PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2000-- Janex International Inc., (OTC BB: JANX,) Thursday announced it has entered into an agreement with Hong Kong based HotEast.com to market oKID.com's new Child Safe Internet Web Browser in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Korea.
HotEast will also provide content and product sourcing services for the development of oKID ASIA. oKID ASIA will provide an online virtual world experience in each country's language and cultural style for children throughout Asia including the localization, sale and distribution of Janex's educational toys and games that utilize the company's patented Talking Pages® technology.
Europe and Latin America will be added in the third and forth quarters of this year making oKID.com the only multilingual, multi-cultural cultural Internet portal of its kind. According to an article published in USA Today on March 15, 2000 the number of Internet users in China has more than quadrupled in the past year from 2.1 million users to almost 9 million.
Within five years, China, the most populous country in the world is expected to have more Internet users than any other country. HotEast is a Hong Kong-based business development company focused on the promotion of arts, cultural, entertainment and educational products and services through out Asia.
Vincent W. Goett, chairman and chief executive officer of Janex International Inc. stated, ``We are thrilled about the continued interest our unique Internet portal oKID.com and our Talking Pages®, interactive books have already received from educators in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
``With the opening of our offices in Hong Kong, Asia will be the first step in the globalization and distribution of Janex's unique line of children's educational products outside the United States. Janex selected Hong Kong as its Asian base of operations due to its exclusive manufacturing agreement with Early Light Industrial Company LTD.
``Early Light is one of the largest manufactures of toys and games in the world. They manufacture products for most leading toy companies such as Hasbro, Mattel, Playskool and Fisher-Price. Early Light, was established in 1974 and has approximately 30,000 employees in its 3 million square-foot facility manufacturing state-of-the-art children's products such as the popular Furby and Tonka Trucks.
``The addition of HOTEAST provides the necessary marketing vehicle Janex needed to achieve its expansion plans throughout Asia. We are very pleased to have HOTEAST as part of our team.''
Victor I. Tong, director of HotEast.com Holdings Limited stated, ``We are delighted to be developing business relationships for oKID.com in the Asian market.
``HotEast's goal is to breach the gap between East and West and bring the wonderfully creative oKID.com children's Internet portal to the Far East, which will deliver technologically advanced multi-lingual educational, and entertaining products and services to families through out Asia.''
Janex is a multi-faceted children's product company centered on the innovative web portal and virtual world http://www.okid.com.
This unique corporate philosophy exemplifies the forward thinking of Janex's management as demonstrated by their online Business-to-Business (B2B) sales and distribution network, retail sales strategy and the Janex line of entertaining and educational children's products including interactive games, toys, and publishing utilizing the company's patented Talking Pages® technology.
All of Janex's products can be purchased both online in the oKID shopping mall and at traditional retail outlets. Janex has licensing agreements with Children's Television Network, Lyons Partnership (Barney), Disney Enterprises, Saban Merchandising (Power Rangers), Lot O Fun Marketing, Pure Imagination Co., World Championship Wrestling Inc., Warner Brothers and DC Comics, and as part of the acquisitions from Futech, Just Licensing Limited (Jellabies), Random Games Inc., Hasbro (Winners Circle), Action Performance Companies Inc., and JG Motorsports (Jeff Gordon).
Certain information in this news release does not relate to historical financial information and may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results in the future to differ materially from its historical results and those presently anticipated or projected.
Among these risks and uncertainties are general economic conditions, especially during peak buying seasons for the company's products; competitive pricing and program changes; manufacturing performance; the company's relationship with its sales, manufacturing and distributing entities; the company's ability to respond to customer change, orders and delivery schedules; demographic trends; the company's ability to control costs; to attract and retain high-quality employees; and the company's ability to maintain its customer base and finalize significant transactions.
For more information about Janex International Inc., and oKID.com visit the oKID web site at www.oKID.com or call their offices at 602/808-9888.
For more information about HotEast visit their web site at www.hoteast.com
Janex International Inc., Phoenix
Vincent W. Goett, 602/808-9888
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