Reprinted from a Panasonic/Business Wire press release:
LAS VEGAS, COMDEX, Nov. 12, 2001 — Panasonic and Palm Inc. have launched parallel promotions designed to raise consumer awareness and understanding of the SD Memory Card format.
The SD Memory Card, jointly developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic), SanDisk and Toshiba,
enables consumers to place their favorite music, video, digital photos and other data onto a flash memory card that’s about the
size of a postage stamp, then take those digital files virtually anywhere. SD Memory Cards allow consumers to share content
among such digital devices as cameras, printers, computers, cell phones and handheld computers.
As part of its promotion, Panasonic is providing, by mail-in offer, free Panasonic SD Memory Cards with the purchase of select
Panasonic products, including digital still cameras, digital camcorders with built-in digital still camera feature, and SD-enabled
audio products. Similarly, Palm is offering free Panasonic SD Memory Cards with the purchase of Palm m125, m500 and
m505 SD-enabled handheld computers.
Beginning today, the offers are being promoted in 30-second television spots airing on A&E, Discovery Channel, ESPN and
CNN. The commercials demonstrate the interoperability of the SD format, showing a digital image taken with a Panasonic digital
camera or camcorder and saved onto an SD Memory Card. The card then can be slipped into an easily configured Palm m125,
m500 or m505 handheld and viewed on the handheld’s display.
Panasonic and Palm SD-enabled products also will be featured in 30-second spots on the giant NBC Astrovision by Panasonic
video display in New York City’s Times Square. Outdoor billboards at strategic locations will convey Panasonic’s message to
millions of commuters.
The two companies also may implement additional, separate advertising and promotional plans beyond the holiday selling season.
Panasonic, a founding member of the SD Card Association, is one of the leaders in incorporating SD technology into consumer
electronics products. The current line of Panasonic SD-enabled products includes digital still cameras, digital camcorders with
built-in still camera feature, voice recorders and e-wear MP3 music players, SD/CD car receivers, video projectors and a
wireless handheld PC, as well as 16MB, 32MB and 64MB SD Memory Cards.
Palm, a leading provider of handheld computers, has adopted the SD card for use in Palm handhelds equipped with Palm’s SD
and MultiMediaCard expansion slot, including the Palm m125, m500 and m505 handhelds. Palm chose to support the SD card
because of the numerous advantages the format offers.
