Sonic Recognized for Technical Innovation and Financial Success
Sonic Software Inducted into TECnology Hall of Fame; Company Named One of Fortune Magazine's 100 Fastest Growing Companies
NOVATO, California (October 16, 2006) - Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced two honors that emphasize the company's long-standing commitment to technical innovation and financial success. NoNoise®, an application developed during the early days of Sonic for removing background noise from audio recordings, was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame in recognition of its significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology. In addition, Sonic's financial achievements were noted by highly regarded business journal Fortune Magazine, which ranked the company on its 2006 list of America's Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies.
"We are delighted by these acknowledgements that reaffirm our business growth and history of technical excellence," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "The spirit of innovation remains a cornerstone at Sonic, where we have evolved from our roots in audio to become the leader in digital media software. From our groundbreaking work on next-generation high-definition formats, to the enablement of new forms of electronic distribution of Hollywood content, Sonic continues to be at the epicenter of digital media innovation."
Sonic is at the forefront of the market's transition to high-definition formats. The company began this pioneering work more than two years ago when it released the industry's first specifications for advanced interactivity, and more recently with the development of advanced high-definition authoring and encoding tools for Hollywood studios. Sonic's impressive range of high-definition solutions now includes digital media applications and embedded software to enable high-definition experiences across an entire value chain from Hollywood To Home™.
In addition, Sonic is spearheading the movie industry's transition to electronic distribution with the introduction of its DVD On Demand™ solution for enabling the secure electronic sell-through and recording of video entertainment to DVD. DVD On Demand solutions will be available at retail, in the home, and on the Web and will not only help create new distribution opportunities for content owners and allow a broad range of technology providers to participate in the entertainment value chain, but also provide consumers convenient access to a wider selection of digital entertainment.
TECnology Hall of Fame
The Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio created the TECnology Hall of Fame to spotlight significant contributions to the advancement of audio technology. Each year a select few inductees are chosen by an esteemed committee of more than 50 industry leaders, engineers, producers, designers, educators, journalists and historians. Sonic was one of only 15 companies chosen, and NoNoise was recognized for restoring tens of thousands of audio recordings, forensic tracks, and movie and TV soundtracks around the world. NoNoise products are now sold through Sonic Studio, a separate company formed by former Sonic Solutions employees. For a complete list of this year's inductees in the TECnology Hall of Fame visit: (http://www.mixfoundation.org/hof/techof.html#15).
Fortune Magazine's List of 100 Fastest Growing Companies
For the second consecutive year, Fortune Magazine placed Sonic on its roster of 100 Fastest Growing Companies. According to Fortune, this is no small accomplishment, as only 43 of the 100 companies from its 2005 list made the grade this year. Directly behind Fortune's inclusion, Baseline, a Ziff Davis publication, ranked Sonic on its list of 50 Fastest Growing Companies. Sonic's growth in fiscal year 2006 was a record for the company with revenues of $148.7 million. The company also exceeded operating income targets, which increased 156% over the prior year. The recent honors from Fortune and Baseline add to similar recognition earlier this year from Business Week and Business 2.0. For details of Fortune's list visit: (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortunefastestgrowing/2006/).
About Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com) is the leader in digital media software, providing a broad range of interoperable, platform-independent software tools and applications for creative professionals, business and home users, and technology partners. Sonic's products range from advanced DVD authoring systems and interactive content delivery technologies used to produce the majority of Hollywood DVD film releases, to the award-winning Roxio®-branded CD and DVD creation, playback and backup solutions that have become the premier choice for consumers, prosumers and business users worldwide.
Sonic products are globally available from major retailers, online at Sonic.com and Roxio.com, and are bundled with PCs, after-market drives and consumer electronic devices. Sonic's digital media creation engine is the de facto standard and has been licensed by major software and hardware manufacturers, including Adobe, Microsoft, Scientific-Atlanta, Sony, and many others. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.
Sonic, Sonic Solutions, Hollywood To Home, DVD On Demand, and Roxio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sonic Solutions in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.