LEADTOOLS version 11 Press Release

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PRESS CONTACT: Ashley Sparks 704/227-2625 ashley@leadtools.com		FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEAD Technologies Introduces LEADTOOLS® Version 11

Providing More Power and Ease-of-Use for the Developer

LEAD Technologies continues its tradition of delivering innovative and feature-rich imaging toolkits for diverse markets and application requirements . . . with LEADTOOLS ® Version 11.

Charlotte, NC (June 15, 1999) — LEAD Technologies announces the immediate availability of LEADTOOLS ^® Version 11, the newest release of their award-winning imaging toolkit. LEADTOOLS Version 11 offers many new features and enhanced performance, to provide developers with more power and greater ease-of-use for image-enabling applications.

LEADTOOLS Version 11 is ideal for developers involved in still frame, multimedia, document, medical, and vector imaging projects, including Internet/Intranet applications. Independent of the specific application requirement – scanning, file format support/conversion, compression, image processing, annotation, database support, multimedia, etc. – Version 11 provides the most comprehensive, robust, flexible, and powerful imaging solution available.

LEADTOOLS Version 11 maintains full code compatibility with earlier versions of LEADTOOLS to ensure easy upward migration within existing imaging applications. In addition to an expanded feature-set and enhanced performance the new version supports import/export of more image file formats and increased image-processing functionality, which now includes full support of the DICOM 3.0 specification including all modalities and both 2D and 3D vector imaging support.

NEW ADVANCED FEATURES

LEADTOOLS Version 11 extends the feature-rich offering now available in all current LEADTOOLS’ imaging products, adding a host of new, advanced features and enhancements for easier and more convenient development in virtually any imaging application or environment. Key features include JBIG support, an industry standard lossless file format, which offers greatly improved compression algorithms for bi-tonal, grayscale, and color images. A new, comprehensive thumbnail browser improves the versatility and speed with which users can browse directories/subdirectories and create thumbnails. Image list control also has been added for easily viewing and manipulating lists of images.

Other key features and enhancements in LEADTOOLS Version 11 include expanded annotation capabilities, which broaden LEADTOOLS’ appeal in many applications, such as medical imaging. New annotation objects in Version 11 include cross-hair, pointer, protractor, audio/video, push-pin text, freehand hotspots, and 26 predefined and user-defined rubber stamps. LEADTOOLS imaging toolkits now contain more than 50 annotation objects.

Below is a partial listing of new features and enhancements. More detailed information on LEADTOOLS Version 11 is available at: www.leadtools.com/version11email2.htm.

Comprehensive, versatile thumbnail browser enables quick browsing of directories/subdirectories for generating thumbnails of all LEAD-supported files.
Image list control permits convenient access, viewing, and manipulation of image lists.
Automated and customizable annotation support includes many new, unique annotation objects, expanded security, user-defined object properties, and support in the ActiveX control.
Bi-cubic interpolation provides an additional option for optimal image resizing.
Intel ® Pentium 3 optimization provides ultra-fast JPEG/CMP decompression.
Multimedia additions now support Microsoft DirectShow V6 for enhanced audio/video functionality.
New VCL component support (native Borland/Inprise VCL) extends available programming environments
Automatic brightness, contrast, and gamma control of independent images further extends image processing capabilities.
Dual page scanning for TWAIN enhances input/capture versatility.
Enhanced common dialogs expand language customization capabilities for easy internationalization.
Enhanced database capabilities provide additional callback routines and multi-page support.
Enhanced edge detect extends filters to better support medical imaging applications.
Improved pan window handling simplifies the overall development effort, and provides more display options for users.
Comprehensive FlashPix support is now included with all Express Toolkits for greater value.
Expanded image file formats (now over 60 formats and variants) include new JBIG, DICOM, and vector formats. For a complete listing of file formats, click here.
Optional JBIG support for lossless compression with bi-tonal, grayscale, and color images is now available. For more information on JBIG support, click here.

Two new 2D/3D vector imaging toolkits have been added to LEAD Technologies comprehensive line and are available immediately. Additionally, a new medical imaging toolkit LEADTOOLS Version 11 Medical Express Suite, which will provide extensive support for the DICOM communication protocol, is soon to be released. More information on these new toolkits will be given in separate press releases in July.

"With LEADTOOLS Version 11, and our other new product releases, LEADTOOLS continues its long standing tradition of providing cutting-edge features, versatility, and high-performance in imaging toolkits," states Rich Little, President of LEAD Technologies. "We not only design products that address the needs of diverse markets and applications, but as a company, we maintain a strong customer focus. By providing support vehicles, like our website-based ‘Knowledge Database’, we enable our development customers to fully benefit from our advanced technology, imaging knowledge, and engineering expertise."

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About LEAD Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 1990, LEAD grew out of years of research headed by Moe Daher to find a comprehensive compression standard for digital images. LEAD is now the world-leading supplier of imaging development toolkits, providing technology of the future, today. LEAD brings to the market the most innovative and technically superior products that provide the greatest possible value for its customers. LEAD’s award winning imaging technology is chosen by Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Boeing, Xerox and thousands of other companies for use in their high volume applications and internal systems.