results of a focus group conducted with a mock-up product." According to Joosten, Cult3D's compatibility and synergy with the MarketTools platform was a key factor in deciding to use 3D for market research. The zTelligence Real-Time Research PlatformTM is a fully integrated Web- based market research solution that combines panel management, survey technology, and knowledge management capabilities onto one robust platform so companies have all the tools they need to dramatically reduce project cycle times and research costs, and bring products to market faster. Cycore develops and markets graphics software that enables the creation and viewing of fully interactive, high-quality 3D objects and animations primarily for use on the Web, in Microsoft Office® programs such as PowerPoint®, and in Adobe Acrobat® documents. Support for Cult3D within the zTelligence platform will enable seamless integration of both technologies and ensure mutual clients are able to quickly and easily adopt the joint solution. "The adoption of zTelligence by leading brand name companies like Procter & Gamble is proof positive of MarketTools' leadership in the online market research space and we are pleased that they chose to work with us in integrating 3D into their already powerful solution set," said Bengt Starke, CEO, Cycore. "Major corporations have already seen dramatic results by incorporating 3D into all areas of business-from product concept to customer service. Using 3D for market research is a logical extension that will allow companies to maximize their technology investment. MarketTools and Cycore's combined clients will now be able to seamlessly leverage the two technologies to innovate new market research solutions and see a significant return on investment for these solutions." About MarketTools MarketTools is the premier provider of Web-based market research technology services and solutions. MarketTools has established the standard platform for online market research for Global 2000 companies, transforming online research from an "interesting experiment" into an indispensable tool. The MarketTools platform enables clients to automate and systematize key elements of the market research process, resulting in dramatically reduced cycle times and reduced costs. More information is available at www.markettools.com. For editorial information, please contact Bethany Weiss, 415-928-1796 , bethanyj@pacbell.net. 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 400 brand name companies, including Ericsson, NEC, CNN, ABB and Toyota use Cult3D on their websites. To date the number of Cult3D viewer downloads exceeds 10 million. The company was founded and maintains headquarters in Sweden, with offices in the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany. For further information please visit http://www.cycore.com. For editorial information, please contact Jennifer Arsenault, 416-408- 0081, Jennifer.arsenault@cycore.com ### Cult3D is a registered trademark of Cycore. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2001 MarketTools, Inc. All rights reserved. MarketTools, zTelligence, and the corporate logo are trademarks of MarketTools, Inc. 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