News Details

CYPRESS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 3, 2006-- Partnering with Leading Global Companies to Develop Innovative Solutions that Enable Consumers to Access and Control Entertainment Devices, Digital Media, and Home Systems

Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) (NASDAQ:UEIC) today announced that it will be showcasing its latest innovative control solutions for the digital life at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Leveraging cutting edge wireless and software technologies and building on relationships with major consumer electronics (CE) companies, UEI's Digital Home tour will introduce solutions that enable seamless device and content connectivity giving consumers complete control of their entertainment experience.

The digital life landscape is in the midst of radical transformation as technologies are changing and people's concepts of how they interact and use their digital devices are evolving; driving the need for easier management of digital content and control of the user experience.

"New home and personal entertainment devices and digital media are proliferating in the market, quickly making controlling devices and interacting with content a major challenge for consumers who want to embrace the new digital lifestyle," said Paul Arling, the company's chairman and chief executive officer. "UEI has developed solutions that enable consumers' seamless connectivity and control of their media from traditional audio visual devices in their living room to digital media content on personal computers in the study to mobile media solutions on handhelds and in the automobile."

Building on UEI's 20 years of innovation and its principal membership in the Z-Wave Alliance, UEI continues to build strong ties with global consumer brands to deliver advanced consumer solutions for the digital life. Some of the "digital life" solutions that UEI will demonstrate at CES will include:

• SimpleCenter(TM), digital media management and control software that powers certain advanced media products for leading CE manufacturers, enabling these devices to manage and stream digital content anywhere in the home. SimpleCenter is also slated to be bundled with next generation mobile handsets from industry leading providers enabling consumers with those handsets to wirelessly transfer digital music, pictures, and video between their phone and PC as well as use the mobile phone to stream digital media throughout the home.
• Working with a major satellite radio provider, and leveraging the emerging Z-wave standard, UEI's latest liquid crystal display (LCD)-equipped remote controller allows consumers to wirelessly view and select satellite radio content on the remote's display and enable music playback on a connected satellite radio receiver anywhere in the home.
• In Home Control, UEI's Helix universal remote control brings reality to the next generation of convenient home control systems by seamlessly controlling not only a vast array of audio visual devices, but also any Z-wave enabled home environment device allowing consumers to dim the lights, close the curtains and start the movie all with the touch of a button. This product will be showcased at the UEI booth and at the Z-Wave Partner Pavilion.
• UEI's control technology further expands into the digital lifestyle by teaming with Gibson Guitar Corporation to help launch and re-invent the classic jukebox. Powered by UEI's SimpleWare(R) Home embedded software solution, the Wurlitzer Digital Jukebox(TM) will allow users to store a large collection of CDs digitally, buy new music directly through the Wurlitzer Music Service, and easily control their music collection from a wireless touch-screen remote running UEI's award-winning Nevo 1.0 home control application.
• UEI's technology reach also extends to the automobile, where UEI's SimpleWare(R) Auto embedded digital media software is powering solutions that enable automotive tier-1 suppliers, and automotive electronics manufacturers such as Delphi, to deliver digital entertainment products to connect consumers with their home-based digital media in the car. SimpleWare Auto is available on proven automotive-grade silicon platforms, from Freescale and Texas Instruments, ensuring fast time-to-market for integration on the next generation in-car entertainment systems.

"We're excited to be working with such leading CE, broadcast, mobile, and technology companies as we shape the next evolution of the digital life with innovative wireless technologies that expand the user experience," stated Paul Arling.

Learn More About UEI's Control Solutions While at CES 2006

Take a tour of UEI's Digital Home and experience with live demonstrations how UEI is delivering control solutions for the digital lifestyle. Demonstrations will include: activity-based A/V control, digital media management throughout the home and automobile and total home control. The UEI Digital Home tour is located at Booth #21561 in the South Hall.

About Universal Electronics

Founded in 1986, Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) is the global leader in wireless control technology for the connected home. UEI designs, develops, and delivers innovative solutions that enable consumers to control entertainment devices, digital media, and home systems.

The company's broad portfolio of patented technologies and database of infrared control software has been adopted by many Fortune 500 companies in the consumer electronics, subscription broadcast, and computing industries. In addition, the company sells wireless control products to distributors and retailers under the One For All(R) brand name.

More information about UEI can be obtained at http://www.uei.com.

About the Z-Wave Alliance

The Z-Wave Alliance is a consortium of leading companies in the home technology space dedicated to solidifying Z-Wave as the standard for wireless home control products. Its members lead the home controls market, providing leading edge products and systems that deliver increased comfort, convenience, safety and security. Z-Wave technology is the foundation of all products manufactured by the Alliance members.

For more information about the Z-Wave Alliance, visit www.z-wavealliance.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development, ordering, delivery and market acceptance of products and technologies identified in this release; the Company's continued ability to develop products in a fashion that results in its technology being accepted by the companies customers and the end users; the continued importance of the Company's database of codes and other technologies; the ability of the digital media markets to grow as anticipated by management; and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligations to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

CONTACT: U.S. Inquires:
Blanc & Otus
Stephanie Trussell
Phone: 415-856-5162
E-mail: strussell@blancandotus.com
or
Europe Inquires:
Universal Electronics bv
Hemco Arentsen
Phone: 0031 53 4888000
E-mail: hemare@uebv.com or pr@uebv.com

SOURCE: Universal Electronics Inc.