| Ulead
and Nova Development Announce New Partnership and
Release of PhotoImpact Pro 8.5 to North American Retail Channel
Torrance, CA - January 15, 2004 - Ulead Systems, a
leading developer of video, image, and DVD creation software,
and Nova Development, a worldwide developer and publisher
of consumer graphics and personal productivity software, are
pleased to announced the release of PhotoImpact Pro 8.5, the
North American retail edition of Ulead’s flagship image
editing software. PhotoImpact Pro offers all of the functionality
provided in PhotoImpact XL, (which Ulead will continue to
sell on its website and to OEM, education, government and
corporate channels) but adds several key features and bonus
software components. PhotoImpact Pro 8.5 is now available
in North American retail software stores at an estimated street
price of $99.95.
"With its solid reputation for success in the retail
channel, Nova was a perfect fit for giving PhotoImpact a larger
presence on store shelves,” said Lewis Liaw, president
of Ulead Systems, North America. “While Nova serves
as our retail marketing and publishing arm, Ulead is still
very much committed to developing new technology, in addition
to selling and supporting PhotoImpact in non-retail channels."
PhotoImpact Pro 8.5 remains the most complete image editing
solution under $100 for digital photography, graphic design
and web page creation for the home, the workplace and school.
It offers the same advanced features as Ulead’s recently
introduced PhotoImpact XL, including new learning materials,
striking filters and effects, and useful basic and high-end
photo correction tools. This enhanced retail version distributed
by Nova offers additional value with the inclusion of Alien
Skin’s Xenofex 2 filters (a $129 retail value), 250
free Corbis Images, 5,000+ photo objects and a free book on
mastering digital photography. While PhotoImpact Pro offers
new enhancements for digital photography, the software maintains
PhotoImpact’s extensive and powerful features for graphic
design and web page creation.
"Ulead excels at bringing what were once considered
complicated image editing features and technology to every-day
consumers with unprecedented simplicity,” said Roger
Bloxberg, CEO of Nova Development. “We’re excited
to work with Ulead to help make this well-respected image
editor more accessible to the general public via our strength
in retail channel marketing and our broad retail distribution
network."
About PhotoImpact Pro
PhotoImpact Pro 8.5 makes it easy to acquire, enhance and
apply professional digital photography filters and effects
to photos. There is no need to purchase additional photo album
software, as PhotoImpact Pro includes Photo Explorer 8 to
organize and manage images with useful features such as memory
card detection, auto-file rename, and keyword search and rating.
The software offers new learning materials such as an in-depth
45-minute, 13-chapter video tutorial and seven hands-on project
lessons. It includes ExpressFix™, a step-by-step intelligent
photo correction wizard that suggests how to fix common photo
problems including improper exposure, incorrect color balance,
and out-of-focus photos. Users can add artistic flare to photos
with a variety of new digital photography effects including
Sunlight, Diffraction (rainbow), and Multivision filters as
well as a unique effect for creating realistic moons. PhotoImpact
Pro includes advanced photography features such as a High
Dynamic Range tool that extends the tonal range of a photo
to make it closer to the natural luminescence perceived by
the human eye.
At the same time, PhotoImpact Pro provides a wide-range of
graphic design options including painting, drawing and cloning
tools, as well as particle, texture and lighting effects and
unique tools to create 2D/3D vector graphics. Of equal importance,
PhotoImpact Pro delivers a full set of web tools for creating
web graphics such as buttons, background and banners as well
as interactive JavaScript effects, web slideshows and animation.
It can even output completely functional web pages. To complement
the software’s web tools, PhotoImpact Pro comes with
GIF Animator 5 for creating web animations, COOL 360 for generating
360-degree panoramas, and an eBay photo macro that automatically
resizes graphics to fit within eBay ad specifications.
Nova Development
Based in Southern California, Nova Development is a market
leader in personal and small business productivity software
for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms with a number
of digital imaging and print creativity products. Now among
the top four imaging and graphics publishers in the United
States (source: NPD Techworld), Nova has a history of providing
new technologies that consistently expand the uses of desktop
computers for a variety of users, from home to school to business.
For more information, call (800) 395-NOVA (6682). Or visit
Nova Development on the Web at www.novadevelopment.com.
Ulead Systems
Ulead Systems, Inc. is a leading developer of innovative video,
imaging and graphics software for desktop, server, mobile
and Internet platforms. As more people use digital technologies
at home, at school and in the workplace, Ulead software empowers
users of all levels with the tools to easily and affordably
personalize, manage and share digital content. For more information
on the company, its products and services, please visit Ulead’s
website at www.ulead.com or call 800-85-ULEAD (800-858-5323).
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For Press/Analyst Inquiries, Contact:
Sharna Brockett
ext. 162
sharna@ulead.com
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