Press Releases

Olive Tree Bible Software Creates Sensation At International Christian Retail Show

SPOKANE, WA - (July 5, 2005) - For the fourth year in a row, Olive Tree Bible Software made its growing digital presence known at International Christian Retail Show (formerly known as CBA) in Denver, CO by unveiling several innovative and visually stunning products. During the week of July 14^th through the 18^th, distributors, publishers and booksellers from throughout the world converged on booth #6008 to absorb information on two groundbreaking events: iLumina™ Mobile and cell phone support for Bible software.

In partnership with Tyndale House Publishers, Olive Tree has retooled the original PC iLumina™ Gold version to support Pocket PC, and Palm OS. Coming this September, the world's first digitally animated Bible and encyclopedia suite will be available-right in the palm of your hand. Another feature of the modified mobile version is the addition of the NIV along with the NLT and KJV. A select number of video animations and tours will also be offered.

"What impressed me most about the handheld is that nothing of the original essence of the PC has been lost. If anything, the graphics are brighter and crisper in the scaled down version," says W. Victor Kore, Marketing Manager from Beers Publishing Group Tyndale House Publishers. "The user interface is well thought out too. From the main page, you are only a tap away from the Bible, the encyclopedia, timeline or multimedia. It is not only functional, but a pleasure to look at."

On another developing front, because of the latest technologies and the rapid rise of cell phone users worldwide, Olive Tree will begin supporting English Bibles on almost all cell phones sold today-starting in September 2005-to capture this growing market. Recent MIT statistics show that there are 182 million cell phones in the USA. Worldwide, there are 1.7 billion cell phones.

"Soon we expect there to be more cell phones capable of having Bible programs than desktops computers," says Drew Haninger, President of Olive Tree Bible Software.

How will this work? "Everything will come over the wireless carrier's network through a subscription service. Storage will therefore not be an issue. Installation will be a simple one-step process-which will be a welcome relief for PC and Mac users-since all it will require is to pick up the cell phone, click to the client and say, "I want to read the Bible" or something similar-and it works! No more double installs to deal with."

"The cell phone is probably going to replace the Palm and Pocket PC within the next year or two," Drew continues, "and other platforms like BlackBerry, Smartphone and Symbian shows the PDA already merging into the cell phone."

Other news at ICRS included the announcement that the NIV is now being offered for BlackBerry and Symbian devices-an Olive Tree exclusive. The package also includes the KJV, ASV, Darby and Weymouth.

For Palm and Pocket PC, the NIV red letter edition with cross references is also currently available in bundled packages which include The Message by Eugene Peterson, KJV, ASV, Darby, Young's, Weymouth, Bible Atlas, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, JFB Commentary, Nave's Bible Dictionary, Easton's Bible Dictionary, Smith's Bible Dictionary, Spurgeon's Devotional and Daily Light.

This fall watch for the launch of the Spanish Bible package which will include La Biblia de las Américas, Reina Valera 1909, 1960 and 1995, Dios Habla Hoy, the KJV and ASV (en inglés).

About Olive Tree Bible Software

Olive Tree Bible Software provides Bible versions and study tools for Palm OS, Pocket PC, Smartphone and Symbian cell phones, and BlackBerry devices.  They publish over 60 electronic translations of the Bible, as well as commentaries, dictionaries, eBooks, and parsing tools.  The Bible is offered in various languages, including German, French, Spanish, Chinese, and many others.  Original Hebrew and Greek texts are also available.  Additionally, web and online cell phone (WAP) Bible search engines are provided.  Visit www.OliveTree.com.

Distributed by