MS NAMES AUTHORIZED REPLICATOR
August 1, 2001

In an announcement this week, Microsoft awarded Authorized Replicator (AR) status to Sonopress LLC. Sonopress will assist Microsoft-licensed third-party publishers to manufacture and distribute their software in support of the North American launch of the Xbox on November 8.

Sonopress is the storage media arm of Bertelsmann AG. A key Microsoft requirement that was a factor in the choice of Sonopress was its expertise in global supply chain management. With 4,000 employees located in 12 countries throughout the world, Sonopress is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital media and produces more than 3.5 million optical discs per day worldwide.

Bob Spiller, Sonopress LLC President, stated, "Sonopress LLC has developed a highly sophisticated array of manufacturing and service capabilities uniquely tailored to the needs of retail software publishers. In making this decision, Microsoft has reiterated that its licensed developers need to have partners such as Sonopress LLC with a solid infrastructure to insure a successful launch of Xbox."

Sonopress, which works with game producers, is also actively courting independent Xbox game publishers with this announcement, according to Spiller. As an Authorized Replicator, Sonopress LLC can work with independent publishers to assure compliance with Microsoft's program requirements, and achieve speedy time-to-market through its global operations.