MIT Laboratory for Computer Science Announces Creation of Oxygen Alliance of Companies
Companies Join With MIT Researchers to Develop New Breed of Pervasive,
Human Centered Computers
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Wednesday, June 21st, 2000 — The MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) announced today the formation of the Oxygen Alliance, a group of companies that will work with MIT researchers to advance and integrate the technologies of the $50 million, five-year Oxygen project. The companies, including Acer Group, Delta Electronics, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Nokia Research Center, and Philips Research, will work with MIT researchers to create a new breed of pervasive, human centered computers devoted to serving people's needs.
Oxygen is an ambitious project involving some 250 researchers at LCS and its sister Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI). Its goal is to develop computer systems that cater to people, rather than the other way around. The project will bring an abundance of computation and communication to users through natural spoken and visual interfaces, making it easy for them to automate repetitive
human tasks, find the information they need, and collaborate with others through space and time. It is believed that widespread use of Oxygen and its advanced technologies will yield a profound leap in human productivity that may be even more revolutionary than the move from mainframe computers to desktops.
The Oxygen Alliance will involve collaborative research between the Oxygen companies and MIT in several areas, including the creation of portable and stationary devices that can handle human speech and vision in limited contexts; new networking technologies for mobility and for controlling physical devices; the automation of repetitive tasks; individualized access to knowledge; and the development of new operating systems to support these technologies. In addition, the Alliance will involve personnel exchanges, joint workshops, and joint projects between each of the participating companies and MIT.
Michael Dertouzos, director of LCS, stated: "For 40 years makers and users of computers have been catering to what machines need. It's high time we turn our attention to what people want to do. We are delighted that, together with our partners in the Oxygen project, we can now go after the worthy goal of pervasive, human centered computing."
The MIT Oxygen project was initially launched in the Fall of 1999 with seed funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Oxygen Alliance may include one or two additional members in the future.
About the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
Since its inception 37 years ago, the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) has been at the forefront of computer science. The hallmark of its research is a balanced blend between forefront technology and human utility. LCS members and alumni have been instrumental in the invention of the ARPANET, the Internet, Ethernet, the World Wide Web, time-shared computers, RSA encryption, and dozens of other technologies. Anyone who makes decisions using a spreadsheet, sends and receives email, communicates with colleagues through a LAN, or surfs the Web is benefiting from the creative output of a present or former member of LCS. The Lab is currently home to the World Wide Web Consortium, an open forum of companies and organizations which strives to lead the Web to its full potential.
About the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Since Marvin Minsky and John McCarthy formed the AI Lab in 1959, it has been a place where significant new tools and applications have been developed. The great strength of the AI Lab has been its willingness to put together large-scale systems in ways that others have either not dared or for which they have not been able to marshal the required resources. The last few years have seen significant applications built on the AI Lab's robotics, vision, language, and circuit design technology. Most recently, the Lab has pioneered new methods for image guided surgery, wired the White House, made haptic interfaces a reality, produced new generations of micro displays, and changed the way NASA explores planets.
About the Companies in the Oxygen Alliance
About Acer Group
Established in 1976, Acer is the world's third-largest PC manufacturer, offering a broad range of PC products from industry-leading high-end PC servers and multimedia desktop computers, to notebooks, computer peripherals, and components. Acer is also a leading Internet-enabler, providing Internet component technologies, devices, and services. These include end-to-end solutions, mobile phones, plasma displays, TFT screens, projectors, wireless communications, and e-corp solutions. The Acer Group employs close to 34,000 people in 193 enterprises spanning 42 countries worldwide, supporting dealers and distributors in over 100 countries. Acer Group revenues in 1999 were US$8.4 billion.
Contact: Bruce Brough, Acer Group
Tel: +1.408.922.2989
bruce_brough@acer.com
About Delta Electronics, Inc.
Delta is a major component manufacturer for the computer, telecommunications, and networking industries in the marketplace. It is the world's largest merchant power supply manufacturer. Delta is an advocate of green technology, and, since its establishment in 1971, Delta has devoted itself to efficient energy resource utilization for the preservation of the natural environment through product innovation. Along with the Oxygen Alliance, Delta is also collaborating with the Spoken Language Systems Group of LCS/MIT to explore new human language technologies and their applications.
Contact: Yancey Hai, Delta Electronics, Inc.
Tel: +886.2.8797.2088
yancey.hai@delta.com.tw
About Hewlett-Packard Company
Hewlett-Packard Company—a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services—is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to individuals and businesses through simple appliances, useful
e-services and an Internet infrastructure that's always on. HP has 86,000 employees worldwide and had total revenue from continuing operations of $42.4 billion in its 1999 fiscal year.
Contact: Dave Berman, HP Labs
Tel: +1.650.857.7277
dave_berman@hp.com
About Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
First established in 1985, the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) implemented a major reorganization in July, 1999 and was reborn as the new NTT Group. The NTT Group is currently the largest provider of telecommunications service in Japan. It also pursues R&D towards building a secure and convenient network society—one based on a photonic infrastructure that supports the 21st century information sharing industry. The goal of the Group is to work towards creating new opportunities for the "information distribution" business by promoting R&D in the following three areas: DoPN (Data over Photonic Network), Rich Internet (network service markets and content sharing markets on the Internet), and Seamless, full and global communication (affluent and high-quality communication environment).
Contact: Yoshifumi Manabe, NTT Science and Core Technology
Lab Group
Tel: +81.46.240.5152
manabe@tamail.rdc.ntt.co.jp
About Nokia
Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its
innovative products and solutions. Nokia is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed, and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 56,000 people.
Contact: Communications Department, Nokia Networks
Tel: +358.9.5113.8195
nokia.networks@nokia.com
About Philips Research
Philips Research, part of Royal Philips Electronics, is headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and has laboratories at different locations in the US, Europe, and Asia (collectively some 3,000 people). Philips Research concentrates on investigating promising options for innovations, which are turned into new or improved products of the Philips product divisions. About 0.9% of sales of Philips is spent on these corporate research activities, while total R&D efforts amount to approximately 6% of sales.
Contact: Marty Gordon, Philips Research
Tel: +1.408.617.4608
marty.gordon@philips.com
