CReATION: Creative Technology makes investment in online music distributor Soundbuzz.com

<p>Creative Technology, a provider of Personal Digital Entertainment </p><p>(PDE) solutions, has made a strategic investment in online digital </p><p>download music distributor Soundbuzz.com. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>With the investment, Soundbuzz.com will boost its operations by </p><p>leveraging on Creative's strong branding and presence, channel network/ </p><p>experience and installed user base in individual markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Sudanshu Sarronwala, head and co-founder of Soundbuzz.com, described </p><p>Creative as "a global leader in PDE solutions", and said the alliance </p><p>was "a landmark moment in the digital music download environment in </p><p>Asia". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Together with Creative, we are able to strategically target the right </p><p>consumer segment and provide the best consumer experience possible by </p><p>offering compelling and relevant content, applications and services," he </p><p>said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Not only can we offer the mass consumers music content, but also </p><p>compelling listening experiences through Creative's digital audio </p><p>players." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Creative's extensive line of PDE solutions includes the award-winning </p><p>Sound Blaster line of audio cards, Nomad digital audio players and Lava </p><p>interactive 3D music video software. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Soundbuzz.com has also forged a strategic alliance with Lava.com, an </p><p>Internet venture from Creative, in a collaborative effort to design and </p><p>produce custom 3D interactive Lava MusicVideos for Soundbuzz.com's </p><p>selected downloadable songs. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Soundbuzz.com will be using a portion of the investment capital to fuel </p><p>its expansion plans in Asia, sales and marketing activities and </p><p>infrastructural development. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>According to Forrester Research, the digital download market is set to </p><p>explode in the next four years. The most dramatic growth in digital </p><p>download sales will be in the music sector. More than US$1 </p><p>million worth of music was downloaded from the Internet in 1999 and this </p><p>represented 0.1 per cent of all online music sales. By 2004, 25 per cent </p><p>of all music sold online will be downloaded, earning music companies </p><p>US$1 billion. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Soundbuzz.com will be holding its official launch in Singapore at the </p><p>end of this month. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>