Commodore International Corporation (CIC) is a Netherlands-based company that bought all the global rights, patents and assets to the Commodore brand in 2005. The company provides digital media services, software and hardware and delivers media entertainment in the context of a Wi-Fi technology. Seamless integration of Wi-Fi hardware and an online content service are the key elements of the company’s vision to bring personalized entertainment to the reach of anyone.
History
Yeahronimo Media Venture Inc.
In 2004 SATXS Communications BV (digital distribution and live streaming) and Yeahronimo NV (the first legal download platform in the Netherlands) merged into Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc. (July 2004). The vision behind the merger was to “integrate advances in content provision with state-of-the-art digital distribution services” ([1]).
Commodore brand
Commodore brand is best known for its revolutionary innovations in computing from the '70s to the '80s. The Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) was released in 1977 and is recognized as one of the first home PCs. PET was followed by Commodore VIC-20, which was the first color computer with a reasonable price, in 1981. In January 1982 the Commodore 64 (C64) was announced at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. The C64 became the best selling home PC of all time and changed the concept of home entertainment with its connection to TV set.
In 2004 Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc. bought the rights for Commodore brand name, patents and assets from Tulip Computers.
Commodore International Corporation
After the purchase of the Commodore brand Yeahronimo Media Venture Inc. changed its name to Commodore International Corporation in October 2005. The formation of the new company was followed by acquisitions of other companies including Lyzia Digital Media Solutions BV (the leading music download platform in the Benelux) in 2006. The same year CIC formed a joint venture with the Amsterdam-based company The Content Factory to start providing PC gaming products and services under the name Commodore Gaming.
Commodore USA
A new Commodore company is developing the Commodore Phoenix, a C64-like keyboard-computer system with touchpad. Unlike Commodore Asia's computers and netbooks which have Microsoft Windows as standard, the original operating system included with Phoenix is Ubuntu with Amiga OS3 provided by emulation. Microsoft Windows can also be installed, since it uses supported processor options. Other operating systems are AROS and Comodo.
Similar to the Phoenix, it is also developing two new keyboard-computers called the Commodore Amigo and Commodore Invictus, which are lower specification machines. The Commodore Invictus features a touch screen display and wireless HDMI and is similar in appearance to the ASUS eee keyboard PC. The Commodore Amigo is a low cost computer that runs entirely from an SD Card.
Products and services
Concept
The CIC concept is to offer seamless integration of digital multimedia content and digital distribution services (CommodoreWorld) and hardware (Gravel devices). The combination enables consumers to stream, download, share and manage their personalized media content such as music, videos and games virtually in any place.
In the era of portable media players and illegal downloading, CIC’s vision is to make access to legal media content as easy and enjoyable as possible for their consumers.
The Gravel multimedia players are equipped with Wi-Fi and have direct access to the CommodoreWorld online service. This means that anyone with a Gravel device and a Wi-Fi network can access the multimedia content of the service. The content can be personalized by the user and users with a Gravel subscription are also able to upload their own content to the service.
Whereas the Commodore home PCs revolutionized the concept of home entertainment, CIC attempts to revolutionize the future of digital entertainment with a new generation of digital media devices.
Hardware
In the autumn 2006 Commodore International Corporation launched its Gravel product line. The Commodore Gravel products are personal multimedia players equipped with Wi-Fi and capable of accessing content directly from CommodoreWorld. The Gravels are high-end design products which target the urban technological pioneers.
The already launched products of the line are Gravel In Pocket (a pocket sized Wi-Fi multimedia player) and Gravel In Home (multimedia streaming to the TV-screen). The company also provides business-to-business concepts such as the In Public Media Tower which is placed in high-traffic public areas. It provides consumers direct access to online media content of CommodoreWorld.
CommodoreWorld
CommodoreWorld is an online media entertainment environment for internet and Gravel users. For Gravel users it offers free streaming of media content. Subscriptions for more high-quality content, as well as an online storage service, have recently been offered.
See also
- Commodore International
- Gravel In Pocket
- CommodoreWorld
References
http://www.commodorecorp.com
http://www.commodoreworld.com
http://mediamentalism.com/2007/03/17/cebit-2007-video-of-the-reborn-commodores-new-gravel-pmps/
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/digitalmusic/0,39029432,49288560-1,00.htm
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/2985/commodore_presents_new
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-19-2006/0004263675&EDATE=
http://www.lexdon.com/article/Commodore_and_Lyzia_Reach_Agreement/29125.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Oct_10/ai_n15680902
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2006_Sept_4/ai_n16702912