 |
|
      
|
|
NAPSTER TEAMS WITH IMATION AND CASE LOGIC TO PROVIDE NEW DIGITAL MUSIC
EXPERIENCE FOR CONSUMERS AT TARGET STORES NATIONWIDE AND AT TARGET.COM
Napster Signs Multi-Year Strategic License Agreements with Imation and Case Logic; Exclusive Napster-Brand Products to Launch at Target Stores Nationwide Feb. 15; Imation Blank Media to Anchor Offerings LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2004) - Napster (Nasdaq: ROXI), a division of Roxio, Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN), a worldwide leader in removable data storage media, and Case Logic, Inc., a leading supplier of storage, protection and organization solutions for personal technology, will announce a strategic partnership with Target Stores, in a teleconference today at 1pm CST, that will revolutionize the digital music world by bringing the complete Napster online music experience to the retail shelf and online. For details to join the teleconference, see below. Beginning Feb. 15 at Target stores nationwide and at target.com, the companies will launch the first "one-stop shop" where consumers can find everything they need for a complete digital music experience, including pre-paid Napster download cards, a Napster 2.0 and Roxio software pack, blank Napster-brand optical products from Imation that feature unique promotional codes for redeeming free music downloads, and Napster-brand CD cases from Case Logic. "The goal of our strategic licensing agreement is to offer the ultimate digital music experience by partnering with the top companies in each field - Imation in blank media, Case Logic in soft case solutions, InComm in pre-paid cards, Roxio in burning software, and Target as the first national retailer to offer the entire line. This agreement not only provides music enthusiasts access to the largest online music library, but also enables them to easily enhance their experience with the best storage media and accessories available," said Mike Bebel, president and chief operating officer of Napster. "Napster, Roxio, Imation and Case Logic worked with Target to design an assortment of products that will appeal to both experienced music downloaders as well as novices. This is an important first step in bringing the richest music experience to a larger audience and Target is the ideal venue to reach customers." "Target always strives to bring our guests new technologies and innovative products," said Steve Eastman, vice president of merchandising, Target Stores. "The Napster line offers a great combination of options to obtain and store music - from pre-paid download cards to CDs to storage cases. This partnership provides quick and easy access to high-quality digital music at an exceptional value - a solution our guests expect from Target and target.com." "Music is the number one reason why consumers purchase blank CDs, and Napster represents the highest-quality online music service available. This partnership will help bring online music to millions of users and offers unique value for all of our customers," said Dave Ferraresi, vice president and general manager, Imation’s Personal Storage Media business. "Imation is committed to delivering high-quality, premium-brand optical media for customers to better manage and store their digital information. By using Napster-brand CDs for their online music downloads, consumers can expect high-quality, reliable results and trust that their favourite music will always last." "More and more consumers are building their music catalogs through online music services such as Napster. In fact, online music sales are forecasted to reach $3.3 billion by 2008, just more than 25 percent of the total U.S. music spending," said Cedric van der Straten, vice president of global products and marketing, Case Logic. "All of that music will fill a large number of CDs. Case Logic provides a simple, stylish way to organize, protect and carry the CDs consumers create online, as well as their players." In addition, Napster will also be featured on target.com. Target guests will be able to join Napster 2.0 through a link on Target’s Web site, www.target.com/napster, available mid-February, or within target.com’s music section. Target.com will be the first online retailer to carry all Napster-related products. Napster 2.0 raises the bar for online music. It enables fans to freely sample the world’s largest and most diverse online collection of music, featuring over half a million songs. The revolutionary, easy-to-use interface allows users to quickly and easily download tracks, transfer songs to portable devices or burn them to CDs for just 99 cents per track or $9.95 per album. In addition to the free online magazine, Billboard charts, music videos and song clips, consumers can e-mail tracks to friends or browse other members’ collections. Serious music fans have the added option to upgrade to a premium service that offers unlimited listening and downloading from over 40 commercial-free radio stations and a collection of interactive play lists and community features, all for just $9.95 a month. Along with the blank media and storage cases, Target stores will offer two other Napster products: The Napster Card and Napster Burnpak®. The Napster Card, developed by InComm, a leader in stored value and prepaid products, is the first pre-paid card for online music downloads. The card costs $14.85 and allows customers to easily buy 15 songs from Napster.com without using a credit card. The Napster Burnpak, an affordable digital music product which couples the Starter Kit for Roxio’s best-selling burning software, Easy CD & DVD Creator™ 6, with Napster, the most popular name in online music, in one convenient box. The Burnpak allows music fans to produce their own CDs, complete with custom labels, and add music to their photos and videos. Teleconference Dial-in Instructions For more information, go to www.caselogic.com, www.imation.com, www.napster.com, or www.target.com, or attend the joint briefing teleconference to be held at 1:00 p.m. CST today that will include comments from spokespeople Larry Linietsky, senior vice president of business development and analysis, Napster, Dave Ferraresi, vice president and general manager, Imation Corp., and Cedric Van der Straten, vice president of global products and marketing, Case Logic. To access the teleconference, please dial toll-free 1-800-901-5213 and use the following passcode to join the call: 87544288. About Imation Imation Corp. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of magnetic and optical removable data storage media. With one of the broadest product lines in the industry-spanning from a few megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes of capacity in each piece of media, Imation serves customers in more than 60 countries, in both business and consumer markets. With more than 300 technology scientists and more than 300 data storage patents in the U.S. alone, Imation continues to pioneer today's proven magnetic and optical media technologies. As of September 2003, Imation employed approximately 2,800 people worldwide. Revenues from outside the U.S. contribute approximately 53 percent of total sales. Additional information about Imation is available on the company’s website at www.imation.com, or by calling 1.888.466.3456. About Napster Napster® is the world’s most recognized brand in online music. Napster has content agreements with the five major record labels, as well as hundreds of independents. Napster delivers access to the largest catalog of online music with more than 500,000 tracks spanning all genres and artists from Eminem to Miles Davis. Napster is a division of Roxio, Inc., (Nasdaq: ROXI), the Digital Media Company, provider of the best-selling digital media software in the world. Napster has offices in Los Angeles and New York About Target Stores Minneapolis-based Target Stores serves guests at 1,227stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs. About Case Logic Case Logic is a leading global provider of innovative accessory solutions for personal technology. The company develops, markets and distributes portable and home storage accessories for compact discs, CD-ROMs, cassettes, DVDs, MiniDiscs, portable electronics, desktop ergonomics, PDAs, cameras and camcorders, as well as automotive organization products. Case Logic was founded in 1984 in Boulder, Colo. The company is now owned in partnership with Denver-based KRG Capital Partners, LLC and is based in Longmont, Colo. Truly a global company in terms of product development and marketing, Case Logic has offices in Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. For more information about Case Logic or its products visit www.caselogic.com. Imation is a trademark of Imation Corp. Roxio, Napster and Easy CD & DVD Creator are trademarks of Roxio. Case Logic is a trademark of Case Logic, Inc. Target is a trademark of Target Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners
* * *
|
