Philips Components, a division of Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands, and
Software Architects, Inc. (SAI), have signed a joint development agreement aimed at
launching the world's first integrated CD-MRW drive and software solutions for personal
computers (PCs)--adhering to the Mount Rainier Group specifications for next-generation
CD-MRW drives. CD-MRW disc drives combine the convenience and reliability of floppy disk
drives with the high capacity and re-writability of conventional CD-RW drives.
Software Architects is collaborating with Philips to provide the first system-level
software that interfaces with Mt. Rainier-compliant drives, running under the Microsoft®
Windows® operating system. The UDF system level software, specified as the default
interface for Mt. Rainier-compliant drives, provides the user with an easy-to-use "drag
and drop" drive letter interface, along with the ability to reliably exchange and read
files on the disc by all types of computers and operating systems, such as the
aforementioned.
"PC makers are demanding easy-to-use, reliable, and low-cost removable disc solutions
for personal storage and data interchange. CD-MRW is designed to be a solution that can
handle the increasingly larger file sizes being used by consumers and businesses today,"
said Dirk Hamelinck, program manager for the Mt. Rainier development project at Philips.
"We are applying Philips' world-leading CD-RW technology to make Mt. Rainier-compliant
drives the easiest to use and most reliable optical drives available."
"Consumers and professionals alike appreciate the simplicity, speed and reliability of
the drag and drop interface," stated Robert Zollo, president of SAI. "This provides a
breakthrough advancement for PC makers who can now provide a single, easy-to-use optical
disc drive that meets the needs of both business and consumer PC users. Our combined
technology addresses the biggest user problems concerning CD-RW discs--such as easy
reading and writing of files to the disc, and reliable transfer of files on the disc
between different computer systems."