AGE Logic, Inc. Releases X Image Extension Alpha 

New XIE standard allows interactive imaging for UNIX, PCs

San Diego, CA, August 30, 1993 - AGE Logic, Inc. of San Diego has released
the alpha version of the X Image Extension Sample Implementation (XIE-SI)
to the MIT X Consortium. The MIT X Consortium awarded AGE the XIE-SI
development contract in January of 1993; the alpha release of XIE-SI
represents a significant milestone for the project.

XIE is important because it will provide a standard and optimized way to
integrate documents and image data into applications for Motif and the X
Window System. By using XIE, imaging applications can be developed for
supercomputers, workstations, X terminals and PCs running XIE server
software.

Imaging technology and on-line documents have long held the promise for a
"paperless office." But because imaging applications have required
proprietary hardware and expensive integration efforts to implement, few
could afford to take advantage of this technology.

"Before XIE, the X protocol had limited and inefficient mechanisms to
display image data," explained Robert Weideman, product manager for
imaging at AGE. "The AGE XIE-SI resolves these issues through specialized
compression and de-compression algorithms. XIE makes it practical to
access image data and scanned documents across the network from
workstations, X terminals and PCs. Even interactive imaging is possible
with XIE."

The XIE protocol supports color, grayscale, and bitonal (black and white)
image formats. Server-side image storage can be either compressed (for
maximum storage capacity) or uncompressed (for fastest retrieval and
display time.) A number of operators are provided for image reformatting,
enhancement and scaling, including color space conversion, convolution
dithering, and contrast enhancement. Many operations can be applied to a
specific region of interest within an image, leaving the rest of the image
unchanged.

The alpha release of the AGE XIE-SI includes a beta-quality document
imaging subset (DIS) of XIE, which is designed to reduce the cost and
memory requirements for applications dealing primarily with bitonal
images. CCITT Group 3 and Group 4 FAX and run-length encoding compression
schemes are supported in DIS, along with affine geometric operations (for
scaling, rotation and mirroring.)

"The increased performance and standard programming environment provided by
XIE transforms X servers into platforms for multi-media and document
imaging applications," noted Weideman. "The performance barriers for
serious imaging in the X Window System are about to be lifted."

The AGE XIE-SI beta release to the MIT X Consortium is scheduled for the
Fall, with the final release slated for delivery around year-end 1993. AGE
was selected for the XIE-SI, in part, due to their expertise in providing
performance-oriented X server technology for PCs, X terminals and embedded
systems. AGE provided the industry's first 32-bit X server for MS Windows
as well as the first X server for both RISC and CISC platforms running the
Windows NT operating system.

AGE Logic, Inc., a privately owned corporation founded in 1984, is a
supplier of X Window System software that enables PCs, terminals,
workstations and embedded systems to access X applications residing on
Unix-based hosts. Marketed under the XoftWare brand name, AGE offers a
full family of PC packaged products for distributors/resellers, system
integrators and OEMs, as well as customized embedded X products for the
world's leading terminal, computer and systems companies. These XoftWare
packaged products support industry standards such as Microsoft Windows,
Windows NT, DOS and various PC Unix operating environments. AGE has
alliances with major silicon, terminal and workstation companies to
develop highly optimized, hardware-specific X servers tailored to their
specifications. AGE is located in San Diego and can be reached at (619)
455-8600.

AGE Logic, Inc.
9985 Pacific Heights Blvd, San Diego, CA 92121 

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