LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 1999--ShareWave, Inc., an ingredient supplier of multimedia digital wireless home networking technology, has been awarded three Innovations 99 awards, including Best of Show, by the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

ShareWave received top honors in the Integrated Home Systems category for ShareWave(TM) Digital Wireless, and in the Components category for the NAMI(TM) Compression chipset. ShareWave and Philips Electronics will receive a joint award in the Computer Hardware category for AMBI(TM), which incorporates ShareWave Digital Wireless technology.

AMBI was also selected as the Best of Show in the Computer Hardware category, one of only 12 such distinctions across the entire show. ShareWave's winning products will be on display in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center and in ShareWave's booth (No. 5947) during CES, held Jan. 7-10.

Innovations 99 honors the very best companies in design, engineering and software. Co-sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association and the Industrial Designers Society of America, Innovations recognizes outstanding achievements in consumer technologies. Industry experts judge the entries based on value to users, aesthetics, contributions to the quality of life, and innovation.

Products for the Innovations 1999 Design & Engineering Awards were evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of industrial designers, engineers and trade press.

"It's a tremendous honor to be recognized with Innovations awards for our technology achievements," said Jim Schraith, ShareWave president and CEO. "ShareWave's wireless technology will play a key role in growing the market for home networking devices, because it provides superior ease of use and mobility compared to other solutions," he said.

ShareWave Digital Wireless

ShareWave Digital Wireless was selected as an Innovations 99 winner in the Integrated Home Systems category. This portfolio of wireless technologies enables real-time delivery of multimedia content among various devices in the home, including full-motion video, computer graphics, CD-quality audio, voice and data. This ingredient technology is available to computing, consumer electronics, and networking companies to embed in their consumer devices for the home.

Real-Time Wavelet Compression Chipset

Selected as a winner in the Components category, ShareWave's NAMI(TM) compression chips provide low-cost compression and decompression of digital video in real time. NAMI technology provides fast, high-quality, low-cost transmission of all image types, including real-time video, natural images, and computer rendered graphics, at robust speeds.

These chips provide extremely high compression ratios (up to 70:1) while maintaining outstanding quality, dramatically increasing the effective throughput of bandwidth-limited connections. NAMI is suited for use in both consumer electronics and broadband applications.

AMBI Wireless TV Terminal

The Best of Show award in the Computer Hardware category will be presented jointly to ShareWave and Philips Electronics for AMBI, an innovative home networking product for consumers. Announced in November, AMBI establishes a high-speed, digital wireless connection between the PC and TV, and incorporates ShareWave Digital Wireless technology.

Using this wireless connection, AMBI turns the TV into a second big-screen PC, allowing two users to simultaneously run two Windows(TM) sessions (including Internet access) -- one on the PC, the other on the TV.

About ShareWave

Founded in September 1996, ShareWave, Inc., is an ingredient supplier of multimedia digital wireless home networking technologies to the leaders of the computing, consumer electronics, and networking industries. ShareWave's vision is to establish the Multimedia Furnace model in the home, providing consumers with unrestricted access to the digital content they want, where and when they want it.

In June 1998, ShareWave introduced ShareWave Digital Wireless, a portfolio of networking technologies that enables multimedia digital wireless connections between devices throughout the home. ShareWave is the first company to enable real-time delivery of full-motion video across a digital wireless home network. ShareWave is privately held with its headquarters in El Dorado Hills, Calif. and employs more than 95 individuals.

ShareWave has received funding from Ameritech Corp., APV Technology Partners, Cisco Systems, Draper Richards, L.P., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Philips Electronics NV, Softbank Technology Partners, Vulcan Ventures, Inc., and other public and private investors. Total funds raised to date now stand at $42.5 million. Additional information on ShareWave can be accessed via the company's web site at www.sharewave.com.

Note to Editors: ShareWave, ShareWave Digital Wireless, Whitecap, NAMI, Cresta, the Multimedia Furnace, and the "Magic Box" design mark are trademarks of ShareWave, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries. All other marks referenced are those of their respective owners.