Instant Effects Expands Product Family Based on Customer Demand for Advanced Media Presentation Capabilities

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2005--

Customers and Partners Endorse Instant Effects' New Products, OfficeFX(R) V2 and OfficeFX Professional

Instant Effects, Inc. today announced new product developments to create and deliver stunning 3D presentations from within the presentation standard already mastered by millions, Microsoft(R) PowerPoint(R). Expanding the product family, Instant Effects announced the latest version of its flagship product OfficeFX, for use by consumers, educators and business presenters, and also unveiled OfficeFX Professional. Based on direct customer feedback, OfficeFX Professional was developed specifically for event production firms and specialty graphics houses seeking a cost effective way to include dynamic 3D media and video in their presentation projects without having to shift from the design and authoring tools they currently use.

OfficeFX is the first general productivity application that enables mainstream computer users to apply the full, real-time media power of DirectX 9 and modern graphics hardware to the task of creating more compelling and effective presentations. In conjunction with the latest graphics processing unit (GPU) offerings from ATI Technologies and NVIDIA Corporation, OfficeFX instantly replaces the flat and static characteristics of traditional PowerPoint with the dynamic 3D look of a network broadcast, combined with the non-linear and interactive behaviors of a contemporary computer game.

For consumers, educators and business presenters, OfficeFX is an inexpensive and simple to use application that quickly gives messages polish and impact. For marketers and event production houses, OfficeFX Professional brings a unique new level of media integration that combines traditional text and imagery with audio, video, and 3D content, in a system that is open, absorbs changes instantly and does not require learning new tools.

New to market, OfficeFX Professional enables event production firms and digital artists to integrate both streaming and live video directly within the 3D elements of a presentation. This unique blending of media not only offers new visual effects opportunities, it also saves money. Utilizing Instant Effects' technology, users can drive maximum leverage from the significant advances happening in graphics hardware, all from the power of their laptop. High profile events that incorporate multiple media types have historically required expensive equipment and specialized operators. Those events can now be completed for a fraction of the price with a single computer and OfficeFX Professional. Furthermore, finished presentations can be easily converted into high quality video for convenient distribution. With the product digital artists gain access to utilities that work with industry standard 3D authoring tools to enable creation of custom OfficeFX templates, called FXThemes(TM).

Customers and Partners Alike Support Instant Effects

"OfficeFX Professional opens up a whole new world of possibilities for presentations. It enables our design team to create an exciting and completely new dynamic of active dimensional graphics for our clients," said Martin Brinkerhoff, president of MBA. "The unique integration of video and 3D in OfficeFX Professional defines a new creative landscape for us to explore, without requiring that we shift from the flexible and efficient authoring tools we currently use -- very cool!"

"By leveraging the leading edge graphics capabilities of ATI powered systems, OfficeFX provides a revolutionary new media solution for driving brand awareness and message impact from one-on-one sales presentations, to the highest end corporate events," said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, PC Business Unit, ATI Technologies Inc. "ATI uses OfficeFX widely in its own presentations, because the compelling graphics showcase the potential of our products."

"Our customers are publicly traded companies and government agencies looking for professionalism in the partners that provide their vital services," said Paul Wharton, COO of Covenant Technology, Inc. "Presentations powered by OfficeFX capture the imagination, focus the attention, and reinforce our firm's image as a pioneer in off-site data storage, disaster recovery and business continuity."

"OfficeFX Professional allows us to present the advantages of our custom medical gas delivery solutions in a uniquely powerful format that incorporates still imagery, video, and even interactive 3D models," says Elliot Correa, president at Medical Designs, Inc. "With OfficeFX Professional we are able to communicate the benefits of our designs more clearly and completely."

Pricing, Availability & Requirements

OfficeFX and OfficeFX Professional are available for purchase from Instant Effects at www.instanteffects.com. MSRP for OfficeFX is US $149.95; OfficeFX Professional MSRP is US $649.95. OfficeFX V2 and OfficeFX Professional require a DirectX8.1 or 9 level GPU with at least 64Mb of dedicated texture memory.

About Instant Effects, Inc.

Instant Effects develops software that enables mainstream computer users to easily create interactive rich media from within popular productivity applications or through access to common data sources. The company's mission is to simplify high-quality rich media creation and broaden its applicability and use. Instant Effects, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. For more information, please visit: www.instanteffects.com.