Vizrt wins Tender of CCTV News
Bergen, Norway, May 23, 2005. Vizrt Ltd. (Frankfurt Prime Standard, Oslo Main List: VIZ), announces today the closing of a contract with China's national broadcaster China Central Television CCTV, worth approximately 800,000 US-Dollar. The deal is the largest sale for Vizrt since entering into the Chinese market at the beginning of last year.
CCTV News' goal is to elevate its TV news output to a new visual level and therefore it has chosen to provide the channel with a complete Vizrt graphics production system. The order calls for a comprehensive range of products including Viz|Trio 3D character generators, a Viz|Content Pilot template graphics system for journalists' input, 3D maps, a live Viz|Weather forecasting system, and a continuous 3D Viz|Ticker system rendering live news updates.
The system will be installed in Beijing and will be fully integrated with an existing newsroom system and an automation system. The Viz|Content Pilot clients for template graphics will be available to CCTV's journalists and several studios will direct their production playout through Viz|Trio character generators, each using powerful Viz|Engine real-time 3D renderers. Viz|Artist will be the graphics design tool for all the animations.
Bjarne Berg, President and CEO of Vizrt, believes a contract with China's biggest broadcaster represents another breakthrough for the company: "CCTV reaches more than 84 percent of the total population of China, with regular viewership figures of 900 million, which is the largest in the world. It is an honour for us to be associated with a project that will have such a dramatic effect on news programs reaching so many people. We expect that once our graphics style becomes more widely seen in China, it will demonstrate the level of graphical quality that can be achieved in real-time and will start a trend for other broadcasters in the region, to follow," concluded Mr. Berg.
Penetrating the Chinese TV graphics market has been one of the main goals for Vizrt this year, Vizrt's office in Beijing went fully operational at the beginning of this year.
About Vizrt:
Vizrt is a public company traded on the Frankfurt Prime Standard and on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154). Vizrt is the world's leading provider of real-time 2D and true 3D broadcast graphics. The company's software suite offers a complete graphics solution including: character generation, content management and newsroom integration, 3D tickers, virtual studio, weather data integration, virtual sports analysis, information display and virtual effects. All Vizrt's graphics products are powered by a single core renderer, the unique and powerful Viz|Engine. Vizrt's graphics solution goes beyond the visual aspect and includes-- highly customized user interfaces for the designer, operator, journalist and engineer.
The world's leading broadcasters, such as CNN, CBS, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today and NHK, use Vizrt's solutions in conventional digital and high definition content delivery. Production houses and corporate institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange, are Vizrt customers.
CCTV News' goal is to elevate its TV news output to a new visual level and therefore it has chosen to provide the channel with a complete Vizrt graphics production system. The order calls for a comprehensive range of products including Viz|Trio 3D character generators, a Viz|Content Pilot template graphics system for journalists' input, 3D maps, a live Viz|Weather forecasting system, and a continuous 3D Viz|Ticker system rendering live news updates.
The system will be installed in Beijing and will be fully integrated with an existing newsroom system and an automation system. The Viz|Content Pilot clients for template graphics will be available to CCTV's journalists and several studios will direct their production playout through Viz|Trio character generators, each using powerful Viz|Engine real-time 3D renderers. Viz|Artist will be the graphics design tool for all the animations.
Bjarne Berg, President and CEO of Vizrt, believes a contract with China's biggest broadcaster represents another breakthrough for the company: "CCTV reaches more than 84 percent of the total population of China, with regular viewership figures of 900 million, which is the largest in the world. It is an honour for us to be associated with a project that will have such a dramatic effect on news programs reaching so many people. We expect that once our graphics style becomes more widely seen in China, it will demonstrate the level of graphical quality that can be achieved in real-time and will start a trend for other broadcasters in the region, to follow," concluded Mr. Berg.
Penetrating the Chinese TV graphics market has been one of the main goals for Vizrt this year, Vizrt's office in Beijing went fully operational at the beginning of this year.
About Vizrt:
Vizrt is a public company traded on the Frankfurt Prime Standard and on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154). Vizrt is the world's leading provider of real-time 2D and true 3D broadcast graphics. The company's software suite offers a complete graphics solution including: character generation, content management and newsroom integration, 3D tickers, virtual studio, weather data integration, virtual sports analysis, information display and virtual effects. All Vizrt's graphics products are powered by a single core renderer, the unique and powerful Viz|Engine. Vizrt's graphics solution goes beyond the visual aspect and includes-- highly customized user interfaces for the designer, operator, journalist and engineer.
The world's leading broadcasters, such as CNN, CBS, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today and NHK, use Vizrt's solutions in conventional digital and high definition content delivery. Production houses and corporate institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange, are Vizrt customers.
| Bjarne Berg | Ofra Brown | SCHWARZ Financial Communication |
| President CEO | CFO | Frank Schwarz |
| +47 9055 7711 | +972 54 4955225 | +49 611 2058 095 |
This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of Vizrt and its affiliates. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of Vizrt's management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties relate to changes in technology and market requirements, the company's concentration on one industry, decline in demand for the company's products and those of its affiliates, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, and loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of the company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Vizrt undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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