MPEG-4 aacPlus TO BECOME PART IN FUTURE NERO PRODUCTS

Coding Technologies and Ahead Software co-operate to bring aacPlus to the masses

Mountain View, CA, March 22, 2003 - Ahead Software, the makers of Nero, the technology leader in CD/DVD recording software, and Coding Technologies, leading provider of audio compression technologies for mobile, digital broadcasting and Internet markets worldwide, today announced that Ahead has licensed MPEG-4 aacPlus. Being the most efficient audio codec today, MPEG-4 aacPlus uses Coding Technologies groundbreaking Spectral Band Replication Technology (SBR) and is now standardized in MPEG-4 as the High Efficiency AAC Profile.
Users of Ahead's new Nero Digital MPEG-4 technology will soon be able to encode and playback CD-quality MPEG-4 aacPlus audio files at bit rates as low as 48 kbps.

Since its early inclusion of mp3PRO and its subsequent in-house development on MPEG-4-AAC, Ahead has been well positioned from an engineering level to understand the advantages of SBR technology. The adoption of MPEG-4 aacPlus once again demonstrates Aheads market leadership. Its unrivaled functionality, ultra-stable performance and user-friendliness make Nero the premier application for the creation of CDs and DVDs.

"We are happy to have Ahead and its standard-setting Nero Digital technology on board", said Martin Dietz, CEO & President, Coding Technologies. "The strategic decision to bank on MPEG-4 as an open standard is a clever move ensuring interoperable state-of-the-art solutions. Coding Technologies is a proud supporter of Ahead on this path".

"With a community of millions of Nero users worldwide, Ahead's mission is to offer the most compelling technology to its users", states Richard Lesser, CEO Ahead. "aacPlus is a must-have from this perspective and it perfectly fits our strategy towards MPEG-4".

About MPEG-4 aacPlus
MPEG-4 aacPlus is the combination of MPEG AAC and Coding Technologies' SBR (Spectral Band Replication) technology. SBR is a unique bandwidth extension technique, which enables audio codecs to deliver the same quality at half the bit rate. SBR is a backward and forward compatible method to enhance the efficiency of any audio codec. As a result, aacPlus delivers streaming and downloadable 5.1 multichannel audio at 128 Kbps, CD-quality stereo at 48 Kbps, excellent quality stereo at 32 Kbps, and excellent quality for mixed content at 20 Kbps mono. This level of efficiency fundamentally enables new applications in the markets of mobile and digital broadcast.

About Coding Technologies
Coding Technologies provides the best audio compression for mobile, broadcasting, and Internet. SBR(tm) (Spectral Band Replication) from Coding Technologies is a backward and forward compatible method to enhance the efficiency of any audio codec; putting the "PRO" in mp3PRO and the "Plus" in aacPlus. SBR is a fundamental enabler of the Digital Radio Mondiale open standard and is on track to become a core component of MPEG-4 Audio. Coding Technologies is a privately held company with offices in Sweden, Germany, and Silicon Valley. Founded in 1997 in Stockholm, the company later merged with a spin-off of the renowned Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, the inventor of MP3. Coding Technologies customers include XM Radio, Thomson Multimedia, MusicMatch, and Texas Instruments.
For more information, visit http://www.codingtechnologies.com.

About Ahead
Ahead Software is the technology leader in CD and DVD recording solutions. Headquartered in Karlsbad, Germany, with a subsidiary located in Glendale, California, Ahead has a global customer base including manufacturers, OEM's, distributors and retail partners. Nero Burning Rom along with Nero Express is the World's premier CD/DVD application software. Related products include InCD, NeroVision Express, and Nero ShowTime. Nero Digital is the most complete MPEG-4 audio and video compression technology available to date, including state-of-the-art audio with MPEG-4 High Efficiency AAC.
Ahead Software is a member of the MPEG-4 Industry Forum and takes part in M4IF's interoperability tests.
For more information, visit http://www.nero.com and http://www.nerodigital.com.

Press contact Ahead:
Ahead Software
Jenny Menhart
Im Stoeckmaedle 18
76307 Karlsbad
Fon +49 (0)7248-911-802
Fax +49 (0)7248-911-888
jmenhart@nero.com
http://www.nerodigital.com

PR agency USA:
Giles Communications LLC
Steve Massinello
Fon +1 914 798-7127
smassinello@giles.com

Press contacts Coding Technologies:
Coding Technologies GmbH
Gerald Moser
Deutschherrnstr. 15-19
90429 Nuernberg
Fon +49 (0)911-92891-0
Fax +49 (0)911-92891-99
press@codingtechnologies.com
http://www.codingtechnologies.com

PR agency USA:
mPRm communications
Karen DeMarco
5670 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 2500
Los Angeles CA, 90036
Fon +1 323 933-3399
Fax +1 323 939-7211
kdemarco@mprm.com
http://www.mprm.com

PR agency Europe:
Dr. Haffa & Partner Public Relations GmbH
Florian Schleicher
Burgauerstr. 117
81929 München
Fon +49 (0)89-99 31 91-0
Fax +49 (0)89-99 31 91-99
coding@haffapartner.de
http://www.haffapartner.de